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My Houzz: An Oregon Cottage With 21 Flavors of Color
A profusion of paint colors plus inviting porches and gathered pieces create a welcoming feel in a retired couple's 100-year-old home
Artist, freelance writer, home tour contributor for Houzz, designer, actor, mother and author of the blog La Maison Boheme. Greenman lives in a 1970s Texas ranch house, which she has transformed into a bohemian haven and family home. She loves eclectic, boho style but also has a soft spot for Midcentury modern and Swedish design. Learn more at www.sarahgreenman.com.
Artist, freelance writer, home tour contributor for Houzz, designer, actor,... More »
Eric and Mimi Kauffman's 1912 cottage in Oregon is a bold reflection of their zest for life, cuisine and comfort. Bright colors and a verdant garden invite those strolling by to linger and enjoy the wonderful aroma from the kitchen window.
The couple spent the first few decades of their marriage traveling far and wide, guided by their bohemian spirits. When it came time to put down roots, they chose Halfway, Oregon, nestled in Pine Valley near the spectacular Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Halfway is also the gateway to Hell's Canyon and the Snake River. This town, with a population of 350, is known for ranching, outdoor recreation and, above all, hospitality.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric and Mimi Kauffman and their cat, Dottie
Location: Halfway, Oregon
Size: 1,200 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The couple spent the first few decades of their marriage traveling far and wide, guided by their bohemian spirits. When it came time to put down roots, they chose Halfway, Oregon, nestled in Pine Valley near the spectacular Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Halfway is also the gateway to Hell's Canyon and the Snake River. This town, with a population of 350, is known for ranching, outdoor recreation and, above all, hospitality.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric and Mimi Kauffman and their cat, Dottie
Location: Halfway, Oregon
Size: 1,200 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
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by Sarah Greenman
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| Sarah Greenman: What do you love about your community? Mimi Kauffman: Halfway is the nicest community of people we've ever known, and we've lived in a lot of places. People here take time. You can't go shopping. You can't be a spectator. I can't be as expansive in an urban space as I can here. In the city, you're so busy being busy that you can forget who you are. You have to have space to let your thoughts come through. Eric Kauffman: Halfway is a great place. And I love everything about our house. SG: What drew you to this home? MK: I helped a friend move here in 1988. Eric and I returned every once in a while with our trailer for vacations. We came back in 1998 after having lived in Mexico for a while. We arrived on July 5 and were moved in by mid-August. We looked at a lot of places, but they all had acreage. We wanted something manageable. |
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Mimi's porch garden is a cornucopia of climbing vines, flowering shrubs, potted plants and hanging baskets.
MK: I absolutely love flowers. I told my kids that if there is any inheritance money, forget about it. I'm spending every last dime on flowers.
MK: I absolutely love flowers. I told my kids that if there is any inheritance money, forget about it. I'm spending every last dime on flowers.
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The Kauffmans recently retired from the restaurant business. They owned and operated a place called Mimi's on the main street in Halfway for many years. The tile sign hanging on their porch used to adorn the front of the restaurant.
SG: What inspires your personal style?
MK: Everything inspires me. It's a very intuitive thing. I love color and flowers and travel. Basically, if it makes me happy, I do it.
SG: What inspires your personal style?
MK: Everything inspires me. It's a very intuitive thing. I love color and flowers and travel. Basically, if it makes me happy, I do it.
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| The foyer is a large, open space with passageways on four sides. A set of French doors leads to the porch, a doorway opens to the office, an open breezeway leads to the living room and a staircase goes to a family room and two small bedrooms. MK: I like "outs." I don't like to feel trapped. It's nice to know that at any moment, I can be out the door and on my way. |
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| A home office/music room lies just off the foyer and provides space for the couple's many instruments. Eric plays guitar, trombone, cello and a host of other instruments. He also sings and plays in a local band called The Halfwits. Mimi is also a gifted musician and plays mandolin and guitar. |
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| SG: What did you do to make the home yours? MK: Paint. The entire house was covered in a soul-sucking white. I had to get rid of it. SG: Where is your favorite place to shop for home goods? MK: I'm a hunter-gatherer. I can't give you sources for the things in my home, because they're one of a kind or I can't remember! |
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| The kitchen is an explosion of color. Periwinkle walls and lime-green trim are just the beginning of this eye-popping space. Mimi and Eric are both fantastic chefs and wanted a kitchen that inspired their culinary projects. MK: Would you believe that there are 21 different paint colors in my house? It's a lot, I know, but it all seems to work. I learned to appreciate food in Thailand, and I learned to appreciate color in Mexico. |
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When it's sunflower season, the Kauffman home is always filled with bright yellow blooms. Volunteer sunflowers have made an annual home on a wall behind the couple's garage and keep the house in sunflowers all summer.
