GRAY No. 3

™

Visionary designers Niels Bendtsen and Ann Sacks

ART work

MAGAZINE: pacific northwest design

A little bit edgy, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll: a look into the lives of two artists, Dylan Neuwirth and Jennifer Ament Dear Designer:

Your burning design questions answered

who

❤s design?

Portland’s Andee Hess, of Osmose, makes a splash with bold color, textures, and pure inspiration

ISSUE No. three : $7 us; $9 cdn

Printed in Portland, Oregon, USA

The Special Order

save 20% noW THrU 5/6/12 save on all SPECIAL ORDER UPHOLSTERY, PLUS ALL TABLES/ STORAGE, RUGS, LIGHTING & ACCESSORIES. SELECT FROM 189+ FRAME STYLES AND 300+ FABRICS AND LEATHERS (OR USE YOUR OWN). MaDe In THe Usa anD DelIvereD In less THan sIX sHorT WeeKs.

1106 West Burnside Street / 503.972.5000 / Mon thru Fri: 10am to 8pm, Sat: 10am to 6pm, Sun: 11am to 6pm Complimentary Parking Validation at PMC (12th and Couch) / www.mgbwhome.com Hunter sofa 100”w x 39”d x 31”h special orders in fabric from $2410 NOW: $1928, Manning side Table 26”w x 23”d x 22”h $870 NOW: $696, Tully Table lamp 31”h faux bone base with white fabric shade $445 NOW: $356, Powershag 8’ x 10’ rug in natural $1750 NOW: $1400

2

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Because they are specially priced: love programs and stock options plus are not included.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

3

cont April-May.12§

Departments 6 Hello

It takes a village to put together a magazine.

10 News

Spring into the season with new collections, new stores, and more.

14 Raves

GRAY’s picks for the coolest products in the market.

20 Interiors

The colorful life and work of artist Dylan Neuwirth.

32 Fashion

Portland’s Ann and Amy Sacks have a new vision for totally chic eyewear.

36 Shopping

Two local stores make their predictions for color, materials, and style.

Seattle artist Jennifer Ament’s house is as beautiful as her work.

40 Ask

27 Décor

42 Renovate

There’s more than one way to hang your art.

4

30 Art

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Dear Abby—designer style.

A historic space gets redone as the charming Hotel Ballard.

46 Entertain

Seattle’s Heather Christo creates a feminine, floral tablescape for spring.

72 Who

Visionary Niels Bendtsen makes furniture design look easy.

74 Architecture

Winery Winderlea’s modern tasting room floats above 20 acres of Oregon vineyards.

76 Emerge

Interior designer Andee Hess pushes the boundaries in all the right ways.

tents 78 Resources

Design resources from the issue.

79 Concept

Architecture Building Culture creates a modern space that preserves religious tradition.

81 Interview

A conversation with the founders of Seattle Design Foundation.

82 Zodiac

Features

✤

48 Livable Luxury

Patricia Gray designs a Vancouver, B.C., home with room for every member of the family.

On the Cover

56 A Garden Narrative

Scot Eckley creates a Mercer Island garden with a story behind each space.

64 Stark Contrast

Garrison Hullinger’s relaxing beach home has a locale inspired theme.

Portland interior designer Andee Hess is the one to watch when it comes to crafting bold designs.

seventy six See page

Written by hillary rielly

Photographed by david papazian

A design horoscope for assertive Aries and determined Taurus.

Visit graymag.net to subscribe.

hello It takes a village to

Between writers and photographers, creative directors and editors, account executives and advertisers, there’s plenty of responsibility to pass around. (Check out some of the amazing folks who helped create this issue on page 8.)

Here at GRAY, every talented contributor plays a huge part and deserves an enormous amount of credit, and that could not be more true than of Rachel Gallaher.

I’ve known Rachel for a couple of years now and have watched her go from editorial intern to professional freelancer. When GRAY started, she jumped in wholeheartedly, applying her skills to interviews, articles, and the thankless fact-checker role. It soon became clear that Rachel had more than earned a permanent spot on the masthead. This may be her first issue with the official title of Assistant Editor, but she has been as much a part of GRAY as anyone else on the team.

And while I’ve been thanking our talent, I would be remiss if I didn’t also shine the spotlight on the amazing design community that has welcomed us with open arms. We have received such wonderful feedback from readers and design professionals alike.

