The Couple Behind Capri Architecture Designs a Multi-Level, Two-Sided Mural as the Colorful Centerpiece of Their Family Home on Oregon’s Yaquina Bay

When architect Dustin Capri was growing up in the 1990s in Newport, Oregon, he liked to bike along the historic Bayfront and admire the vibrant, sea-themed murals painted on the sides of buildings as part of a municipal revitalization project. Over time, the coastal community’s signature artwork fell into disrepair and began to disappear.

The loss of the iconic, large-scale murals struck a chord with Dustin and his architect wife, Amanda, the duo behind Capri Architecture. At the time, they were contemplating the design of a new family home next door to where they were living. Completed in 2025 and called “Mural House,” the colorful, light-filled structure was inspired by Newport’s original murals and pays homage to their once-striking presence. “I’m trying to put that vibrancy back into the bayfront,” says Dustin.

Head-turning, indeed, is the 35-foot-tall, two-sided mural that rises up from the center of the three-level house. It acts as a vertical spine experienced by nearly every room in the house, and is also visible through large glass walls from the Bayfront and from the uphill street. Created by Portland, Oregon-based artist Blaine Fontana, the mural depicts Pacific Kelp on one side and a large seagull feather on the other. “We wanted to make sure the mural was part of the residence,” explains Dustin. “It has the whole house wrapped around it.”

The mural’s eye-popping colors—magenta, turquoise, egg-yolk yellow, blue, and kelly green—echo those in other parts of the house, both inside and outside.

“The color selection had been in our heads for eight years,” shares Dustin. “We wanted pink instead of red, and we wanted there to be kind of a rainbow blend without being the actual colors of the rainbow.” While the exterior of the house has a dark, charred-wood look, the overall impression is far from sober. Large windows are plentiful and the architects’ custom colors on fixed louvers front and back presage the extensive use of these same hues inside. More than just decoration, the louvers bounce light into the interior space and protect it from afternoon heat gain.

“A significant driver behind not just this project, but a lot of our projects, is that architecture is becoming so serious,” says Dustin.  “We want to try in our practice, as much as we can, to evoke a feeling of joy. We want you to look at something and smile and say, ‘That’s kind of fun.’“

To illustrate this point, one bathroom features monkey sculptures dangling from the cords of hanging lights; kitchen barstools are painted in the five core rainbow colors; and the “green” roof on the garage consists entirely of various succulents. Thanks to a particularly innovative design gesture, you can look through a glass table in the main-floor library and see down to the lower level.

With the house under construction for almost five years, the Capris had plenty of time to “sit and ruminate,” says Dustin. “Once it was framed up, we’d walk into the space and really feel it.”

The upper floor serves as the main living space. “To live—not sleep—in the spaces that have the best view is so key,” Dustin says. On this level, which has a panoramic view of Yaquina Bay, its historic bridge and the Bayfront, there is the kitchen, living room, dining room, and guest bedroom. There is also a large outdoor deck, covered on three sides. Dustin, who feels this is one of the home’s most successful spaces, explains that in their rainy climate it’s nice to have a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors while still feeling protected. “We use it an incredible amount.”

The couple took their time furnishing the home, too, gradually accumulating pieces, often from their travels—a rug from a trip to Morocco, a table they got on holiday in the Cook Islands, yellow Italian chairs from a shop in Bend, Oregon, a custom-made table from a local artist.

“The Mural House was designed to help bring the joy of art to our family, our two young children, and those who experience the mural from the Bayfront,” says Dustin, acknowledging that the one-of-a-kind house is not for everyone. “I think people probably look at our house, and half of them like it and half of them hate it. That’s okay. At least we’re making them feel something.”

The post The Couple Behind Capri Architecture Designs a Multi-Level, Two-Sided Mural as the Colorful Centerpiece of Their Family Home on Oregon’s Yaquina Bay appeared first on Ocean Home magazine.