Home Tour // A Remodeled “80s Special” Is Anything But a Starter House

Today’s tour takes us to the home of Suraya Barbee in the Southwest neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Suraya is a favorite of mine on Instagram and I absolutely love her relaxed style full of thrifted finds. She lives in an “80s special” with her husband Jason, their two kids, and rescue Boxer. And I love how they’ve turned 1280sf of starter home into 1280sf of comfortable, long-term family living.

Suraya and Jason have owned their home for 8 years and it was the neighborhood that originally drew them here. “We were moving from an apartment in downtown Portland with an infant and we didn't want to give up walkability and this area was near restaurants and shops (and only 15 minutes from the Grandparents!).“ Sounds perfect!

home tour - a remodeled "80's special" is anything but a starter house on www.thegritandpolish.com

Suraya originally saw their home as just a starter house but that quickly changed. “When we moved in I thought it was the perfect starter home because everyone told me it was the perfect starter home,” said Suraya. “The moment I started seeing it as more than a starter home was when the possibilites and potential emerged. I love how we have made the home adapt to our family of four.”

I love the relxed style of Suraya’s home. It just feels so liveable. And the large living room windows surely help brighten gray winter days in Portland.

“We live in beautiful SW Portland where the lots are large and special (we have almost 1/4 acre). I really believe that we found a unique piece of property where our family can grow.”

Suraya is such a positive presence on Instagram and I just love her laid-back and fun style - both in her home and her wardrobe. Suraya is also a big advocate of buying secondhand. When I asked her if she had any favorite secondhand finds in her home, she said: “Our brown leather couch - the lady that sold it to me thought it was a throw-away. I love seeing the potential in items that other people think are trash. Also our wood chairs for the dining table were $10 total - and the sellers thought they were so gross and asked if we were going to use them outside!”

There’s lots of love about this home, including it’s modest size. “I have come to appreciate the single level small footprint since I can clean the entire place very quickly,” says Suraya. Amen to that! (We shared more about ideal home sizes in this post.)