Learn about the benefits and drawbacks of induction cooking, a modern kitchen technology that offers efficiency and precision in culinary tasks.

Garages in Portland’s vintage homes carry a special blend of character and complexity. Whether you aim to breathe new life into a weathered structure, enhance it for today’s needs, or craft a fresh addition that honors your home’s historic roots, the process demands imagination and care. At Arciform, we draw on years of hands-on experience to guide homeowners through every step—design and construction—delivering results that feel both personal and enduring. Whether your Portland home is a Craftsman bungalow, Tudor, Four Square, or another timeless style, we get the quirks of older properties and the pride you feel in their unique stories. Here is what you need to know to begin with confidence.

Everything you need for a mudroom that blends functionality, organization, and style.

Explore how patterns, from bold wallpapers to architectural details, can tell stories, evoke emotions, and transform any space with a touch of creativity

It’s an old story with a modern twist. You fall in love with a classic beauty. You can hardly see for the stars in your eyes. Hardly hear anything but your pounding heart. You can’t believe she’s all yours! And then you move in together. And the romance ends. Which is where this story begins. We Portlanders love our heritage homes, and we should! They’re charming, well-built, exhibit fine craftsmanship, have lots of stories to tell, and they’re...old. Meaning that they often come with problems, and they don’t have many of the modern conveniences that we’ve come to expect. So how do you update your aging beauty without sacrificing its classic charm? As principal designer at Arciform (a design build firm specializing in vintage homes) for over 25 years, I’ve seen it all – the joys, occasional frustrations, and creative challenges of bringing an older home up to contemporary standards of comfort and efficiency. The Chain Reaction Challenge Although this article is divided into neat headings about electrical, plumbing, and other categories, your old house is proof positive that we live in an interconnected world. Remodeling can often be like a game of Whack-a -Mole, where upgrading one thing involves several other things in a chain reaction. Adding a dormer may first necessitate a new foundation or structural work. Installing new ceiling lighting and fans in your bath may reveal asbestos insulation (asbestos wasn’t banned until 1989) in the attic. Even adding that just-one-more electric appliance may demand a new electrical panel. The trick is to plan the proper succession of remodels (see: Whole House Remodels, Parts 1 - 3) and group projects together. For instance, if you’re going to open a wall to replace a window, that’s the time to modernize wiring, add outlets or lighting, insulate, and address plumbing issues.

Perched 800-plus feet above sea level along the scenic Columbia River Gorge is the Edward Dimmit house, built in 1932 for its namesake, one of the early 20th century’s most renown postcard photographers. 92 years later, this sturdy Eclectic Tudor house in the coniferous woodlands of Corbett, Oregon is home to two lighting designers and their pups. Getting Started Edward L. Dimmitt (1881-1963) joined Arthur B. Cross’ photography studio in Portland in 1916. Cross and Dimmitt specialized in scenic photography: the Columbia River Gorge, the then-new Historic Columbia River Highway (built 1913 - 1922) and other scenic landmarks. Selling them as postcards from their Model T, and later from a stand at Crown Point, the adventurous businessmen helped share the wonder of the Gorge with visitors and, thanks to the United States Postal Service, to postcard recipients across the world. Dimmit moved into this house with his wife around 1931. He served for 40 years as the caretaker of the nearby sandstone Vista House at Crown Point (dedicated in 1918). Vista House was not only a place to observe and pay tribute to the history and beauty of the landscape, but also a place for travelers to rest and refresh themselves while exploring the Gorge along the new highway.

No man is an island, John Donne famously wrote. No company is, either. Arciform works with many sub-contractors, product designers, and industry nonprofits to achieve stunning remodels and restorations. In this edition of Arcifiles, we introduce you to three dynamic people, each of whom contributes to the creative energy of the design-build community in their own unique way.

An update on working with HGTV Design Star and Instagram Influencer Emily Henderson

Time is a funny thing when discussing the Bay House, a curved roof waterfront dream house that was inspired by both a medieval fortress and a dilapidated barn.

Since the easiest way to know the different styles is to understand the art, fashion, science, and industry of the times when they were built, you’ll also understand how Portland’s diverse architecture has told, and continues to tell, our collective story. History deepens experience. You’ll never see Portland through the same eyes again!

The next time you’re in the Mt Tabor neighborhood, hiking in the park , picking up plants at Portland Nursery , or ordering take out from Ya Hala , make a detour and drive up SE Belmont Street between 55 th Avenue and 58 th . Better yet, park the car and take a stroll. In the middle of the long block proudly sits the Jacob H. and Etna M. Cook House , built in 1892-93 and looking as handsome as ever. This historic home has journeyed through thick and thin, and current owner Lyrin Murphy is the reason it’s so beautiful today. Originally built as a Victorian in 1892 for Alexander and Maria Warner, it was one of several Victorians with small farms and orchards at the base of Mt. Tabor. They sold the home in 1904 to Jacob H. Cook, a local businessman and lumberman, and his wife, Etna. In 1909, the Cooks completed a major renovation of the home, transforming it into the Neoclassical style we see today. This was a trend amongst socially elite Portlanders, drawn to less-fussy, more open Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and Craftsman designs, perhaps inspired by travels and exhibits at the 1905 World’s Fair in Portland . They often entertained in their home, hosting dance parties, luncheons, club events, and out-of-town guests. Their large-scale remodel helped push the area into upper-class status in Portland. Some prominent exterior changes were adding the main façade’s massive portico with Tuscan columns, a full-width porch and 2 nd floor balcony, and a smaller balcony at the 3 rd floor.

The Italianate brick building – NW Portland’s second oldest remaining commercial structure – has had its share of ups and downs. Captain John Harlow, a Maine sea captain and co-founder of the City of Troutdale, built it as the Grand Hotel in 1882, hoping to cash in on the coming transcontinental railroad station, just blocks away. High hopes were soon lowered, as Grand Central Station (now Union Station) was delayed for fourteen years.

Measuring a home is more than sizing and locating walls, windows, and doors. There are many more complex parts of a home that need to be captured in order to set our design team up for success during the design process. With remodeling comes moving openings, walls and fixtures, which inevitably means moving systems. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are typically hidden within walls and between floors, requiring a bit of know-how and experience to properly document, which is crucial for helping our design team to determine the feasibility and cost implications of our choices. Mechanical Systems:

Remodeling is an art that requires many talents – of course craftsmanship and technical knowledge – but also creativity AND organizational skills. No other step in the process taps into all of those trades quite like as-built documentation. When we pull out a tape measure, we do not only document distances, but how pieces are put together. Knowing why a post is in a particular location, or noting that a duct bisects a space helps the team document the as-built properly and makes communication during all phases of construction clearer and more concise. While measuring a house might sound simple and straightforward, it takes a seasoned crew to be efficient! Our team has a well-vetted checklist of things to measure and note, in addition to an order of operations that helps ensure nothing is missed and our client’s time is well-spent. Here is a peek into how we go about collecting this data: HOT TIP: Make sure to take breaks and have plenty of snacks and drinks on hand. Making mistakes during site measures can waste a lot of time, so making sure everyone is energized is key!