Park House Room-by-Room
welcoming entry
The entryway and foyer of the Park House was one of our biggest concerns when we first toured before purchasing. The front door opened up right into the stairwell, and it the space was small and enclosed. We made the decision to invest heavily in this area, opening up the walls, taking the ceiling of the stairwell up to the second story, and replacing the coat closet with a custom built bench and storage. The result is stunning and, as we hope you will agree, worth the work.
The wood floors throughout the home are a mix of original and new douglas fir – they are quite soft and damage easily, so we ask our guests to leave their shoes by the door. The custom bench is the perfect height for storing your footwear underneath. While we hope you have beautiful weather during your stay, we’ve supplied umbrellas for your use – they are in the coat cabinet above the bench. Please replace them before you leave for the benefit of future guests.
The door is equipped with a keypad lock – when leaving the home, make sure to lock the front door behind you (it doesn’t lock automatically). To lock, press the door closed firmly and press any button on the keypad.
large & cozy living room with fireplace
To the left of the entry is a large, cozy living room with an amazingly comfortable sectional that seats eight, two swivel chairs, a cushioned ottoman and a natural gas fireplace. To use the fireplace, make sure the gas is turned on (key on mantel) and click the button on the remote. For those stay-in nights, board games, cards and puzzles are in the bookcase along the wall.
The television is wifi connected and has a Roku attached, so apps like Netflix, Amazon and more are easily available with the remote. You’ll need to log in and use your own streaming accounts.
To play music from the living room and/or outdoor speakers, make sure your device is connected to the wifi network, download the SONOS app and follow the prompts. You’ll need to connect to your personal music accounts (Spotify, Pandora, etc.) or music files on your device. There are two “rooms” that can be played independently or together: Living Room and Garden. Please make sure the Garden speakers are off before going out or to bed, and keep it at a neighbor-friendly volume.
the dream kitchen
We love to cook, and did our best to design a kitchen that inspires and is a dream to work in. The highlights: custom mint cabinets, a huge Kohler farm sink with a picture window above that looks out to the back yard, a six burner Monogram stove, a custom-built walnut island with an outlet and seating, and tons of open shelving so that you have everything at your fingertips.
The pull-out pantry next to the dishwasher stores dry goods, and you are welcome to use anything you find in there, from spices to seasonings – we just ask that you replace anything you use the last of. We shop pretty exclusively at Harvest Fresh on Third Street, and everything can be found there. The tall pantry next to the refrigerator is where we keep our personal things, and is locked during guest visits.
We supply whole bean coffee from Flag & Wire in McMinnville’s Granary District. Use the setting in between coarse and medium grind for the drip coffee maker, with 5 scoops per 8 cup pot.
In the bar area, local bitters await your cocktail experiments, and a decanter is on-hand for those older bottles of red. We also have a variety of trays, serving bowls and platters scattered throughout the kitchen and dining room for your group meals. Glass vases, pitchers and vintage pottery found on the open shelves make perfect vessels for clippings from the garden.
To assist with your meal planning, here’s an inventory list of items in the kitchen:
– refrigerator with ice maker and filtered water
– dishwasher
– six-burner gas range and electric oven (duel fuel)
– tea kettle
– oxo drip coffee maker
– burr coffee grinder
– toaster oven
– microwave
– stick blender
– dinner plates, salad plates and bowls
– flatware and steak knives
– serving flatware
– linen and paper napkins
– drinking and wine glasses
– wine and bottle opener
– knives and cutting board
– cheese knife and serving board
– baking sheets
– casserole and roasting dishes
– large roasting pan with rack
– round cake pans
– three sizes of frying pans, small saucepan, large saucepan
– le creuset dutch oven
– mixing bowls
– colander and fine-mesh strainer
– measuring cups and spoons
– spatulas and wooden spoons
– can opener, citrus squeezer, vegetable peeler, scissors
– salt + pepper
– olive oil
– flour and sugar
– aluminum foil, parchment and plastic wrap
– paper towels and tea towels
– dish detergent and scrub brushes (we do not supply sponges)
sunny art room
As the sunniest spot in the house, the window-filled art room off of the living area is perfect for working in or being creative. We’ve stocked it with an easel and some art supplies – feel free to use any of the supplies you find there. There’s also a desk and chair in this room for getting some laptop work done.
dining room for six
To the right of the entry is a beautiful dining room, featuring: two paintings from local artists, an original corner built-in, a stunning modern farmhouse-style chandelier, and a wood pedestal table with six linen chairs.
three king bedroom suites
Each beautiful bedroom in the Park House has its own new bathroom – two with walk-in tiled showers, and one with a bath. All have king beds with supportive and oh-so-comfortable medium-firm gel memory foam mattresses, 100% cotton sheets, cotton blanket, a plush down-like duvet and tons of pillows of varying firmness. USB and pronged outlets are easily accessible at each side of every bed for charging your devices.
