Serenity abounds In this chic portland home

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks,” wrote the 19th-century naturalist John Muir. By that measure, the owners of this house— perched on a ridge commanding panoramic views of the Cascades and the Willamette River (as well as downtown Portland)—got an unquestionably sweet deal. 

The vista was priceless enough to seduce an advertising executive and his wife, a practitioner of Chinese medicine, into purchasing the 1997 home for themselves and their three children, even though it was smaller than their residence at the time and of a more traditional style than what they were originally looking for. “I wanted us to be aware we were overlooking nature,” confirms the wife, whose desire informed the directive she gave designer Jennifer Leonard in their first few meetings. “I asked for something colorful and beautiful, but for something that also worked with the natural landscape outside the windows.”