O
n September 22, the 1926 Richard Sundeleaf‑designed cottage at 7728 SE Seventh Ave in Sellwood‑Moreland hit the market. A buyer accepted the $985,000 offer a week later, and the sale is now pending. The 0.12‑acre corner lot overlooks Sellwood Park and is within walking distance of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and the Willamette River.
Windermere Realty Trust’s Robin Springer and Melissa Ewbank call the home “one of Sellwood’s most iconic houses.” The 2,442‑sq‑ft residence blends original craftsmanship with modern updates. The living room keeps its hardwood floors, a fireplace framed by two window seats, and a door that opens onto a garden patio. A stained box‑beam ceiling decorates the dining area. The kitchen features wood cabinetry, quartz countertops, a five‑burner gas range, and a peninsula that seats two. A family room on the same level offers a view of the landscaped garden.
The second floor houses an office, three bedrooms, and a bathroom with heated tile floors and a walk‑in shower. A second bathroom is on the main level. The finished basement spans 500 sq ft and includes laundry, storage, and additional living space.
Springer, a longtime Sellwood resident, notes that the neighborhood feels like a small town, with local restaurants, shops, and nature trails nearby. The lot’s landscaping was designed by a retired curator of the Portland Japanese Garden, featuring Japanese maple trees, raised beds, water features, a greenhouse, and a two‑car garage.
Richard Sundeleaf, a University of Oregon graduate trained in Beaux‑Arts, was 26 when he and his wife Mildred Beatrice Deaver Sundeleaf (23) moved into this honeymoon cottage. The site was across from the 1905 house where Sundeleaf grew up after his family relocated from Goose Hollow. His early career included positions at A.E. Doyle and Sutton & Whitney before founding his own firm in 1928. During the Great Depression he designed warehouses and offices, later embracing Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Tudor Revival styles. Notable projects include the Jantzen Knitting Mills buildings in Northeast Portland and the Black House in Lake Oswego, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1942 the Sundeleafs moved to a new home on Lake Oswego’s Phantom Bluff, designed by Sundeleaf himself. Over a six‑decade career, he blended Old‑World aesthetics with emerging styles, producing Arts and Crafts, Northwest contemporary, and modern homes across Oregon, Washington, England, and Australia.