That’s why we’re excited to highlight organizations and events that support local designers and local businesses. We’re proud to be media sponsors of Gelotte Hommas Architecture and Seattle Architecture Foundation’s youth architecture program Arc.I.Tek (see page 11), as well as National Kitchen & Bath Association’s The Great Kitchen & Bath Tour (page 13), with other exciting plans and sponsorships in the works.

While I can’t reveal everything now, I can give you a sneak peek into the upcoming June–July 2012 issue. Tune in next time for pages of music-inspired stories, spaces, and style.

Jordan Isip

raise a magazine

Rachel Gallaher

xoxo, Angela

Email: angela@graymag.net Subcribe: graymag.net

6

GRAY ISSUE No. three

graymag.net facebook.com/graymag twitter.com/gray_magazine

Assistant Editor

Classic...Exquisite...Inspired...

Classic...Exquisite...Inspired...

Classic...Exquisite...Inspired...

Classic...Exquisite...Inspired...

What words describeyour yourhome homedecor? decor?

Classic...Exquisite...Inspired...

What words words describe describe your home decor?

What Whatwords wordsdescribe describeyour yourhome homedecor? decor?

What What words describe your home decor?

Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley, Idaho SunValley, Sun Valley,Idaho Idaho Sun Sun Valley, Idaho Sun Valley, Idaho

www.thepicketfence.com www.thepicketfence.com www.thepicketfence.com www.thepicketfence.com www.thepicketfence.com www.thepicketfence.com

1.866.944.5511 . three 7 1.866.944.5511 1.866.944.5511 1.866.944.5511 1.866.944.5511 1.866.944.5511 GRAY ISSUE No

contributors

™

MAGAZINE: pacific northwest design

Writer HEATHER CHRISTO

heatherchristo.com In this issue: Entertain (pg 46)

Creative Director Publisher Shawn Williams

Editor Angela Cabotaje

Writer BROOKE BURRIS In this issue: Architecture (pg 74)

Style Director Stacy kendall

Editor at Large Lindsey m. roberts

Assistant Editor rachel Gallaher

Photographer john granen johngranen.com In this issue: Entertain (pg 46)

Contributors Blackstoneedge.com Roger Brooks Brooke Burris HEATHER CHRISTO hank drew John Granen Alex hayden KYLE JOHNSON DAVID PAPAZIAN DEBRA PRINZING HILLARY RIELLY Vicky tang

Photographer hank drew

hankdrew.com In this issue: Décor (pg 27)

Advertising kim Schmidt

Photographer DAVID PAPAZIAN

(kim@graymag.net)

papazianphoto.com In this issue: Shopping (pg 38), Architecture (pg 74), Emerge (pg 76)

RIKKA SeiBERT

(rikka@graymag.net) Subscriptions GRAYMAG.NET INFO@GRAYMAG.NET

Special thank-yous to:

Photographer alex hayden

Writer DEBRA PRINZING

alexhayden.com In this issue: Interiors (pg 20), Art (pg 30), Renovate (pg 42), Feature (pg 56)

debraprinzing.com In this issue: Feature (pg 56)

suzie & Barney osterloh Nology media dale williams Vol. I, No. 3. Copyright ©2012. Published bimonthly (DEC, FEB, APR, JUNE, AUG, OCT) by Gray Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted by written request only. While every attempt has been made, GRAY cannot guarantee the legality, completeness, or accuracy of the information presented and accepts no warranty or responsibility for such. GRAY is not responsible for loss, damage or other injury to unsolicited manuscripts, photography, art or any other unsolicited material. Unsolicited material will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. If submitting material, do not send originals unless specifically requested to do so by GRAY in writing. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GRAY magazine, 13619 Mukilteo Speedway D5 #551, Lynnwood, WA 98087.

Subscriptions $30 US for one-year; $50 US for two-years. Subscribe online at graymag.net.

Writer Hillary Rielly In this issue: Fashion (pg 32), Emerge (pg 76)

Photographer VICKY TANG

info@vickytang.com In this issue: Shopping (pg 36)

8

GRAY ISSUE No. three

furniture textiles linens lighting accessories wallcoverings carpets outdoor furniture shade architecture

spring 2012

antiquities

Visit the showroom, located in the Seattle Design District, to browse an exquisite array of fine interior & exterior furniture collections custom tailored for the most discriminating interior designers and homeowners.

