Flippen - Fraley + Company

Meet the Owners

Bob and Marion wanted to leave their place in the country and move to town in Newberg OR. Bob is the analytical planner with a desire for symmetry, Marion is the artist with with an uncanny ability to find the perfect object for the perfect space. We worked through every detail of the house together, combining their ideas with our technical expertise. The final result is a perfect blend of their personalities- a classic, formal plan with touches of whimsy around every corner.

The Design Challenge: Custom Build to Blend with 1900s Neighborhood

How do you make a new house blend into an older neighborhood? The first step was doing our homework. Walking the neighborhood, taking photos, talking to the neighbors and touring houses. Next, we dove deep at the local salvage yards. Doors, windows, fireplace mantels, gates and accessories. Antique doors were given new life with insulated glass and weatherstripping to meet current energy codes. The final result is a new house that fits right in with the neighbors. "Folk Victorian", a simple farmhouse with touches of whimsy.

In some ways a custom build is much easier than remodeling because you get to start with a blank sheet of paper. Bob came up with the idea of separating the private and public space in the house to make it feel like two separate houses. The house is located on a double lot, so we divided the house into two wings. The “Big Sister” contains the bedrooms, bathrooms, office and attic studio. The “Little Sister” contains the public areas, the kitchen, laundry and sunroom. The two wings are connected by a great room in the middle. The overall effect reduced the mass of the house on the lot and provided ample room for the incredible landscaping.

Joel was extremely creative and pragmatic at taking our ideas and desires, improving upon them, and then collaboratively exploring many options until we settled upon the final design. Joel does not push you into a specific style or one approach to a design challenge but welcomes all of his client's ideas.

― Bob & Marion ―

Bob focused on the plan and the architecture, Marion focused on the interior design and decoration. And the bat light! The bat light started us down a path that led to Gothic arch windows, bat cabinet hardware and the custom bat inspired stained glass windows that we designed as a “we’re finished!” gift.