My Houzz: Oregon Landscape Inspires a Painter’s Dream Home and Studio
http://www.decor-ideas.org 05/23/2015 04:13 Decor Ideas
Eagle Valley is a small but verdant pocket of land tucked along the south end of the Wallowa Mountains in eastern Oregon. The area is home to generations of cattle ranchers, orchardists, fisherman and farmers. Richard Murray resides at the base of the valley. However, unlike his neighbors, he does not use his land to produce organic beef, lamb or pit fruit. His product is art.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Richard Murray, dogs Tipper and Theo, and Bib the cat
Size: 5,300 square feet (492 square meters) for house and studio
Location: Richland, Oregon
Murray says everything began with the land. It was autumn when he first laid eyes on the property. “The property was full of Canada geese, and the owner was here feeding his cattle. I had no poker face,” he says about his instant attraction. “Everything I needed was here.”
Murray settled on Eagle Valley in eastern Oregon because of its climate and the unspoiled surroundings. He was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second-driest state in the country (after Nevada), and he wanted an environment where animal and plant life would flourish. He says, “The view from the lower wetlands looking up at the house reminds me of Tara from Gone with the Wind.”
Idaho Land & Power owned the land across the valley, and Murray knew his spectacular view would never change. His is also the last house along the irrigation ditch that serves all of Eagle Valley, which means he can collect water for ponds and wetlands without inconveniencing his neighbors. His property is surrounded by water. The Brownlee reservoir lies to the east, the Powder River is situated on the south, and Eagle Creek cuts through his land. “Water means life,” Murray says.
Murray purchased the ranch in 1998 and finished the home and art studio construction in 2000. Leftover construction materials were used to erect large outdoor birdcages. They are currently empty but used to house doves. “I love the sound of doves because it reminds me of Africa,” Murray says.
Murray’s foyer has an earthy vibe accented with flagstone floors, adobe-hued walls and ethnic artifacts. A majestic cow hangs in the entry, perhaps a nod to the land’s former incarnation as a cattle ranch.
In his 40s, Murray transitioned from painting landscapes to doing animal portraits. His paintings possess incredible dimensionality and a realistic quality that allow the animal to exist in the present moment for the viewer.
“I’ve always been connected to animals. I feel their essence and attitude. A barnyard cow is as significant as a lion. They all have integrity,” Murray says. Most of Murray’s animal subjects are painted to scale, meaning that the size of the artwork matches the size of the animal. This kind of painting requires lots of space.
Ever since boyhood, Murray has dreamed of creating a live-work art studio, and the space reflects that dream. Cathedral ceilings and a cavernous central studio space blend seamlessly into loft-like living spaces. The home’s lower level is dedicated to communal spaces: art studio, kitchen, living room, library, guest bath and foyer. The upper level is devoted to a private office, a master suite and art storage.
The living areas are open to the art studio, separated by low walls that were constructed from Murray’s art palettes. “I noticed while working that the palettes themselves possessed their own beauty. When they had a wonderful color or pattern, I’d stop. I thought I might use them one day as wainscoting for a dining room. Then when I came here, it became a railing.”
Art making is an ebb-and-flow process, and Murray’s studio is filled with midprocess pieces. Oversize easels, caddies, carts, tables and work surfaces are filled with paints, brushes, thinners, palette knives, source photos, figurines and a smattering of plant life and bug specimens under glass. The art studio was designed with this churning work style in mind.
A fly system operated with pulleys (upper-right corner in the photo) creates extra drying space for artworks on paper.
When designing his home studio, Murray paid careful attention to natural light. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows can be rolled up on garage door tracks. This feature serves two purposes. First, it allows for open-air painting when the weather is agreeable, and second, large-scale works can be shipped or delivered with ease without having to pass through a doorway.
One of Murray’s favorite views from his studio is of the bell tower, which lies to the northeast of his house.
An avid reader and collector of books, Murray designed the tall, narrow bookcase as part of the studio. It also serves as overflow from the formal library.
Murray has traveled extensively and fills his home with artifacts and souvenirs. At age 26 he embarked on a memorable trip to Egypt, which kick-started a rush of travel that took him to Botswana, Tanzania, England and India. Murray says, “In Rajasthan I went to see a pushcart camel fair. It was right out of Kipling.”
The same could be said of Murray’s library. A leather chesterfield and other furniture pieces, all intricately carved and notched, look like they were plucked from a study during the height of the British Empire.
The L-shaped library houses a treasure trove of encyclopedias, botanical dictionaries, travel guides, atlases, music, essays and novels. For Murray, the books and objects are evocative of his past adventures, relationships and discoveries. He says, “Now that I’m older, I have things around that can bring back a moment. You know the old saying, ‘It’s good to go when the going is good.’ Well, these things are touchstones.”
A great stone hearth at the center of the home faces a sitting area. There is also an exterior fireplace on the patio, which shares the same chimney. Beyond the living room is a well-appointed kitchen. The library, living room and kitchen all have French doors that open onto the back patio, overlooking the wetlands below.
Murray, who tries to begin a painting each day, is always in need of storage space. This art stall features sliding panels that allow the art to be hung vertically, tucked safely away from the rest of the studio.
Framed pencil sketches line the stairwell. A roll-away window opens to a loading dock, which allows trucks to back up to the art storage area.
Murray houses an astonishingly large menagerie of animal figurines in this wood case, which sits atop a desk in his upstairs office.
The upstairs loft includes a home office, a sitting area nestled around a hearth and one of Murray’s two grand pianos. Murray considers music one of life’s chief necessities.
Stone pathways and patios surround the house. The front porch has a mission vibe with stone archways and exposed wood beams. Elegant, well-used wicker furniture with pads covered in cat hair invite you to flip the cushion, have a seat and enjoy the birdsong. There is life everywhere.
The rustic double-door entrance with ornate iron hardware has a decidedly Western feel. Trees, shrubs, grasses and creeping vines line the perimeter of the house. “When I moved here, I brought over a thousand plants with me. I had been hoarding plants for years in an empty lot next to my former house,” he says. “My neighbors thought I was crazy. They all arrived on a flatbed. Some thrived and others did not, but mostly I planted things and the deer said thanks.”
Murray’s unique home is marked by a bell tower. It’s the first structure visitors see when they drive up to the property. “When I first imagined this dream space, I thought I’d be living off the grid, but those dreams were quickly dashed,” Murray says. “To build something from nothing, it’s amazing — septic, well, structure etc. I had to get real and put my money where it needed to be.”
Murray’s front lawn overlooks the nature reserve he’s helped to create over the past 15 years. The artist is camera-shy and didn’t sit down for a portrait, instead saying, “I don’t mean to be elusive, but I think the space speaks for itself.” Indeed, it does.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
Related Articles Recommended
Related Images Recommend
