4 Oregon Wallpaper Designs
Oregon-designed patterns to instantly add character written by Melissa Dalton
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How to Paint a Rainbow Accent Wall
written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Yu Kito Lee Add a punch of color and whimsy to your home decor by designing your own rainbow mural. ➊ PICK THE PALETTE Choose your favorite rainbow hues, using the acronym ROYGBIV. It stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. To do this, go to the paint section or store, and gather color cards from the same brand, with one for each color in the ROYGBIV spectrum. Select the hues that are on the same row of the color cards, i.e. each color is the first or second one down from the top. That way, they will all have the same intensity. ➋ GATHER TOOLS This project can be completed using sample pots of wall paint. Matte or flat sheens will hide wall imperfections. For the paintbrush, we recommend our all-time favorite: the Wooster Shortcut. It’s 2 inches wide,…
How to Create a Backyard Oasis
A mind and body retreat inspired by culture and travel written by Jean Chen Smith | illustrations by Kate Wong As travel increasingly blends with wellness and design, more people are looking to recreate that sense of escape at home—especially during the summer months, when longer days and warm weather make outdoor living more inviting. Rooted in the connection between mind and body, and enriched by cultural influences from destinations around the world, this guide draws on global spa traditions and nature-forward design to shape a more intentional outdoor experience. Build the Foundation: Mind and Body Every retreat begins with a sense of grounding. Start by carving out a dedicated space for movement and still-ness—whether that is morning stretching, Pilates flows orevening meditation. All-weather outdoor yoga mats provide a stable base, while Snow Peak’s Lounge Cushion invites slower moments of pause. Together, these elements create a zone that supports both…
Eugene Courtyard Home Brings Nature to the Heart of Modern Design
An architect designs a house that embraces the nearby meadow written by Melissa Dalton | photography by Lara Swimmer From the street, Patti Chamberlain’s Eugene house looks rather straightforward. It’s a squared-off one level, with two windows and a gray steel facade. But duck into the breezeway beside the garage, and unlatch the gate, and you’ll find a meadow inside. “It’s a courtyard house,” said architect Ben Waechter. “The idea was to create the feeling of a meadow in the courtyard. Patti did not want a curated garden.” Courtyard houses have been around for centuries, as early as 6500 B.C. in what is now present-day Syria, and as recently as this Eugene neighborhood, thanks to Waechter, founder of the Portland-based firm Waechter Architecture. Rather than have the house sit between a front and back lawn, courtyard houses typically consist of a plan where the main rooms of the house are…
How to Design a Rain Garden
written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Edwin Ouellette A rain garden is designed to, just as the name suggests, soak up the rainwater runoff from a roof, driveway or patio. It’s typically created by digging a shallow depression and then filling it with dirt and native shrubs, perennials and grasses. All of this works to collect rainwater and filter out the pollutants—things like fertilizer, oil and chemicals—before that water enters storm drains and ends up in our waterways. The rain garden process also replenishes groundwater and acts as habitat for local species. Here are our tips for building your own rain garden at home: » Note: Sometimes, the water company will offer a discount on your utility bill if you install a rain garden on your property. Check with yours! Also, always research local rules and code before starting a project like this. ① ASSESS THE SITE First, check…
DIY Wine Rack with Gallery Rails
written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Allison Bye This project is an attractive way to display your wine bottles. It uses a basic floating shelf design and adds a decorative backing board for stabilization, as well as gallery rails. The rails ensure the bottles don’t roll off the shelves. The best part of this project is that it’s a template for your own personal style. For instance, if the slat application described here is too modern, the backing decoration could be wallpaper or a nice stained wood. Depending on the hardware purchased, the gallery rails could be brass or a colored metal. 1. PREPARE THE BACKING BOARD Instead of attaching the shelves directly to the wall, they will be attached to a backing board for support, using ¾” plywood. Cut the plywood to size, about 20 inches wide by 30 inches tall. These dimensions can be tweaked to your…
Willamette Valley Winemakers Remodel Historic Vineyard Home
After twenty years in their beloved home, these Willamette Valley winemakers crafted a remodel to befit their next steps written by Melissa Dalton | photography by George Barberis/Green Hammer Adam Campbell grew up among the vines. His parents, Pat and Joe Campbell, are the founders of Elk Cove Vineyards, planting their first grapes in 1974 on a property in Gaston. “Growing up there with my parents, it was an all-hands-on-deck family business,” said Adam, and he has the old family photos to prove it. They show him, along with his four siblings, doing things like watering the plants, crushing grapes and helping out every summer well into their adolescence. It’s no wonder then, that by 1995, Adam was hooked on the winemaking business, and officially joined the company. Ten years later, when it came time to buy a house with his wife, Caroline, they picked a historic vineyard ten minutes…
How to Build a Backyard Fire Pit
written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Chamisa Kellogg In 1977, an architectural handbook called A Pattern Language decreed: “There is no substitute for fire. Build the fire in a common space … where it provides a natural focus for talk and dreams and thought.” While this refers to an indoor fireplace, we can also apply it to the backyard. Here are our tips to build an outdoor fire pit—a surprisingly easy weekend project when you have the right materials. 1 PICK A SPOT Before starting, always check local regulations about what is allowed in your jurisdiction. General guidelines are wide-ranging, and suggest a spot anywhere from 10 to 25 feet away from any structures or trees. Make sure there is a water source close at hand, the ground is level and utilities have been identified before digging. 2 CHOOSE THE SIZE, SHAPE AND MATERIALS At minimum, the pit should…
Tiny A-Frame Cabins on Wheels
In Sisters, a trio of friends produce tiny A-frames on wheels so people can get closer to nature written by Melissa Dalton Some founders come up with their startup idea in a garage. Dylan Woock and Alex Zelaya were camping in the Pacific Northwest woods. “We had spent a ton of time backpacking and sharing a tent on these epic trips out to the Wallowas in Eastern Oregon, or up to Washington, and we were pretty burned out on our respective career paths,” remembered Woock. The two had met in college at the University of Oregon, and by 2019, Woock was working as an architectural designer in Portland, while Zelaya was getting his MBA. On one of their excursions, they asked themselves: “What if we created a product for the masses that allowed people to get outside, out to these really beautiful places that we’re experiencing?” And so, their company,…