Where ideas flourish. t

5600 sixth avenue south seattle design district seattle wa 98108 206-763-4100 terrisdraheim.com hours mon-fri 9am to 5pm & by appointment

member of

GRAY ISSUE No. three

9

news

right now

Betty Feves, Six figures, date unknown, Raku on wooden base, 25 x 5 x 12-inches on base, Collection of Feves Family. PHOTOGRAPH: Dan Kvitka

SOMETHING TO SEE

Generations:

Betty Feves Now–July 28

The life’s work of the late, great Modernist sculptor Betty Feves is on display during a retrospective exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, celebrating her storied 40-year-long career. Feves dug her own clays, made her own glazes, and experimented with primitive firing techniques out of Pendleton, Oregon.  Museum of Contemporary Craft,

724 N.W. Davis St., Portland, mocc.pnca.edu

new

Spring is here with plenty to see, do, and explore

NEW COLLECTIONS

Karim Rashid for BoConcept Extra, extra! Renowned designer Karim Rashid’s new Ottawa collection arrived at BoConcept in mid-March. Pieces include a contemporary dining set, a chic sideboard, and various accessories.

new

 BoConcept, boconcept.com

Jan Kath at Colin Campbell German contemporary rug artist Jan Kath’s award-winning carpet designs are now available in western Canada.

Exclusive partner Colin Campbell celebrated with two events honoring the occasion in Vancouver and Calgary.  Colin Campbell, 494 Railway St.,

new

Vancouver, B.C., colcam.com

Stephanie Dyer for Clayhaus Clayhaus recently introduced the Topo collection, a graphic, three-dimensional line of decorative tiles created by Portland designer Stephanie Dyer.

The six tiles in the collection include Sunrise Set, Wax Wane, Iris Bulbous, Aperture, Pinwheel, and Bow Akimbo.  Clayhaus, Portland,

clayhausceramics.com

10

GRAY ISSUE No. three

news

new

just moved

Kumiko bookcase by Richard Soborowicz

The first-place project in the Whole House More than $400,000 category was designed

by Finne Architects.

MOVE

Northwest Woodworkers’ Gallery

photograph courtesy seattle design center

and the winners are

ON THE

Northwest Fine Woodworking has moved from its historic Pioneer Square location in Seattle and reopened as Northwest Woodworkers’ Gallery in Belltown. It continues to craft, design, and display quality wood furniture.  Northwest Woodworkers’ Gallery,

2111 First Ave., Seattle, nwfinewoodworking.com

GR Home Interior designer Graciela Rutkowski opens her new design store, GR Home, in Seattle’s University District. The shop officially opens on April 2.  GR Home, 4520 Union Bay Pl. N.E.,

Seattle

Northwest Design Awards

The 13th annual Northwest Design Awards took place March 8 at Seattle Design Center. Designers, architects, and students competed in 14 different categories. Each project entry was judged by a panel of industry experts for proportion, use of space, materials, and appropriateness of the design solution. The winners include Ellentuck Interiors, Castanes Architects, Tami Jones Interior Design, JPC Architects, Jonathan Quinn Barnett Ltd., Weber Thompson, Hensel Design Studio, Alicia Interiors, Geralynne Mitschke Design, Olson Kundig Architects, Finne Architects,

Eckley Inc. (see his work on page 56), and student Scot Josh Small from Washington State University.

12

GRAY ISSUE No. three

p:ear’s 10th Anniversary Portland’s p:ear—an organization that is committed to helping homeless and transitional youth through education, art, and outreach programs—celebrates its 10-year anniversary on May 12. Congratulations to a decade of amazing work!  p:ear, Portland, pearmentor.org

D E F I N I N G

N O R T H W E S T

S T Y L E

THE GREAT KITCHEN & BATH TOUR Photo by Roger Turk of Northlight Photography

G N I AT RS R E B YE A L CE 0

1

PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL KITCHEN & BATH ASSOCIATION PUGET SOUND CHAPTER

SATURDAY-SUNDAY 10AM-5PM

MAY 19 & 20 greatkitchenandbathtour.org $20 TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE APRIL 7 TH THROUGH MAY 20 TH

