Building a partnership

Homebuilder Bryan Noffz and designer Richard White team up to create a house reminiscent of yester-year, yet functional for today

By Nicole DeCosta

The Lake Oswego Review, Apr 16, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

The great room — with 24-foot ceilings — showcases knotty alder trusses in the rafters, an Internet loft above and built-in cabinetry at either end. Built by Bryan Noffz and designed by Richard White — both Lake Oswego-based home industry professionals — the 3,789-square-foot home blends with the older homes in the downtown Lake Oswego First Addition neighborhood, yet features modern amenities for today’s living.

Vern Uyetake / Lake Oswego Review

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Bryan Noffz and Richard White have a lot in common. They work in Lake Oswego, have a passion for houses and are particular about details. Homebuilder Noffz — president of Monogram Custom Homes — and White — home designer with The White House Collection — also loves big fireplaces, the kind of fireplaces you see in ski lodges. No matter what the season, the men see it appropriate for a roaring fire.

Their passion for homebuilding is also flaming, as they discussed last week, sitting around none-other-than a roaring fire.

Built in 2007, the home designed by White and built by Noffz blends with other, older homes in the First Addition neighborhood — it’s charming with an engaging steeply pitched roof and tucked beneath a mature canopy of trees.

“That’s a compliment to us,” Noffz said, “when people wonder if (the home is a) new construction or a remodel.”

That’s how many of White’s classic designs are interpreted — as if they’ve been there forever, but brimming with modern conveniences. Noffz started homebuilding in the early ‘90s, exclusively building White’s designs since 1999.

Now, Noffz resides in this rustic, Old World timber-frame-style home at 695 5th Street in downtown Lake Oswego. Last week, the two men walked the property and reminisced about the material selections they made when bringing White’s design to life.

“It’s the use of imagination, travel, plenty of reading and always looking for resources for inspiration,” White said.

Spacious, yet comfortable

The left wing of the home was built around a mature cedar tree. Bringing the feeling of the outdoors inside was an important part of the design of this home.

“For the most part, all of our homes have individual flair — even if we don’t have a buyer in mind when building it,” Noffz said, referring to a Cape Cod design up the street.

The duo currently has several homes for sale in Lake Oswego, each in a different style, but with the same attention to details.

“All of our colors and materials are different from house to house,” Noffz said. “This is the only home where I’ve ever used Eastern White Pine (flooring).”

The same flooring can be found at Tucci’s restaurant, a few blocks away, and glows in natural sunlight.

“We knew we had a beautiful view, northern exposure and all these trees that go into bloom, but we’re also dealing with a busy street,” White said.

So, White wanted to make the great room in the center of the home as comfortable as possible, yet private. Tall, built-in cabinetry beneath oversized windows in the great room creates a functional barrier between the inside and outside.

“We can sit here and watch TV at eye-level and also see out, yet people (outside) can’t see us,” Noffz said.

Despite the great room’s 24-foot peaked ceiling, the room doesn’t feel overwhelming.

“It’s amazing that you don’t feel like an ant in here,” Noffz said.

“The rooms are all good sized, but there’s not an echo,” White added.

Distressed knotty alder timber trusses, a plush chocolate brown leather couch, loft above and a masonry fireplace create an inviting, cozy space.

“This is like grandma’s old house. You don’t see these any more. It means that a mason built it from the ground up,” Noffz said of the rock fireplace, a focal point in the room. “We have one in every house. It feels grounded. It’s real. It’s quality, and I love fireplaces.”

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