Most of us have something decorative framed on our walls. If we have an historic home, there are probably several period art works, prints behind glass, or paintings. If we are lucky, some of those artworks are family pieces with old frames, passed down to us years ago or recently inherited. Maybe we have become collectors of investment quality, original, old paintings. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

The dishwasher, we take it pretty much for granted. When looking at a home, the dishwasher is a convenience that we have come to expect. We use it to store dirty dishes, and sometimes clean dishes as well. But how did the dishwasher come to be? It’s an interesting story. The first patent for a dishwasher was granted to Joel Houghton in 1850. It had a wooden paddle that splashed water onto the dishes, but it was fairly ineffective at actually cleaning them. L.A. Alexander picked up the concept again... more

Homebuilder Robert Rummer built nearly 750 Modern style houses in the Portland area between 1959 and 1975. These distinctive homes are often referred to today simply as Rummers. Many were built in subdivisions wholly developed by Rummer himself (Vista Brook in southwest Portland; Menlo West and Taliesen in Beaverton). Others were built in subdivisions shared with other builders (Oak Hills in Washington County, Valle Vista in Gresham). Still others were built in scattered sites in the Portland area,... more