Brian and Kathleen Dunn have just completed a major renovation of the historic Kubli House at 305 S. Oregon Street. Beginning this month, the 160 year old landmark will be operating as a short-term vacation rental under its new name “Kubli Haus.” Through much planning, Brian and Kathleen have reformatted the internal layout to create four independently accessible suites that offer private, spacious and cozy accommodations. Much care was taken to integrate high style and modern conveniences with the unique historic characteristics that have been preserved.

This isn’t the Dunn family’s first foray into home renovation. The couple bring years of planning, design, and construction expertise with them. Brian worked for nearly 30 years as a professional engineer focused on private development projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. Kathleen, a stay-at-home mom, had an interior design side-hustle that blossomed into a business as the kids matured. As Kathleen noted, “Brian and I make a great team. In the 21 years we’ve been together, we have done multiple whole-house remodels in Portland and Lake Oswego.

Like many, what brought the Dunn family to Jacksonville is a familiar story. “Before the pandemic hit, we spent years traveling up and down the west coast in search of the perfect small town,” says Kathleen. “We wanted a simpler, small-town life for our kids and Brian was always thinking about engaging in a new career as a general contractor, doing what he loves and is so skilled at.”

Brian notes that after looking at several potential homesites in Ashland, their real estate agent, Sara Dekoekkoek, said, “You guys actually seem more like Jacksonville folks.” So, the curious couple hit the road. Upon turning off Bellinger onto South Stage and seeing the rolling oaks, vineyards, cows, the church steeple and the 25 MPH zone, Kathleen began crying and said to Brian, “This is it!” Both say they felt at “home” even before discovering the Kubli House.

From there, everything just fell into place. Sara showed us the Kubli House…a neglected gem that was dilapidated and ready to implode. While that was an overwhelming project to many who’d looked at the house before, it was the perfect project to tackle as a husband-wife design/build team. The couple also saw it as an opportunity to launch Brian’s new business, Dunn Remodeling & Construction, and to establish Kathleen’s business, Kathleen Dunn Interiors, in the Jacksonville community.”

Brian immediately saw the potential for the Kubli House to be a short-term vacation rental once the layout was reimagined. It had a lot going for it already—the lovely wraparound porch, the home’s proximity to downtown and the Britt Festival, plus all the food, wine and adventure to be had in the Rogue Valley.

Kathleen added, “Our intention is to provide a luxurious experience for visitors…and we want them to feel instantly connected to the Jacksonville community that we love so dearly. Brian adds, “One of the ways we will do this is by reviving what Kathleen and I call “Porch Culture.” We have carefully reconstructed every detail of the wrap-around porch and added seating for folks to relax, sip wine, and watch all the townsfolk walk by.

The Dunn family home is just a block away from Kubli Haus. Their kids, Cleo and Ossie, are students at South Medford High School. Cleo waits tables at Umi Sushi and Ossie is on the South Medford Baseball team and races mountain bikes for the Rogue Composite NICA team.”

During the week, Kathleen will operate the business from an office that’s onsite at Kubli Haus. Interested guests may view the suites online at www.kublihaus.com and via Airbnb or VRBO.