Most condo owners are scared off of remodeling by the massive volume of building rules and Homeowners Association regulations. However, contrary to popular opinion, most condos will allow improvements, but it takes an experienced general contractor and designer who are very thorough and thoughtful to make the project a success while keeping all your neighbors happy!

Jason Ball of Jason Ball Interiors was contacted by the homeowner first as the designer, and when Jason realized the extent of the renovations necessary, he knew just who to call. Olson & Jones is consistently rated at the top among homeowners for cleanliness, promptness, and attention to detail – things that will make or break your condo remodel project. Jason Ball and Olson & Jones were both dedicated to making this project a success.

This home features fantastic gardening and landscaping to complement the historic house packed full of character. 

The one-of-a-kind custom fence ringing this corner lot was falling apart from rot. Olson & Jones restored the affected posts and tops with Kleer Cellular PVC material that is impervious to rot.

Each person represents a character in the classic nativity, while their costume and location give clues as to their role at Olson & Jones. Gwen, for example, is Mary with a 16-Key calculator (office manager); Sean is baby Jesus with his iPhone never far (Home Performance manager and sales guru), Jeff, Frank, and Leo are wise men/project managers with their plans in hand; Benjamin, Darren, and Rick are handy shepherds with carpentry tools at the ready; Wes is the announcing angel, also displaying fall protection while hanging a drop light; and Greg is Joseph, caretaking the whole scene dressed in company president style. To see their REAL job descriptions, visit our team page.

If you didn’t receive a Christmas card this year and want to be first in line for whatever crazy idea we come up with next year, shoot us an e-mail at inquiries@olsonandjones.com with your name and mailing address and we’ll make sure you get a post card next Christmas.

We’ve had an overwhelming response from our 30ft. long, candy cane wrapped glowing hammer! Our team’s Christmas decoration tradition has turned into a Christmas tradition for thousands of Portlanders who travel I-5 after sunset between Capital Highway and Multnomah exits in SW Portland.

Keep an eye out on the north side of the freeway for our hammer – a sign that Christmas is near and that Olson & Jones is busy taking care of Portlanders and their homes with honesty and caring.

Claudia had called Olson & Jones many times in the past for updates and repairs to her home, and this time she wanted a total kitchen transformation. The project was so successful that she featured it in the latest edition of Portrait of Portland!

View a pdf of the magazine article.

See the finished product of the Ultimate Master Suite in our slide show. A huge thanks to the subcontractors and suppliers who worked so hard to make this come together on time!

Come to the Oregon Convention Center to see the finished product!      

A lot has changed since 2007 when we first launched our presence on the web. We wanted a new website that would communicate who we are effectively and whose content we could update at any time. We’ve grown from 11 to 41 pages!

Olson & Jones worked with Avelient design studio to create this new site, and we are very pleased with the finished product. Take a look around and leave comments here if you think we missed something or if you have an idea of what could make it better.

This month we are proud to be involved in two auctions for good causes: the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s “Food, Wine, and Wishes Gala,” and the Architectural Heritage Center’s “Riches of a City Heritage Auction”.

Food, Wine, and Wishes Gala

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Olson & Jones has participated in past events, including the Tree House of Dreams.

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011, at the Portland Art Museum. It will feature a seated dinner, wine tasting from select Oregon wineries, silent and live auctions, and magical wish moments. By raising $300,000 in one night, the Foundation can fulfill 60 local wishes. Visit their website for tickets and details.

Riches of a City Heritage Auction

The Architectural Heritage Center’s (AHC) mission is to preserve the historic character and livability of our built environment, and to promote sustainability through the re-use of period homes and buildings. As a historic home renovator, Olson & Jones has come to value the efforts of the AHC to preserve Portland’s architectural history.

This year’s auction will be held at the Melody Ballroom in SE Portland on Saturday, October 15. Their live and silent auctions include historic treasures of furniture and historic building excursions, including dinner at the famous Watzek House! Visit the AHC website  for tickets and details.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) have been around for a long time under different names. In the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s it was not uncommon to rent out a garage, basement, or upstairs as a second unit or “Granny-Flat” apartment to supplement income and provide housing for extended family.

Benefits

ADU’s have many attractive features, not the least of which are additional income for the homeowner, housing for extended family/friends, and increased property value. They also provide an attractive way to increase a community’s supply of affordable housing

History

In 2008 the city ofPortlandbegan promoting ADU’s by allowing them to be built and rented out in most residential areas. However, stingy square footage restrictions and cost prohibitive systems development charges (SDC’s) for sewage, transportation, water, and park service prevented homeowners from taking advantage of them.

Luckily, the Portland City Council recently realized just how important ADU’s are for the city and on March 3, 2010, temporarily removed the required SDC charges (up to $15,000 for some locations!) and soon thereafter increased the maximum square footage to 800 square feet or 75% of the original dwelling unit, whichever is smaller.

If you are interested in adding an ADU to your existing home, give us a call!