Agent Andy's House of the Week: 1321 SE 34th Ave

Apr 27

Beautifully Restored Victorian in South East

In this series, Urban Nest's very own Agent Andy Barlow shares his favorite Portland home of the week. See stunning properties from all across town and pick up valuable insight from one of Portland's most discerning real estate professionals.

Location, location, location! And also style! This week’s listing is proof that you can have both. Located on SE 34th Avenue right between the commercial hearts of Belmont and Hawthorne, this home puts everything that Portland has to offer at your doorstep.

Built in 1897 this Victorian is picture-perfect and a rare find, and I couldn’t wait to take a peek. Just from the outside I knew it would be packed with character unparalleled to anything you see built today. (You can call me biased if you want as I also live in an 1890s Victorian, but anyway...)

On the main level you’ll find gorgeous fir wood floors (my fav), 10 foot ceilings (my other fav), two bedrooms, a bathroom, a modern kitchen, dining area, and a beautiful living room with that quintessential Victorian bay window.

Heading upstairs you feel as if you are being transported to a cabin spa retreat with wood-cladded walls and a vaulted wood-covered ceiling. The entire upstairs is the master suite, and the listing agent, Caroline Easton, described it perfectly to me as a “one-of-a-kind room with a zen-like feel.”

The home has been completely updated system-wise as well. “New everything!” Caroline told me. Plumbing, electrical, furnace, windows, insulation have all been redone, among other things, and the home is immaculate thanks to the owners, who I was lucky enough to meet while there.

A warm and welcoming pair, they told me how they had been living outside of Washington, D.C. with dreams to move to Portland. When they saw this home pop on the market, they made the sudden decision to fly across the country to see it years before they had originally planned to move. “It really was that special” they told me, and special it still is.

My favorite part? The history and story here. While looking around in the basement I came across a framed collage of photos. One photo was the house in 2006 (looking a bit plain), one was the house during the recent restoration, and then a colored sketch of the final design (all grand and Victorian-like). “That stays with the home” the owners told me, and that right there is exactly why I love these old houses.