4115 NE 17th Ave Portland, OR 97211

Built in 1942 and attributed to Kenneth Birkemeier, this four-bedroom home reads as an early modern design with streamline details, rarer than the midcentury moderns that came after it. Horizontal lines run through the Roman brick facade and chimney, echoed in wide window casings, and corner windows let light in from two directions at once. The setting is part of what makes this place distinctive. Sunrise comes in soft through the trees on the east side. Basalt retaining walls terrace the garden toward the street, and the house perches above it. The kind of spot for morning coffee meditation or leaves stacking up in Autumn. The yard has settled into an organized wildness that is more wabi-sabi than manicured featuring select native plants, fruit trees and berries. The design bones inside match the exterior's intention. A curved hardwood trim band wraps the living room and connects to the original fireplace mantel, where ribbed ruby tile and radius shelving are still intact. Curved plaster corners show up again in the living area and hallway. Original doors, period hardware, and hardwood floors continue across all three levels, and two fireplaces heat the home. Function keeps pace with character. The kitchen has stainless appliances, granite counters, an eat bar, and room to actually cook. The main level holds two well-sized bedrooms, north and south, with double closets. The upstairs primary retreat carries the hardwood floors and double closets. A fourth bedroom downstairs works as a private suite, complete with its own bath and closet, suited to a guest room or home office. A new furnace and water heater sit near the tiled laundry room, and Carrier air conditioning is already in place. A front patio deck and covered structure out back provide real entertaining space, and the built-in garage tucks beneath the main floor. Minutes from the shops and restaurants of Alberta and Fremont. This is a house that rewards slowing down.