A renovated midcentury house built by developer Robert (”Bob”) Rummer in Southwest Portland’s Garden Home neighborhood was listed for sale at $1,425,000 on April 3 and an offer was quickly accepted.
“If we close at the accepted price, we will be setting a record for the highest sale price of a Rummer home,” listing broker Elise Gonzalez of Windermere Realty Trust told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The 0.31-acre property at 8560 S.W. Cecilia Terr. is in the fabled Bohmann Park tract, which has 62 — the largest collection — of the highly prized Rummer houses, with layouts and interior atriums modeled after tracts Joseph Eichler developed in California.
Architecture and housing experts credit Rummer with creating highly livable modern homes with indoor-outdoor spaces for middle-class families in the 1960s and 1970s. Nicole Possert, executive director of the statewide preservation group Restore Oregon, said Rummer translated a California design aesthetic to Pacific Northwest living. He dressed up Eichler’s post-and-beam construction, which allowed for a minimum of interior walls and expansive windows, by adding tongue-and-groove ceiling planks and exposed beams made of local timber.
Robert Rummer, 96, announced in December that he has assembled a team to design and build more of the modern houses using new technologies and materials.
This single-story house for sale was built in 1966 and has 2,600 square feet of living space, “the largest Rummer floor plan,” said Gonzalez, as well as a 123-square-foot Modern Shed accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in the backyard.
The house has vaulted wood ceilings, skylights, clerestory windows, floor-to-ceiling glass walls and polished concrete floors.
Updates to the living room, with a brick fireplace flanked by glass, as well as Adapt Interior Design’s kitchen expansion retained the original “timeless charm while seamlessly integrating contemporary comforts,” Gonzalez said. The kitchen has walnut cabinetry, quartz countertops and an island with seating and storage.
The primary suite’s bathroom has an upscale version of Rummer’s sunken Roman bath-shower. The three other bedrooms and second bathroom have also been updated with new tile, lighting and fixtures.
The professionally landscaped grounds includes ambient lighting and a cedar hot tub with a custom deck. Under the slightly pitched roof is a carport that leads to the front door.
Who would love this property in Washington County? “Those who appreciate the artistry of architectural design and the allure of midcentury modern elegance,” said Gonzalez. “This Rummer home is a testament to the art of living ... beckoning to those who appreciate the finer things in life.”
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— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman