A Tumalo house once used for education gets a giant upgrade by Iron Roots Design.
Photography by Chris Murray Productions
Celeste McGowan and her husband, Tim, knew immediately when they saw a 1,170-square-foot ranch set in the woods just outside of Tumalo that it would be an ideal setting to reinvent completely for a small family — their own.
“We wanted to take something old and with history and breathe new life into it,” says Celeste McGowan, principal designer at Iron Roots Design, a design-build firm she operates with her husband based in Oregon’s High Desert.
The original structure, built in 1911 and used as the schoolhouse for the town of Tumalo (pop. 720), was moved three blocks in the 1970s and had a number of funky additions. But it retained some vestiges of its past, like an old chimney stack buried in the walls and true original shiplap usual for the early 20th century.
The couple took on the project with vigor, finishing the remodel of most of the interior in just nine months, along with an addition of a porch, to take advantage of Tumalo’s late-fall sunsets.
For the McGowans, living in a house just under 1,200 square feet feels like luxury. Their first home as a couple was a 200-foot tiny home that maximized their lifestyle on the smallest of footprints.
“I was super shocked about how much I loved every part of it,” Celeste says. “When you live that small, you have to learn a lot about efficient space planning, but I love a puzzle.”
That talent comes through in the schoolhouse remodel through little nooks and mindful built-ins that increase storage and make the ranch feel cozy and comfortable.
It helps that one-half of the married duo is a master craftsman who makes custom furniture. In addition to the construction process, Tim’s work encompasses chairs, coffee tables, dining tables, lighting and consoles — pretty much anything that can be used in a home and made to fit a space.
In the living room, open shelving and enclosed cabinets keep clutter from life with a 3-year-old at bay, while a dry bar makes room for entertaining at home. A large floor-to-ceiling cabinet in a mudroom accommodates life with small people and a family dog.
But of all the spaces inside the home, the bedroom is most reflective of the couple’s true design style. There, they sleep between nightstands made by Tim’s late father, who taught him his craft. Serene neutrals contrast with a more active eucalyptus-leaf wallpaper by Yvonne Hart Studio.
“Our signature style is nature-inspired, with organic textures,” says Celeste, who loves plants and cares for them in nearly all of their spaces.
Outside, a large porch extension creates a stage for shared early mornings with coffee and evening sunsets together with their dinosaur-obsessed son, Sloane, playing nearby.
What’s left? The kitchen.
“It’s straight out of 1989,” Celeste says. “Hopefully on our list for 2025!”
