Inside a 100-Year-Old Portland Colonial That Just Got a $1 Million Modern Makeover

At 100 years old, this showstopper of a home might be in its best era yet.

Thanks to years-long renovations by the current owners and a team of designers, along with the preserved romance of its original architecture, the home is downright swoon-worthy a century after it was built.

Built in 1926 and tucked at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the city’s iconic Grant Park neighborhood, the five-bedroom colonial at 2504 NE 35th Avenue just hit the market for $1.8 million.

The listing calls it "a sophisticated and romantic Grant Park residence reimagined by design-driven Recast Homes," which can be seen in every corner of its beautifully modernized interiors.

More than $1 million in improvements have been completed since 2022, when the current owners bought the home for just $1.11 million.

"It’s a 1926 home that still has the warmth and proportions of its era, with arched doorways, generous rooms and the kind of original character that’s hard to recreate," says listing agent Alison Derse, of Real Brokerage, who represents the property alongside her co-listing agent Ross Seligman.

"What I admire most is that the new work, from the bespoke built-ins to the kitchen, feels as though it has always been part of the house rather than something layered on top of it," she adds.

The kitchen was taken down to the studs and rebuilt with custom cabinetry, marble counters, and high-end appliances. The owners also added a powder room, reimagined the mudroom and butler’s pantry, and installed new built-ins and lighting throughout. There's also a new roof, HVAC system with a heat pump, upgraded electrical, sewer improvements and an EV charger.

"A buyer gets a 1926 house without the 1926 to-do list,” Derse says.

Out back, a large ipe deck opens onto irrigated gardens landscaped by Bloke. A brand-new ADU known as “the cottage” has its own kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, making it an ideal space for guests or a home office. 

The 4,711-square-foot home also comes with a bit of literary history next door. Author Beverly Cleary grew up in the neighborhood and played in Grant Park as a child, and bronze statues of her beloved characters Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins, as well as Henry’s dog Ribsy can be found on the park’s west side. 

The nearly 20-acre park is steps from the front door, and includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, a dog park, a playground, walking paths and a sledding hill for snow days. Shops and restaurants along NE Broadway and in the Hollywood District are also close by.

“My favorite nearby detail is the Hollywood Theatre on Sandy Boulevard, which opened as a vaudeville and silent film house in July 1926,” Derse says. “That’s the same year this house was built, so the two are turning 100 together.”

Derse helped the current owners buy the home and has watched its transformation firsthand.

“It’s rare to find a close-in Portland home with this much original character where the hard, expensive work is already finished,” she says. “Add a separate ADU and a quiet cul-de-sac with Grant Park steps away, and I don’t expect to see this combination in Grant Park again anytime soon.”