The sofa is from West Elm, the rug, sconce, and lamp are from Rejuvenation, and the coffee table is vintage. The accent chairs are vintage Danish chairs with Kelly Wearstler fabric. The wood side table is vintage and the green side table is from IKEA. The art is from Strange Dirt. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“The budget was pretty small for all the work that needed to be complete but I had time on my side,” Keasler explains. “I gave myself five years to renovate everything. In 2017, I had just bought the house and used most of my savings on a down payment so mentally prepared myself to be doing a lot of the labor because I couldn’t afford to hire folks to help me. This turned into so many great learning moments for me.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“Not only do I have a greater respect for my general contractors and trades people, I learned some new skills and have a better concept to communicate some of the design details that are harder to conceptualize unless you are trying to put them together. So the doing informs my design and I love that!” she continues. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
The dining table, chairs, and pendant are from Rejuvenation. The bench is from Blu Dot and the lamp is Schoolhouse. The candleholders are vintage and the art is by Evan Kinkel.
“I hate seeing a microwave but we all use it!” begins Keasler. “I prefer to get it off the countertop and I put it inside one of my pantry cabinets. The cabinet front clover cutouts match the breeze blocks on my front porch and not only provide ventilation but also reference the mid century ranch detailing.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“To this day, I am most proud that I tiled my entire bathroom and kitchen,” admits Keasler. “It probably took me 40-60 hours to tile both rooms. In the moment, it was challenging and labor intensive. I kept needing to adjust the alignment because handmade tile isn’t identical and it would throw off the alignment. Although the tile job isn’t perfect it feels really good to see it complete.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“I love the large windows in every single room and the original wood floors that have a peach undertone,” Keasler explains of her favorite element in the home. “They are Lyptus, a blend of mahogany and eucalyptus.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
The kitchen cabinets are IKEA and custom, the backsplash tile is Fireclay’s 4×4 Tusk. The counters are Dolomite.
The office is painted in Miller paint’s “Forest Walk. The carpet is from unique carpets and the table is vintage. The pendant is from Rich Brilliant Willing. The abstract art is by Laura Berger, the fruit bowl art is by Jess Ackerman and the dog paintings are by Casey Keasler. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“Choose the best quality, natural materials (no tile that looks like wood or quartz that looks like marble) for flooring, tile and counters but don’t be afraid to use color on the walls, ceiling doors and trim,” Keasler advises. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“In theory an all white home is gorgeous but if your ceilings are low (mine are 8’) and there isn’t much architectural interest, an all white home can feel cold and lack personality.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
The quilt/shams are from Parachute, the sheets and gingham are from Morrow Soft Goods, and the wave pillow is Casework for Hightower. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
The bed is custom, and the headboard is Maharam grasscloth with white oak trim by Casey. The sconce is from Cedar and Moss for Rejuvenation. The nightstands are from West Elm. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
The bathroom is painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Pure White.” The tile is Pratt and Larson, the vanity is a custom design, the faucet is from Watermark, and the sconces are from Hudson Valley. Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
Thanks Casey! Credit: Courtesy of Casey KeaslerCredit: Courtesy of Casey Keasler
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When designer Casey Keasler, founder of award-winning design firm, Casework, bought this 1250-square-foot house in 2017, she says the Portland market was tough. “I was competing against multiple offers on homes as well as cash offers. It took me six months and a few missed opportunities to land on the Ranchalow,” she begins. “I was drawn to the larger pie-shaped property; it’s also on a corner. When the house came on the market, within a few hours I did a drive-by and had a tour scheduled. My broker and I wrote an offer and I wrote a love letter about the care I would take to the home and we eventually won out to another cash offer.”
“I always start with some key concepts for each project I work on. For the Ranchalow, I used Golden Hour, Easy Like Sunday Morning, and Ranchalow (Ranch and Bungalow combo),” Keasler begins. “I developed these concepts from my love of summer, specifically, late summer and those warm, golden afternoons. The time of afternoon when everything is glowing and everyone looks luminous, I wanted to recreate that warmth and vibe indoors.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“What caught my attention was that the home was in good condition but lacked any upgrades; it was mostly original aside from a flooring replacement in the kitchen and carpet in the bedrooms. Very few things had changed since it was built in 1966. It was tired and musty, but I could see the potential,” Keasler explains.
Keasler says the total renovation of the house was $110k, and that included updates to the bathroom and kitchen, fresh paint all over, and new windows, light fixtures, and a furnace. Keasler was the general contractor as well as designer, and says she also tried to DIY things when she could.
“‘Easy Like Sunday Morning’ is a Lionel Richie song, and I literally wanted my home to be more than easy, I wanted it to be no stress. That feeling that you have on Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, a nice spot to read and no place to be. It needed to be easy to maintain, I have a very busy life, I entertain weekly and have a dog that lives on the furniture, so it was important that nothing felt too precious.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“I demolished the space myself (with the help of a friend) and installed the drywall, insulation, paint, trim, and hardware,” she explains. Because she was also running a small business when she purchased the house, she says she wanted to be able to take on small projects, go slow, and also get a “sense of the space” before beginning work.
“In the summers, I cut flowers from my garden, my friends and I cook outdoors and clean up is done quickly and together. And the last, Ranchalow is a play on the style of the home. It’s ‘60s Ranch with some Bungalow details, so I blended some of the mid-century style pieces with colors you’d see from the early ‘20s and ‘30s in Portland bungalows.” Credit: George BarberisCredit: George Barberis
“In 2019, I began the first big project — the bathroom — and to keep myself inspired and moving I joined the One Room Challenge, an organization that motivates designers and DIYers to complete their home remodels in record time while documenting the process. You can see my process in this time-lapse video. After 32 days the bathroom was transformed,” Keasler explains.
The second big project began in 2021 with the kitchen, with Keasler explaining that when she bought the home the kitchen had “light wood cabinets and beige linoleum flooring. I knew from the beginning that I would fully gut and re-envision this room. I needed more organized storage, more space between the counters and upper cabinets (the uppers were installed 15” from the counter) and I wanted to swap the refrigerator location with the oven and cooktop.”
“I hired a subcontractor to install and refinish new flooring and worked closely with Brooke Wade to install custom cabinetry around the refrigerator, develop a custom cabinet door and drawer finger pull, and add fronts to fit off-the-shelf IKEA cabinet boxes. The end result is a bright, inviting space with glossy white tile, open shelving, and sleek dolomite.”
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
Bathroom — Sherwin-Williams “Pure White”
Kitchen — Sherwin-Williams “Pure White”
Bedroom — Portola Paint “Limewash — Duet”
Office — Miller paint “Forest Walk | R059”
LIVING ROOM
Sofa — West Elm
Rug — Rejuvenation
Sconce — Rejuvenation
Coffee table — Vintage
Chair — Vintage Danish chairs + Kelly Wearstler fabric