MK: Everything is a surprise. I love the process of gathering and bringing it all together.
MK: Everything is a surprise. I love the process of gathering and bringing it all together.
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| A cool, simple blue master bedroom on the second floor tempers the high energy of the kitchen below. A traditional wooden bed frame is flanked by two low-profile side tables; those pieces are the only furniture items in the room. A large east-facing window overlooks the side yard. |
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| A narrow hall leads to a tiny bathroom, typical in size for a house this age, and a second bedroom, which Mimi uses as her studio. Although there are four different colors of trim and two different wall colors in the photo above, it all seems to work. |
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| SG: What is your favorite spot in the house? EK: Everywhere. Seriously, I love every spot in this house. MK: Every part! I'm comfortable everywhere. But if I had to choose, I'd say my studio. My room has that special quality — when I go in there, I know I'm going to love what I'm doing, whether it's yoga or art or whatever. |
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Mimi's studio is well stocked for making art. She always has jars of brushes, boxes of paints and loose paper ready to go. There are little homages to Mexico all over the Kauffman home. Bright Dia de los Muertos art hangs above her bookcase.
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| Mimi also considers her studio a sacred space for meditation and yoga. A Buddha painted on fabric oversees an altar of meaningful objects. A stained glass floral motif hangs in the window and diffuses the evening light. |
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When the Kauffmans moved into the cottage, they pulled down an ugly chain link fence that separated them from their neighbor and planted a vegetable garden along the property line. The couple now refer to their backyard as "The Park."
The back porch is just wide enough to house the hot tub. Outdoor shades roll down to protect the porch from sun or snow.
The back porch is just wide enough to house the hot tub. Outdoor shades roll down to protect the porch from sun or snow.
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| SG: What was your biggest design dilemma? MK: The house had no garage or outdoor storage, which is tough for a place that gets snow all winter. We had to build a detached garage at the back of the property. EK: We can't get the car in it right now. But it's a good place for bikes and all our extra stuff. |
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The painted garage door is ornately carved and surrounded by a mossy ground cover. Whimsical fish tiles are set into the cement step.
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SG: What is your latest home improvement project?
EK: I began painting the exterior in April of this year [2012]. I've only got one small remaining patch on the west side. Once that's done, I'll be finished for a while.
EK: I began painting the exterior in April of this year [2012]. I've only got one small remaining patch on the west side. Once that's done, I'll be finished for a while.
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Renaissance woman Mimi Kauffman can frequently be found on her front porch enjoying the latest issue of The Sun Magazine.
SG: Any advice for other homeowners looking to break out of their color rut?
MK: You have to define what it is you love in yourself. Then step back and let the colors shine through.
Houzz call: Do you live in a colorful cottage? Share it with us!
SG: Any advice for other homeowners looking to break out of their color rut?
MK: You have to define what it is you love in yourself. Then step back and let the colors shine through.
Houzz call: Do you live in a colorful cottage? Share it with us!
Ideabook published on Aug. 25, 2012.
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would draw folks out into the garden for evening fun ...
Smores , Hot Dogs ...
cheers
tim
http://barscigarsandbrew.com/garden-furniture
Thanks for the short-hand descriptor. Love it.
But... the roof over the front porch - The flashing against the side of the house doesn't look correctly done. It looks as tho the roof panel was simply bent up onto the outside of the siding.
Professional Roofers: Do you consider this application to be proper/adequate flashing?