Benefiting

GRAY ISSUE No. three

13

Future’s So Bright

raves

Gotta wear shades. Vancouver, B.C.–born artist Phillip Low creates mesmerizing geometric sculptures in acrylic, with fluorescent colors ranging from hot pink to electric blue. With shades on or off, we see a clear winner. Grenfluo by Phillip Low, $775 at Stand Up Comedy, Portland, shopstandingup.us

Order Up

Another fresh batch of notable design served piping hot Written by stacy kendall

14

GRAY ISSUE No. three

GRAY ISSUE No. three

15

Girl, did you just fall from the sky?

Named after that white fluffy stuff above us, the design of the Nuage (clouds) table by Sophie Lafont for Christian Liaigre certainly takes us up, up, and away.

Nuage table, available to the trade at Susan Mills Showroom, Seattle, susanmills.com.

 Good Wood

We guarantee you’ve never seen a chocolate bar like this.

Designed by Odin Capello of Toronto’s Design & Mischief, those clever little facets actually recreate the topography around BETA5 Chocolates’ Vancouver shop. This bar is a mountain of cool! The Polygon Bar, from $8 (CAD) at BETA5 Chocolates, Vancouver, B.C., beta5chocolates.com.

16

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Dot Dash lamps photographed by Charlie Schuck

(Top)ography

The Polygon Bar: Shawn Taylor Photography;

The Celilo Sofa is The Joinery’s take on a midcentury-modern design, and we’ll definitely take it! Handmade in its Portland workshop with FSC-certified or locally harvested solid wood, the Celilo is seriously good design. Celilo Sofa, from $3,100 at The Joinery, Portland, thejoinery.com .

Dash it All

raves

New from Seattle designer Erich Ginder’s latest collection, the Dot Dash Pendant comes flat-packed and ready for action.

The white pendant is shown here at digital marketing agency ZAAZ, designed by Best Practice Architecture and Design.

Available in a handful of fresh hues, they don’t just have a dash of style—we think they have it all. Dot Dash Pendant, from $358 at Inform Interiors, Seattle, informseattle.com.

“The lamp was conceived as an easy-toassemble kit of parts, inspired by some of the conceptual survival technologies designed by the 1970s architecture group Archigram.”

—erich ginder

GRAY ISSUE No. three

17

Sur(Real)

raves

In collaboration with Porcelain Studio Klimenkoff, Russian artist Varya Alay reimagines the concept of matching dinnerware and explores the outer limits of the imagination with two separate plate sets called Love Triangle I and II. “I always wanted to do something in a naive, surrealistic style. I draw an imaginary hypertrophied (exaggerated) world and imagine myself in it,” Alay says.

We’ll gladly join her there. Love Triangle I by Porcelain Studio Klimenkoff, $1,200 for a set of six plates at {Far4}, Seattle, far4.net.

Clean Design

Casual yet sophisticated, NuBe Green’s locally made cotton canvas napkins make it easy to mind our manners.

Oversized with red or navy top-stitching and raw edges, these napkins can make enjoying a good meal a great experience. Cotton canvas dinner napkin, $13 at NuBe Green, Seattle, nubegreen.com.

18

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Shake That

Brass, copper, or aluminum— it’s a veritable periodic table on your dining table. Well, brass is an alloy, but who’s keeping track? What we can count on is another genius design from Seattle’s Ladies & Gentlemen Studio. Cylinder Shakers, from $52 at Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Seattle, ladiesand gentlemenstudio.com.

SieMatic BeauxArts.02 the latest interpretation

Everything you want in a kitchen. Everything you’d expect from a SieMatic original. Designed in collaboration with Mick De Giulio, BeauxArts.02 introduces many new, unconventional ideas that represent the pinnacle of individuality. See more online and at your nearest SieMatic showroom. www.siematic.us/ba2

SieMatic Seattle 2030 1st Avenue Seattle WA 98121 www.siematic-seattle.com

The stringent requirements set by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) underscores our dedication to the environment and exemplary conduct at all levels of the manufacturing process.

Tel: 206.443.8620

GRAY ISSUE No. three

19

The gold-framed prints are examples of Ament’s work that she has artfully arranged with other pieces along the wall of the dining room.

