When Joanna and Otto Lovera bought their home in Eugene, Oregon everything (walls, carpet, paint) was what she calls “band-aid color,” but they saw potential in the expansive windows with views of the Cascade Mountains and the little glass sunroom.

They turned the home a dark blue, ripped out the beige carpet, and turned the sunroom into a bedroom perfect for stargazing and nature-watching. While tucked in bed, they’ve been approached on all sides by deer, rabbits, and all kinds of birds.

The room can get cold and hot with the seasons, but a small heater or fan is sufficient for temperature control due to its tiny size. Otto explains that a dip in the hot tub on the surrounding porch and a good blanket can be sufficient for a winter evening. We spent a night appreciating the open-plan living and the immersive sleeping pod.

The Loveras bought this home which sat at the corner of their property: 47 acres of recently clear-cut land. In part two of this series, we’ll tour their restoration project, where they have begun to replant native trees and shrubs, allowing the Oak, Ash, and Maple trees to flourish, and clearing the riparian ways along the creek and springs. Along the way, they have recovered good wood out of the loggers’ old burn piles to build creative small structures throughout the property.