Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
Eclectic Homes
Top Ideabooks
- Wondrous Steampunk Style for a Massachusetts Victorian
- DIY Efforts Transform a South Philly Row House
- From Baseball Factory to Homey Loft in Toronto
- From Raw Space to Hip Home in a Converted Utah Garage
- Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen's Guesthouse Brims With Charm
- Travel Treasures Personalize a Denver Comedian's Home
My Houzz: Old-World European Flair in Oregon
Custom woodwork, stained glass and Arts and Crafts touches create warm, earthy interiors in a ranch-style home
Louise Lakier is a contributing photographer for Houzz. She is a designer, a construction manager, a photographer, traveler and storyteller. She is currently in Central America.
Louise Lakier is a contributing photographer for Houzz. She is a designer,... More »
This Salem, Oregon, home has been undergoing remodeling for 18 years, transforming into a beautiful refuge. Geri and Sal Ortega have done everything from building furniture and cabinetry to placing rock and tile, to installing windows and built-ins. The year-round construction is being done in stages over a period of weeks and months at a time. "I would call our style 'the artless art,'" Sal says. "The materials, the patterns and colors of the wood, the texture and color of steel and concrete where we've been able to use it, the smoothness and color of the plaster finish we have on the walls, and how the light interacts with these surfaces are what I pay attention to."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Sal and Geri Ortega and their 3 cats Ernie, Girlfriend and Annie
Location: Laurel Springs neighborhood of Salem, Oregon
Size: 3,100 square feet; 1 bedroom, 3 bathrooms
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Sal and Geri Ortega and their 3 cats Ernie, Girlfriend and Annie
Location: Laurel Springs neighborhood of Salem, Oregon
Size: 3,100 square feet; 1 bedroom, 3 bathrooms
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The living room's vaulted ceiling made space for a library with open shelving and a custom sliding ladder. Reclaimed fir from Barnwood Naturals adds warmth to the high ceiling. Sal built a wall with two archways between the living room and the kitchen to separate the two rooms. Red oak finished with a water-based polyurethane grounds the entire first floor. Geri hand made and installed the floor tiles at the hearth. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| For one of their first projects, the couple enclosed a patio to create this beautiful sunroom with an open truss ceiling that looks out onto the garden. "Weekend mornings in the summer in the sunroom are our favorite time of the year," Sal says. The concrete floors have 2- by 4-foot strips used as leveling guides and decorative details. The stained glass door is from a salvaged window from Europe. Sal was fortunate to get several from a friend and integrated the jeweled glass throughout the house. Doors: Home Depot |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The new sunroom signaled a change in the home's design. "It was the first area of the house combining high ceilings, natural materials, wood windows and lots of natural light," says Sal. His longtime friend Rigoberto Avina helped him build and plaster the sunroom, and helped with many other parts of the house. Sal built or repurposed many of the home furnishings, including the table. The dining chairs are antiques. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal and Geri hired a contractor, Golden Rule Remodeling, to build this library and music room, framing the new roof and clerestory windows. Sal's beautiful black and white photos with custom-made frames line the walls and complement the colorful stained glass. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal built the stereo cabinet and bank of drawers for CDs on both sides of the existing brick fireplace using an assortment of woods, including maple and cherry. "What's funny is how much our furniture, carpet — or lack thereof — and bookshelf choices and placement have been influenced by our cats," Sal says. "Geri was getting annoyed at the size and expense of the library/music room speakers until she noticed how much our older cat liked music. His favorite music is J.S. Bach." Chairs: Thos. Moser |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal built the island, pantry and fridge enclosures. The rest of the existing cabinets were stripped and refinished, and the wood doors were replaced with glass insets. The couple added a skylight, and Geri designed, fired, glazed and installed the tile mosaic backsplash. Eighteen years after Sal built the refrigerator enclosure, the couple needed a new model. But much to their dismay, modern refrigerators were all an inch bigger than their 35-inch-wide enclosure. After a long search, they found a glass-door model that fit in the opening and didn't overwhelm the small kitchen. Refrigerator: Kelly’s Appliances in Salem; wine fridge: Standard TV and Appliances in Portland |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| An archway in the butler's pantry reveals a beam of colored light streaming into the living room. Painted with chalkboard paint, the pantry door is the perfect place for writing shopping lists. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal and Geri installed the stacked stone walls with backer board, chicken wire and a scratch coat of mastic. The sturdy wood post column was a $16 find from the Rebuilding Center. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The TV room also functions as a guest room. Tile was laid over the original concrete floor. The beams are original to the home. Sal built the coffee table, shelving and TV cabinet. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Geri's mom made this bedroom quilt for the couple. Sal designed the bed to include four pullout drawers to make up for a lack of storage in the bedroom. He also built new wood windows and closet doors, and installed new carpet, to create this cozy sleeping space. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Geri designed and installed the wall fresco and tile backsplash in the bathroom. Sal built the window, countertop and medicine cabinet. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The kitchen extends into the front of the house, providing space for a homemade breakfast table and plate hutches. The table base is a refurbished railroad jack, salvaged from Rejuvenation in Portland. "Making the furniture invariably goes much faster than deciding on the hardware for it," Sal says. "It took years to find just the right drawer pulls for the china hutch. My table saw stopped working after 17 years of faithful service, and Geri's reaction was, 'Just don't turn it into a coffee table.'" |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal added to an existing door and window in the craft room to create a bank of windows. The wood flooring is prefinished teak from Lumber Liquidators. Seating: Restoration Hardware and Rejuvenation |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Sal built the sliding door to the upstairs room from materials he had on hand. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Although he's moved around a lot, Sal has lugged this work desk everywhere. This space is where he creates mats for his photographs. His collection of old and new cameras sits on the shelves. Rotating light fixture: Restoration Hardware |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| A bank of drawers sits on a salvaged cart with a custom-made top. One of Geri's student's parents gifted her the metal plate with cutout letters. |
|
by Louise Lakier
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The ranch-style home sits on a tree-lined Salem street. Other than some raised and modified rooflines, paint and trim, the exterior remains relatively the same — the magic happened inside. See more photos from this house You can read the Ortegas' blog about their home's transformation at The Marcial Chronicles. |
Ideabook published on Oct. 29, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Pinupgirl- I'm sure it won't take it won't take you 18 years to accomplish your project- unless you want it to. Seems that making a house a home is more a journey than a destination.
Rosalee- our lack of textiles is a cat-centric choice. Geri and I are both asthmatics. It keeps the allergen count down and keeps us from being bummed about claw customized furnishings.