This Mount Tabor midcentury is no stranger to attention: it's been profiled in both Dwell and our own pages, toured by architecture aficionados, and routinely mega-liked on Instagram—all despite the fact that passersby can't actually see much of it from the sidewalk. It sits high above the street in the Mount Tabor neighborhood, only slowly revealing itself after a trek up the front walk.

Built in 1958, the home underwent a 2016 remodel by local dream teams—including Risa Boyer Architecture, JDL Development, and Lilyvilla Gardens—that imbued it with more midcentury and modern cool than its previous dropped ceilings and dated finishes.

It all starts in the living room with dramatic, vaulted ceilings, clad in clear fir, and joined with floor-to-ceiling glass at the front facade. A two-sided fireplace is shared with the dining room, where a stacking glass door opens to an exterior entertainer’s patio with an eating area and a built-in firepit. Back inside, the dining room segues smoothly into the large kitchen, then hooks to the left to flow into a second, cozier eating nook and family room.  

The home’s unique shape—a sort-of boomerang, according to one write-up—gives the floor plan some interesting angles. Boyer resolved these with gorgeous walnut cabinetry and casework throughout, from the built-in banquette at the eating nook and built-in lounge-y couch in the family room, to the sleekly angled prep island in the kitchen, and a svelte bench near the back door.

On the other side of the foyer is an office that could double as a backdrop for Mad Men, thanks to the preserved mahogany paneling and Roman brick fireplace (one of three total). The main level also has the primary suite, with more custom walnut in the bathroom’s floating vanity, as well as a skylit soaking tub and walk-in shower. Two bedrooms share an updated Jack-and-Jill bathroom. Behind a pocket door in one of those bedrooms, find a bonus ADU with independent guest quarters, which includes its own living area, bedroom, bathroom, and access to the back patio.

Downstairs, it’s all untapped potential with an enormous 820-square-foot two-car garage and an additional semifinished basement with generous ceiling heights. Should it be a gym? Office? Media room? Kid zone? With 1,252 square feet available, it could probably be all of the above.

But perhaps the best reveal here is the 180-degree view of the city skyline and West Hills, now appreciated from so many points in the home, and a surprise to everyone who comes up the front walk. The sunsets are the best, with the city lights twinkling against a sky streaked with light and color. It's why the real estate agents have been hosting open houses until 9:30 p.m.—all the better to enjoy this truly special spot.

Listing Fast Facts

• Address: 420 SE 65th Ave, Portland, OR 97215
• Size: 4,828 square feet, 4 bed/3.5 bath
• List Date: 4/29/2023
• List Price: $3,000,000
• Listing Agent: LuAnne Dindia DeMarco and James DeMarco, Investors Trust Realty

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. She is based in Portland, Oregon. Contact Dalton here. 

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].