Putting a black shade on the brass lamp was an idea from Ament’s personal friend and interior designer Leah Ball Steen of Revival Home & Garden. “The black lampshade references the black frames from on the wall—I never would have thought to do that,” Ament says.

stats

who: JENNIFER

AMENT

what: Artist details: Jennifer Ament creates expressive linocuts in ink on paper, and recently, vibrant abstract encaustics, resulting in a body of work that has been shown in local boutiques and gallery shows. Favorite artists include Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Francis Bacon, Mamma Andersson, and Hugh Holland.

20

GRAY ISSUE No. three

interiors

eclectic feel

Artist Jennifer Ament’s striking linocuts may be black and white, but her interior design sense spans the spectrum of chic inspirations

Written by stacy kendall : Photographed by alex hayden

GRAY ISSUE No. three

21

interiors

It’s the stuff of real estate urban legend, but Ament actually succeeded in getting her family’s West Seattle midcentury house by leaving a note for the previous owner. “I knew I would love this house when I saw the stone fireplace sticking out of the roof, from all the way down the street,” Ament says.

22

GRAY ISSUE No. three

interiors

S

The Aments hired friend and architect Eric Hentz, founder of Seattle’s Mallet Incorporated, to do their kitchen remodel. The floor-to-ceiling bookcase is a new addition designed to match the house’s midcentury styling, while the Pennsylvania bluestone countertop mirrors the original fireplace.

he’s a lit tle bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Well, let’s scratch country and

replace that with eclectic. Artist Jennifer

Ament ’s expansive taste and knowledge of

obscure pop culture make her interior design sense, like her artwork, a layered study in sophisticated references.

On her popular blog, Art and Lair, Ament inspires readers by posting a video from thrash pop band DZ Deathrays one day to uploading a painting by James McNeil Whistler the next.

And then there’s the rock ‘n’ roll. She and her husband, Barry—co-founder of Ames Bros Clothing & Design, known for its important contribution to rock poster art— share a love of music that might be the genesis of Ament’s sometimes edgy or irreverent side.

For Ament, easy is boring. She doesn’t appreciate “easy” in art or in interior design. It’s “easy” to buy a whole look from a catalog, but Ament eschews predictability in a way that is completely genuine. In other words, the cool isn’t calculated. It’s tough to cultivate this level of true personal style successfully, but the reason it works is because Ament doesn’t just stop with her first idea—she pushes until it no longer resembles anything status quo.

“I find inspiration in the humorous, subversive, and the GRAY ISSUE No. three

23

interiors 24

GRAY ISSUE No. three

OPPOSITE: When attempting a salon-style gallery wall, Ament suggests taping up paper templates that represent the paintings and living with them for a while, moving them around until it feels right. This page: Ament’s art studio is in the lower level of the house and it’s here where she displays many of her quirkier inspirations, such as brass animal figurines and other art she’s collected.

shockingly beautiful,” Ament says. “It is the gritty, harderto-understand side of life that is the most fascinating.”

The idea that things or rooms should possess elements of humor is what sets Ament’s interiors apart. Among the more surprising things you will see is a bronze casting by local artist Lynn Swanson of her daughter’s hand doing the “heavy metal” sign, a snow globe collection, and a bronze bunny with only one ear. Ament encourages seeking out alternative sources as a way of keeping your interior distinct, and yes, a bit weird.

“We were in Montana on vacation, and we drove past this thrift store that was so old, it was kind of creepy looking actually,” Ament says. “There, I found six different pieces I will have forever.”

Other favorite sources include stores going out of business (she found two tufted leather chairs from the

’70s in a frame shop that was closing), small estate sales, and artists on Etsy. She advises against the mainstream antique shops and even popular thrift stores because “everything is picked over and overpriced,” she says.

Lest it seem that Ament only appreciates quirk, the overall effect of the interiors is far from campy, even though she loves camp. Ament grounds the space thanks to a very serious love of classic design and an artistic sense of scale that keeps everything looking über-sophisticated.

“We like a lot of natural elements, but then also those glamorous ones,” Ament says. “I love Frank Lloyd Wright, the way he designed his midcentury houses—it was classic and sophisticated and glamorous at the same time.”

