Remodeling for Modern River Views
by Cassidy Mantor
“As the Central Oregon area continues to grow, there are more and more existing homes in great locations that come to market. We’re seeing more people looking for quality remodeling work because they’ve found the perfect location, but the home needs a little work or a complete update. Remodel work done the right way can be more challenging than new construction. Many people associate the Sun Forest name only with high-end custom homes. What most don’t know is that Sun Forest has been in the remodel business for over 35 years. We apply the same ethics and high-quality construction standards to our remodel projects that have made us successful since 1977 in the Custom Home arena.”
–Sam Houston, President, Sun Forest Construction
The Remodel for River Views
Recently, Sun Forest remodeled a one-story river-view home in Bend and transformed it into a modern home. The homeowners originally had purchased a lot in Bend on which they were going to build a custom home, but when they walked past this property at an open house, they fell in love. It sits down the street from the owner’s sister’s home, which added to the feeling of an ideal location for them.
The property was purchased for its location, which has stunning river views. However, the original home and its décor were very outdated with an ‘80s style. Even at the open house, the homeowners knew they were going to need an entire renovation. They wanted to also expand and open up the home, especially the back exterior, to focus on the river.
The homeowners had moved more than 13 times over the span of their careers, including living abroad in many places, including India and Asia. To pay tribute to their history, much of the design and décor style in the renovation is inspired by their artwork collection and worldly travels.
The Entryway
Beginning at the entryway, Sun Forest gave the front exterior a complete update by adding on a porch addition, a gable front entry, and custom cedar garage doors that complemented the gable front entry. Sun Forest’s team raised the height of the center garage door, added an office addition, and moved the front door for better use of space. New stonework, wood truss details, and light fixtures were added to create an improved focal point.
The Great Room
The views from the great room were amplified by installing more expansive windows and opening up the sight lines. Sun Forest’s team raised the roof overhang to expand the view of both the mountains and river. They added transom windows above the back-sliding door to let more natural light in. They also refreshed the space by adding a sliding glass door. In addition to expanding the view, Sun Forest added wood beams that help direct the eye outside and removed a stone accent wall that spanned the great room and the dining room. They added a modern custom metal fireplace with panels that are held in place by magnets, and an antique door recessed into the dining room wall.
The Kitchen
The remodel included fully reworking the pantry and adding a coffee bar. Sun Forest added a concrete island with a waterfall edge, and brought in a custom-designed metal oven hood in the same style as the modern metal fireplace. The team added more wooden beams in the kitchen to tie it to the great room and help create focus on the exterior landscape. They also installed premium Jenn Air stainless steel appliances and added a wet bar and wine fridge to increase the owner’s enjoyment in their dream home.
Most of the project was managed and coordinated remotely, as the owners lived out of state during the time of the remodel. Randy Pine, Project Manager, was the owners’ main contact and was in charge of logistics, time management, and quality control. Randy reflects, “The project was exciting because we had multiple goals: renovating to expose the natural views on the property, designing to pay tribute to the owners’ life travels, and also planning a functional home that works for their new lifestyle. Ultimately, it came together beautifully and is a great example of how we brought our client’s needs and dreams to life.”
Mike Brown, Sun Forest’s Vice President and Remodel Department General Manager, says, “Sun Forest has been involved with remodel work for over 35 years and the company maintains a dedicated team to serve our clients. Our remodel department has the bandwidth to take on projects of any size, but our experience and ability to successfully manage larger remodels sets us apart. In 2019, Sun Forest completed over 100 remodels, which accounted for 45% of our business that year. We feel fortunate to work with so many wonderful clients and look forward to another 35 years!”
For more information on Sun Forest Construction, call 541.385.8522 or visit sforest.com.
