The man behind some of the most famous Air Jordans ever made turned his sketching talents to a house in Bend, Oregon — and the result is a cowboy-flavoured family retreat built purely for fun.
Tinker Hatfield, the legendary Nike designer who famously pivoted from corporate architect to shoe designer after winning a company-wide concept competition in the early 1980s, and his wife Jackie built their custom home on a triangular lot near the centre of Bend. The brief went through wild iterations, including a 200-foot-long modern building with a vineyard planted on the roof — an idea Jackie rejected in under three minutes. What finally clicked was a design inspired by the Will Rogers Ranch, the whimsical 31-room home of the vaudeville and Western star in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades, a spot the Hatfields always enjoyed visiting. Tragically, the original ranch house was destroyed in the 2025 Palisades fire, which makes the Bend tribute all the more poignant.
Interior design firm House of Milo — founded by Sarah Westhusing, a family friend and Bend local — brought the vision to life, balancing the couple's appetite for bold colour with plenty of stone and wood. The house features a long covered porch with rocking chairs, cheeky cowboy art throughout, a chartreuse-and-blue bunkroom, an old-school kitchen with glossed brick tile and metal-wrapped shelves, a bar tucked under the stairs, and outdoor spaces with a pool, hot tub, pizza oven and a steel roping bull. Outdoor outlets were installed for microphones, because Jackie organises skits and plays with her grandchildren.
The real takeaway for travellers is Bend itself. Westhusing sums up its appeal: surf the river wave in the morning, trail run ten minutes from your door, then drive 30 minutes to the mountain to ski. Add floating the Deschutes River and a serious brewery scene, and you get a small town that is essentially engineered for relaxation.
For sneaker fans, design lovers and outdoor families alike, the story is a nice reminder of why Bend has become one of the American West's favourite four-season escapes — and proof that the best holiday homes are the ones designed around the people filling them.