All bedrooms have ample storage, with drawers, closets and either a luggage rack (downstairs) or benches (upstairs) for packing and unpacking your suitcases, which keeps the bed accessible and dirt-free. We’ve supplied high quality no-slip hangers in the closet of each bedroom – please make sure to leave them here for other guests’ use. Both upstairs bedrooms also have built-in desks under the dormers, with a comfy chair.
We’re light sleepers, so to smooth over any road noise from Adams Street and the occasional park-goer we’ve added a white noise machine in each bedroom. We’ve found the low fan-type sounds to be natural and adequate to the job.
The adjoining bathrooms are all new, have natural light, and have different unique features. The upstairs west bathroom has a huge walk-in shower and rain shower head, with a custom walnut double vanity topped with a thick slab of gorgeous calacutta marble. The upstairs east bathroom has the home’s original cast iron tub and vanity top, both refinished and refitted for a more modern use, and the vintage cabinet hung above the toilet has local bath salts and a candle for a leisurely soak. Downstairs, the cozy bathroom has a marble tile walk-in shower, pedestal sink and an early 1900’s antique mirror (with another large modern mirror on the facing wall for functionality’s sake). Ultra-fluffy towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, cotton swabs and an upscale real-deal hair dryer are in each bathroom, ready for you to enjoy.
laundry room
Behind reclaimed fir barn doors at the top of the stairs, the laundry room is a cozy little dream: side-by-side front loading LG washer and dryer with steam function, a walnut folding counter, hanging rod, wash sink, ironing board and iron. Free & clear laundry detergent and stain spray is supplied.
powder room
The stunning main floor powder room has venetian plaster walls, a custom replica antique wall-mounted sink, and reclaimed wood shelving. A small frosted window brings in natural light, while a candle-look wall sconce adds ambiance and more practical task lighting.
back garden
French doors lead out from the kitchen to a brick patio and gorgeously landscaped back garden. The doors operate independently – typically, it’s easiest if you leave the left-hand door (when looking out) in a fixed position and go in and out the right. If you do open the left door, to lock it you’ll need to pull the handle up before turning the thumb lock to the right. Make sure to test the doors after locking them to be sure they are secure.
We worked with a local landscape architect to completely transform what was previously a concrete pad and a few garden beds. Gravel and garden beds replaced the concrete, and string lights sway over a double teak table seating 12, two small bistro table sets, and outdoor sofas. We kept the previous owner’s lovingly cared for roses and hydrangeas, and added dozens of local evergreen and deciduous trees, grasses, shrubs and flowering plants. The pear tree and towering blue spruce are in their original spots.
Past the waist-high cedar fence is the edible garden area, with beds in various stages of use (or unuse as the case may be!) When we are able, we tend and plant them. You’re welcome to forage any of the herbs, fruit or blossomed flowers throughout the garden. Please clip sparingly and only take what you will use, so that others may also enjoy. We ask that guests not go into the closed shed, which is locked.
The firepit area is our favorite cozy spot on cooler nights. Although there may be some leftover from previous stays, we don’t supply wood for the pit. Please keep any fires attended at all times, and replace the cover after using. A lighter can be found in the kitchen drawers.
The Weber grill on the brick patio runs on natural gas, and is permanently connected (no tank refilling needed). To use, tun on the red gas lever to start the flow of the gas, uncover and use as normal. When you are finished, please make sure to turn off the gas, brush down the grill and cover it after it has cooled down. Grill-specific utensils are kept in the kitchen drawers.
To play music from the outdoor speakers, connect your device to the wifi network, download the SONOS app and follow the prompts; choose the “Garden” room in the app. You’ll need to connect to your personal streaming music accounts or music files on your device. Don’t forget to turn them off when you’re done!
