Chris McCormick purchased this north Portland house in his bachelor days and did some structural work to mend this up. After he and Jennifer married four years ago, it was time for a new period of remodeling and remodeling. They tore up the carpeting, refinished the hardwood flooring, painted every room (twice), spruced up the back porch and gutted the kitchen and back entry. Here is the result.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Chris and Jennifer McCormick
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 900 square feet plus a 700-square-foot cellar; two bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms
Whitney Lyons
Chris and Jennifer’s’ personal styles have meshed. “After I moved in, he was going for a vintage-ugly vibe,” says Jennifer, laughing. “But we began working together to find styles that we both liked.”
A gallery wall in the entry comprises things they love, such as a typographic map of Portland, vibrant artwork, classic car parts, a classic motorcycle pump and one of Chris’ favourite photos. “Chris pretty much lets me have free rein, but we check on bigger things,” Jennifer says. “I have been conscious to make sure Chris still feels comfortable here and he does. He adores it.”
Whitney Lyons
For less than $10, Jennifer gave two lamps a beautiful makeover. The couple found that the curvy duo in an antiques shop along the Oregon coast. The pair cost $5, along with a can of spray paint helped them created a fantastic statement in the living space.
The coffee table was a garage sale find. Chris enjoys to go to garage sales, and the two often use their Saturday mornings to hunt for treasures.
Whitney Lyons
A rug from Pottery Barn and a bird floor lamp from Anthropologie mix well with the McCormicks’ classic finds.
Whitney Lyons
The white fireplace “was a huge debate early in our marriage whether or not we’d paint it,” Jennifer says. “I am so glad we did this. It completely transformed the home.”
The quotation from yellow pencil on the mirror reads: “You can stay the same, maybe not lose anything but never understand what there must be obtained. Or, you can hazard, promise some reduction, and gain more than you knew was possible.”
Before Photo
BEFORE: The hallway before the upgrade.
Whitney Lyons
AFTER: The few ripped out the carpet and gave the walls flat stripes in Divine Reef by Miller Paint.
Whitney Lyons
An old Ford dashboard hangs in the hall alongside a series poster from a trip to Boston. Hatch Show Print, the print shop for the Country Music Hall of Fame, was having an exhibition at Boston University, and Chris and Jennifer have been offered a free series poster. The personality on the poster reminded them of a good friend’s tattoo.
Before Photo
BEFORE: This back entry was the couple’s first significant project together.
Whitney Lyons
AFTER: They gutted the room and added wainscoting and tile flooring for a brand new, welcoming area.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The once-weather-beaten back porch.
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AFTER: It’s now a favorite spot in the home.
Jennifer found the driftwood centerpiece on the Salmon River while on a six-day rafting experience. “It traveled in my ironic pack down the lake for 3 days,” she says.
The Shabby Chic—fashion cabinet once belonged to Chris’ buddy. It sat in his garage until one day he asked Chris and Jennifer when they desired it. Jennifer seized the chance, bringing it back to life with paint.
Like so many of their unique treasures, these green seats and rustic dining table were roadside finds. The McCormicks added a leg to the desk and painted and reupholstered the seats.
Pendant lighting: Vintage Hardware
Before Photo
BEFORE: The kitchen had a tight door.
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AFTER: The McCormicks knocked down the wall between the kitchen and living room. “The kitchen remodel alters how we use the home,” Jennifer says. “When I am in the kitchen cooking, my friends are in there with me today.”
Ann Sacks tile produces a stunning backsplash.
Pendants: Schoolhouse Electric; faucet: Lowe’s
Whitney Lyons
Whitney Lyons
The McCormicks purchased their kitchen island in Ikea and added handles from Restoration Hardware. The copper island top is by Schmeer Sheet Metal. The layout on the kitchen floor has been painted with Crevecoeur by Martha Stewart living.
They substituted a bulky old oven and stovetop with a unit embedded within the wall.
Whitney Lyons
The dining room includes a farm dining table in the antiques fair in Coburg, Oregon. It was the first article of furniture that the McComicks bought collectively.
Jennifer used wax paper to produce the unique chandelier. “I ironed three sheets of wax paper together and used a circle hole punch to make the shapes. I sewed the circles together and strung them on a light shade I had,” explains Jennifer. The whole job cost Jennifer about $10 in wax paper.
Fruit bowl: Seek the Unique
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For this particular bedroom ceiling lighting, Jennifer purchased a package of long sticks from Ikea and wrapped them around a lampshade, securing them together with wire.
The bedspread was a splurge from DwellStudio.
Whitney Lyons
A friend offered them this chair. Once hidden away in a garage, it now sits in the master bedroom. The crystal candlesticks have been a marriage gift in Jennifer’s parents.
Whitney Lyons
Using easy, removable white contact paper and the exact same layout as their kitchen tile, Jennifer created a pattern on front door to give them both privacy and natural lighting.
Paint: Black Ink, Benjamin Moore
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The paint colour on the bungalow’s exterior is Miller Paints’ Spice Bounty.
Whitney Lyons
Jennifer, revealed, chronicles the couple’s work on their home in her website, A house in the Making. Next on their list: fresh tile and light fixtures in the bathroom, and possibly finishing the cellar. 1 thing is sure: The McCormicks will last to put a creative and thrifty stamp on each upcoming project.