Landon ANDTyler Jacobsen-Blow

BY MARY MICHAELS | PHOTOS BY JULIE PRAIRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Manybungalow-style homes built around 1920 in the city’s core featured a collection of separate rooms, in contrast to the open floor plans you see in today’s modern homes.

When Landon Blow and Tyler Jacobsen Blow started renting a house in the Whittier neighborhood in 2015, they didn’t think so much about the actual floorplan.

“We moved in as 20-somethings, and it was just a place for us to live and hang out with friends,” says Tyler.

Within a few years, though, the two decided to buy the house and start the process of truly turning it into a home. They did a little cosmetic work themselves, adding paint here and there along with eclectic accessories they found, which is one of the things they love to do together.

There were some features of the house, however, that they dreamed of “someday” being able to change like opening up the kitchen and dining room that were separated by a wall. Fortunately, they happened to have good friends named Chelsea and Cole DeBoer, known now for their HGTV show Down Home Fab.

“Chelsea knows us so well and found so many ways to incorporate us into the design,” Landon says as he points to the living room ceiling that is covered in black, velvet-flocked skull wallpaper.

Landon and Chelsea met over a decade ago when he was finishing school and starting a career as a hairstylist, and Chelsea became a client. Tyler, who is a photographer, captured many special moments for Chelsea and Cole, including their wedding and birth announcements for their children.

“One day Chelsea reached out because they were looking for homes to feature,” says

Landon, “and she asked if Tyler and I would be interested.”

The couple, who were married last year, describes their style as nostalgic and retro mixed with dark and moody drama. That was all the design team needed to get the renovations underway.

The flooring in the main living space was a light wood laminate, but the construction team discovered original hardwood flooring underneath. However, it wasn’t in perfect condition, so rather than try to restore and stain it, they painted it black instead.

“We love the floor,” says Tyler. “It gave us that bit of nostalgia to have the character of the original house, but it also fits our style.”

The white walls in the living room originally had white painted crown molding, but the design team kicked that up a notch by removing the original molding and replacing it with gold-painted molding, giving it the appearance of picture frames on the walls. The electric fireplace and wood mantel in the room were replaced with a Victorian mantel with intricate design details, painted pink and then filled with a collection of different sizes of disco balls. Favorite albums line the top of the mantel - currently featuring albums that provide the “summer vibe.”

Tyler and Landon work out of their business, The Factory Salon + Studio, located in The Cascade downtown, and the logo includes a little skull.

“Chelsea knows us so well and found so many ways to incorporate us into the design,” Landon says as he points to the living room ceiling that is covered in black, velvet-flocked skull wallpaper.

A tall gold and glass bookshelf stands next to the disco fireplace and holds many of the couple’s treasures like an antique camera,

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books, and a pink Crosley turntable.

The arched entry to the dining room had been so low that both Landon and Tyler almost had to duck under it. The arch still exists to keep the original charm of the house, but it was raised to create more of a flow from the living room. The other surprise for them was the wall that had separated the dining room and kitchen was gone.

“Before, with the two rooms separated, it had such a choppy feel,” Tyler explains. “We would actually do food prep on the table in here, but it wasn’t like it fit with the living room or fit with the kitchen.”

The construction crew found layers of flooring in this space, so trying to get down to an original floor wasn’t possible. Instead, oversized black and white vinyl tile provides both an economical and classy-yet-whimsical foundation for the rest of the design. Green cabinets coordinate with the green sofas in the living room and the tall stools around the dining room table, the top of which was made by Landon’s dad. The design team changed the base to sturdy steel to bring in a little industrial feel.

Light pink walls — the same color as the living room fireplace — let the green cabinets stand out with their copper hardware. Black and white quartz countertops complement the flooring and connect to the black flooring in the living room and entryway. The exposed shelving and the hood over the range bring in another texture with light-colored wood.

Balancing some of the “dark and moody” is the light and airy entryway space that Landon and Tyler had previously created by taking out a wall that separated the front entry from a small sunroom. Now, it is a roomy area with an L-shaped, wooden window seat that is also a product of Landon’s dad’s handiwork. With the afternoon sun coming in, it’s the perfect place to stretch out for some reading or a nap (which their furry friends Pax and Banjo have already figured out). Landon’s dad also created the tabletop in the entryway, giving them a place for plants and pictures and other fun finds.

Now, as a married couple out of their 20s and moving into their 30s with successful businesses, Landon and Tyler appreciate even more the difference between having a “house” and creating a home.