Set within a 1912 mansion originally built for Portland mayor Russell Albee, Albee House reads as a careful balance between preservation and reinvention. In reworking the house, Jessica Helgerson Interior Design avoided over-correcting its history, instead working through it to retain its inherent character while introducing new layers of craft, colour and spatial clarity.
A measured approach to preservation shapes the experience from the outset. The entry sequence, anchored by a timber staircase and detailed joinery, retains its original weight and rhythm. Rather than interrupting this language, the intervention introduces subtle shifts through lighting, furniture and surface treatment. The result feels continuous rather than staged, as if the house has evolved gradually rather than been redesigned in a single moment.
Rooms that required functional updates were reworked more decisively. Kitchens and bathrooms were fully remodelled, with walls repositioned to support contemporary use. Yet even here, the new work does not announce itself abruptly. Materials, proportions and detailing draw from the original framework, allowing modern interventions to sit comfortably within the historic envelope.
A defining layer of the project comes through its collaboration with Portland mural artists Lonesome Pictopia. Murals appear throughout the house, not as singular focal gestures but as an embedded narrative system. Brass leaf details, painted panels, floral ceilings and small figurative elements emerge across surfaces, creating moments of discovery rather than spectacle. The artwork softens the formality of the architecture, introducing a sense of informality and lived-in character.
The living spaces illustrate this balance most clearly. Deep-toned upholstery sits against detailed wall treatments, while rugs and artwork introduce variation without overwhelming the room. The compositions avoid symmetry for its own sake, favouring arrangements that feel accumulated over time. This approach gives the interiors a sense of continuity with the past while remaining distinctly current.
Elsewhere, the project explores contrast more directly. A sunroom defined by exposed brick and planting introduces a lighter, more informal atmosphere, while dining areas return to a more composed, material-rich palette of timber, brass and patterned surfaces. This variation in tone allows each space to develop its own identity without fragmenting the overall narrative.
Detailing plays a consistent role throughout. Ceilings become surfaces of interest rather than background elements, with painted motifs and subtle ornamentation extending the visual field upward. Joinery and furniture selections reinforce the house’s original language while introducing contemporary comfort. Even functional elements are treated with discretion. The mirrored and coloured panels between the breakfast room and kitchen conceal the refrigerator, turning a utilitarian requirement into an integrated design moment.
The private spaces maintain the same level of attention. Bedrooms are softened through lighter palettes and layered textiles, while bathrooms combine classic fixtures with updated layouts. Arched openings, tiled surfaces and brass fittings create continuity with the rest of the house while improving usability.
Albee House ultimately avoids framing restoration as either preservation or transformation. It operates somewhere in between, allowing the building to retain its identity while accommodating contemporary life. The interiors feel inhabited rather than staged, shaped by art, material and careful spatial decisions that acknowledge both past and present without privileging one over the other.
