My Houzz: A Country Home Built on Dreams and Determination

Allie Jensen and her husband, Ryan, dreamed of building a home together in the Oregon countryside. Unfortunately, he passed away before the couple could realize their vision. But that didn’t stop her. With the support of their three children, Jensen made that dream come to pass. Two years ago she bought a 2-acre parcel in Wilsonville, Oregon, that once served as a strawberry farm. “I love this area, because it is so close to everything in the city but it is so rural,” says Jensen. “The views are wonderful, and it’s so peaceful.”

She worked closely with builder Stone Creek Development and architect David Bissett on developing a new home for the site. “Everything I put in my house, I love. When I’m out shopping around, I’m not looking for a specific style; I just buy what I love, and somehow it all works together,” Jensen says. “There is a lot of meaning behind many of the pieces I’ve collected throughout the years.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Allie Jensen; her children, Jack (age 14), Peter (11) and Grace (9); their dachshund, Miles Henry; and their German Shorthaired Pointer, Annie
Location: Wilsonville, Oregon
Size: 4,200 square feet (390 square meters); 4 bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Year built: 2013

Jensen wanted the home’s layout to feel open. As for the finishes, she says, “I tried really hard not to go with things that are trendy now, even though they look great. I wanted to keep the main finishes classic. I picked things that will still look good in 10 years. I let the decorating be the trendy part.”


A pocket door leads from the living room to the office. “If the kids are on the computer in the office, I wanted them to know that I can still see what they’re doing,” Jensen says.

Leather chairs: Cost Plus World Market


She bought the Oregonian mailbox at an antiques store. “[We’re] originally from Salt Lake City,” Jensen says. “We’ve lived here for 15 years, so the mailbox is my way of saying, ‘We’re Oregonians, and we’re here to stay!’”

Table: Cost Plus World Market; brass lamp: HomeGoods


The pendant lamps in the kitchen are made by Quoizel, but Jensen found the pair at a discount on eBay.

She worked with Lacy Keller of Macadam Floor Design in Portland to select the subway tile and quartz countertops. “Lacy was great at researching cost-effective options for the look I was trying to achieve,” she says, “and helpful in putting together the different materials and consulting on pattern layout.”


Jensen bought the pine-and-chalkboard door five years ago from a woman in Portland. “I had no idea what I was going to do with it at the time,” she says. “While building this home, I knew it would be the perfect sliding pantry door in the kitchen.”


The alder beam above the wood-burning fireplace in the kitchen is scrap wood left over from framing the home. The contractor suggested using it as the mantel.

Jensen and her three children had fun distressing the beam with chains, screwdrivers, rocks and hammers. Once they were done, a carpenter sanded it and applied a clear coat of varnish.

The fireplace was built with vintage thin brick. “I knew I wanted to keep the fireplace stone or brick — something rustic and timeless,” she says. The family uses the fireplace often. “Gas fireplaces are nice, but they’re not like the wood-burning fireplaces with the crackle. It’s so nice and cozy,” she describes.

Slipcovered chairs: Bella Furnishings


The dining table is a Scandinavian antique from a Los Angeles salon. When Jensen bought it on Craigslist, it had a thick polyurethane coating on it. She stripped it down to its natural pine finish. “Old pine is one of my weaknesses,” she says. “I love it!”

Wooden chairs: Ballard Designs; upholstered chairs: Cost Plus World Market


“The sliding doors in the entry came about from my desire to have a separate entry area, and to provide privacy in the great room when needed,” says Jensen. “I’ve never been a fan of just landing right into the great room of a home, and wanted a more formal entry.”

She searched for antique doors but couldn’t find any that would fit the 8-foot openings. So she decided to order a larger version of the three-panel doors that were used in the rest of the house. The sliding door hardware is from NW Artisan Hardware. The hardwood floors throughout the home are a prefinished product with a French bleed finish.


Jensen purchased the old church pew in the hallway 10 years ago from an antiques dealer. “I used it under a covered patio in a previous house and at the kitchen table for the kids to sit on,” she says. “I knew when we were moving into this house that it would be perfect in this long, narrow hallway.”


The Parisian-style sink in the powder room is from Overstock.com. “I always loved the look of Parisian sinks, and two summers ago I went to France and loved them even more,” says Jensen.

The antique mirror has been with the family for about six years. Jensen found it at an antiques store in McMinnville, Oregon, and stored it in her garage until the home was built — and she found the perfect space for it in this powder room.

Chandelier: Cost Plus World Market


The homeowner describes her son Jack as a “science guy,” and was looking for a headboard for his room when she found this old German astronomy map instead.


Ikea vanities are in the bathroom shared by the two boys. “I wanted something seamless for the boys and something easy to clean,” Jensen says. The mirrors, from The Home Depot, were $20 each.

Cabinet: HomeGoods


Son Peter’s bedroom is painted Sherwin-Williams’ Blue Bayou. The surfboard is a souvenir from a family trip to Oahu, Hawaii.

Side table: HomeGoods


Daughter Grace sleeps in an ornate wooden bed. “When I purchased it, I thought I was going to paint it white or with a bright lacquer paint, but I just didn’t have the heart,” says Jensen.

Dresser: Edland, Ikea


The paint color in the master bedroom is Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal. “I love this color,” Jensen says. “I want to paint so many rooms dark. You would think dark paint would suck the life out of a room or make it look smaller, but it makes everything else just pop.”

Duvet, shams: Jacquard Leaf in Lotus Pink, West Elm


Jensen bought the master bedroom settee for $20 at a porch sale in Portland. “It was painted gold and covered in gold velvet. It was hideous and gross, with spiders and all sorts of things living in it,” she says. “I had it painted, stripped and re-covered.”

Dresser, mirror: Stars Antique Mall


For the master bathroom, Jensen wanted a brass or gold lighting fixture. “I bought [it] for $120 and spray painted it gold. I had seen a similar chandelier by Visual Comfort that was $1,300,” she says.

Bathtub: Maax, George Morlan Plumbing Supply; chandelier, sconces: Lowe’s


“I love it here,” says Jensen, shown here with her three children. “Every day I feel so fortunate.”

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