George Barberis

No one expects a century-old home to be in perfect structural condition, but Greg Olson of Olson & Jones Construction likened his first walk through this 1910 Portland home like a walk through a fun house. “Not only were the floors uneven,” he says, “but in the process, we discovered structural deficiencies as well. Whoever did the original framing put in the floor joists without supporting them.

Initiating the remodel of the primary bedroom in his historic home, homeowner Stephen Massey realized he needed more help. Previously, Massey had worked with a friend, an architect based in Palm Springs, to figure out the space plan for converting two rooms into a primary suite. For it, there would be a large bathroom, walk-in closet, and bed tucked into an arched niche. Massey had his contractor lined-up, Tom Miller of Tom Miller Remodeling Inc., and they had started demolition.

| February 21, 2023 | Tofu | In a neighborhood filled with redbrick apartment buildings and crumbling Craftsman homes, in one of the last bastions of what wistful residents often refer to as “Old Portland,” is Fermenter—the city’s own “friendly neighborhood emporium for beneficial bacteria.” Peer through the huge windows during any meal and you’re sure to see a packed room of smiling diners munching on huge sandwiches and colorful salads, all of which have one thing in common: they’re powered...