TRIP PLANNER: ST. HELENS, VERNONIA + SAUVIE ISLAND PG. 84
DIY: Backyard Murphy Bar
Painting Black History
The West Coast Hurricane of ’62
HOT SPRINGS TO TRY NOW A FARM-TO-FIRE DINING EXPERIENCE DESTINATION RESORTS OF THE PNW
Fall in OREGON AUTUMN GETAWAYS
SPOOKIEST PLACES
FRESH LOCAL HERBS
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September | October
volume 82
Boots, Dunbar Farms’ director of flavors, harvests fresh rosemary at the farm in Medford.
The Four-Season Farm photography by Robin Loznak At Dunbar Farms in Medford, a year-round herb revolution is taking place. (pg. 26) 4 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2023
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home + design
Home + Design
Three Bathrooms, One Designer
Interior designer Kristyn Bester reveals how to merge modern functionality with the old soul of three historic homes written by Melissa Dalton DURING A college semester abroad in Florence, Italy, native Portlander Kristyn Bester made a discovery that shaped her future career path in interior design. “I am so impacted by the experience of a place, and that’s what drives me,” Bester said. “I want to improve people’s experience of their home and give them something that’s reflective of themselves, their experiences, and their own life journey.” After college, Bester worked with a variety of Portland design-build firms, before opening her eponymous firm, Kristyn Bester Design, six years ago. Since then, she’s cultivated a love for older homes and historic preservation, whether in a whole house remodel or single bathroom overhaul. “I always want the original details of the home to speak to me about how we’re going to design,” Bester said. Here’s three of Bester’s recent bathroom projects that do just that.
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The bathroom in this Eastmoreland home shows nicely with the custom vanity as it opens to a dining room.
ABOVE The custom vanity. BELOW Penny tile flooring meets terracotta-colored tile for a warm reception.
EASTMORELAND
Old and New Mix in Expanded Family Bath
Photos: Shane McKenzie/Portland Imagery
Previously, the original shared bathroom in this SE Portland Craftsman was cramped, thanks to a tiny pedestal sink and corner shower unit wherein the bather’s elbows routinely grazed the walls. Bester started by co-opting an equally small office nearby to create a larger bathroom with more generous fixtures, plenty of storage, and an elegant aesthetic that works for guests and family alike. The room’s location next to the dining room was a challenge. “We knew that the door would often be open,” said Bester, who therefore prioritized making the sightline into the bathroom as pretty as possible. Now, the custom vanity is framed by the doorway, with extra storage cabinets to the left, and the toilet and an enlarged shower tucked out of sight around the corner. “We really wanted to juxtapose period details with more contemporary finishes,” said Bester. Creamy white cabinet fronts balance streamlined and raised panel doors, with slim black metal pulls. A traditional penny tile floor is joined by a slim vertical tile backsplash that rises to wainscot height. The marble counter and brass faucets read classic, while a rich terracotta-colored tile forms an accent wall in the shower, with wider horizontal grout lines for a modern twist. The final touch is a fir shelf that runs along the length of the wainscot. “That shelf picks up on a lot of the original fir details in the rest of the house,” said Bester. “We wanted to make sure that everything felt cohesive with what they already had going on.” SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2023
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SPOOKIEST PLACES IN OREGON THESE SEVEN HAUNTED VENUES WILL MAKE BELIEVERS OUT OF THE DIS-SPIRITED written by Jean Chen Smith | illustrations by Allison Bye HALLOWEEN IS THE ideal time to reconnect with your inner child. Remember sitting around the campfire, listening to ghost stories, and not being able to fall asleep because you were so scared? Or how about plotting your trick-ortreat route so you could maximize your treat bag? Even though the 31st of October is one day out of the entire year, some of us spend the whole month either decorating, planning a costume party or making a costume for our kiddos. Beyond the home, there are also a ton of events to check out. “Halloween is an iconic time to see unique sights in fall colors from the Coast to the Cascades,” said Kari Westlund, president and CEO of Travel Lane County. This year, if you are in the mood to get spooked, visit one of our seven picks to see for yourself whether you believe in the supernatural or not. These spots not only provide entertainment and intrigue, but they also allow us a glimpse back in the state’s history.
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Perhaps its the isolation (or the plunge to the water) of Heceta Head Lighthouse and its B&B that gives it an extra spooky feeling. (photo: Thomas Moser/ Eugene, Cascades & Coast)
FLORENCE
HECETA LIGHTHOUSE BED & BREAKFAST
Look for a woman in Victorian garb at Heceta Lighthouse B&B. (photo: Natalie Inouye/Eugene, Cascades & Coast)
Built in 1894, the Heceta Head Lighthouse is perched more than 200 feet high, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Currently still operating and considered one of the most iconic lighthouses in the Pacific Northwest, stories of haunted sightings have stuck throughout the decades. Adjacent to the towering lighthouse is the Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast, which has been running since 1995. According to local lore, an innkeeper’s wife named Rue and their two children resided on the property, until one of the daughters drowned. Former guests and staff of the bed and breakfast report seeing
a woman in Victorian-style dress wandering the house and grounds. Perhaps the most famous sighting was recorded in the Siuslaw News in 1975, when a laborer was cleaning a window in the attic and claimed to have seen a reflection of an old woman in antiquated clothing. Thinking about visiting? Fodor’s Travel once named Heceta Lighthouse B&B one of the “most haunted hotels in America.” The hotel offers six rooms, where the lightkeepers and their wives used to sleep. Victoria’s Room is the most requested because the room has had the most reported encounters of the supernatural. / www.heceta
lighthouse.com
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