It’s this mix that is the magic, and like any great rock song, it just works.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

25

organic + modern sustainable furnishings

1122 nw glisan 503.295.7336 ewfmodern.com

lighting + carpets + accessories interior design services offered

EWF Modern.indd 1

3/22/12 11:27:33 AM

I NTER I O R D E SI G N + S TAG I N G SERVI C E S full service interior design / design coaching / contemporary staging

Full Service Interior Design with access to the Seattle Design Center and “trade only� resources, workrooms, artisans, and craftspeople.

Design Coaching focusing on retail sources for the budget conscious client who wants to be involved in the design process, but would benefit from the guidance and knowledge of a professional designer.

Contemporary Staging for homeowners, realtors, and developers, showcasing your property at its very best.

26

DESIGN STAGE d e s i g nISSUE c o n sNuo.l three tation / interior staging GRAY

t 2 0 6 . 8 2 9.9 0 4 9

e info@design -stage.com

w design -stage.com

dĂŠcor

Exhibitionist Written and styled by stacy kendall : Photographed by hank drew

GRAY ISSUE No. three

27

décor

“Express your personality through your art—where you’ve

been, things you like. You can get photographs you’ve taken blown up, and it makes a great statement.”

—Faith Sheridan, interior designer

28

GRAY ISSUE No. three

d “Mix it up with paintings, prinents,t an suggests. photographs,” artist Jennifeysr Am in ”Your wall should alwa beera thwoe rkyears, progress, adding new pieces ovat you don’t and maybe even removing wh ore.” feel connected to anym (See Jennifer’s own home on page

20.)

Think hanging art is tedious?

Think again.

So you have your artwork. Now what? Much has been written about taking proper measurements and using classic framing techniques. Those things have their importance (truth: don’t hang stand-alone pieces too high), but luckily your house isn’t a museum, so why not throw the status quo out the door and take displaying art to the next level?

Outside the Frame: Art doesn’t have to live within the confines of a wooden box—think of the frame as an extension of the art. After all, it’s three dimensional, so see what happens when you embellish the sides or insides of the frame.

On the Wall: Go big and extend the reach of your hanging artwork by going off the frame and onto the surrounding wall. Paint, decals, or wallpaper are all ways to enhance the wall around a frame. Think of corners or dramatic locations to employ your idea. The bigger the better!

Beyond Glass, Mat, and Wood: Almost any object with a flat surface can become a “frame” for your artwork. Look around the house and get creative—a clipboard, a mirror, a roll of fabric. Or go frame-less and use chalkboard or magnetic paint to create a cool feature wall.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

29

art The Punkest of All

Seattle artist Dylan Neuwirth’s works in mirrored glass, glossy acrylic, and sleek neon are the glamour on the surface of a layered postmodern critique Written by stacy kendall : Photographed by alex hayden

30

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Neuwirth’s new, yet-to-be-titled show is opening May 11 at Ryan Rhodes Designs in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood.

This exhibition features new work in neon, glass, multimedia, and video, and explores the ideas of contemporary culture’s constant cycle of buildup to an event, the event itself, and the memory of the event as definitive of modern identity.

On February 3, 2011, Neuwirth awoke on the side of Seattle’s Aurora Avenue after a string of events that should have left him dead. The golden blownglass skull piece, The Conversation, and this photo is his recreation of that experience.

stats

who: Dylan

Neuwirth

what: Artist

Nathaniel Willson

H

e once watched Up in Smoke in jail, and now his 24-inch Disappear Here piece spelling out “Up in Smoke” in neon is just one of the items in Seattle artist Dylan Neuwirth’s current body of work that reflects his colorful past— as is the 61-inch-by-72-inch neon, faceted diamond that was once the hallmark of his former glam-rap alter-ego Gold Hick. If that sounds like a lot to take in, that’s the beauty of Neuwirth’s body of work and of Neuwirth himself.

Neuwirth credits early exposure to working in theater and stagecraft, which he describes as “visual sleight of hand“ for his rich, graphic approach. “I like to create objects that are so visually strong that surfaces and materials become their own indelible image, and that image becomes an object in your mind,” Neuwirth says. “That object becomes an idea, which spurs the poetic narrative.”

His rap sheet reads like those of some of his own musical heroes: creative childhood growing up in Athens, Georgia;

details: Dylan Neuwirth is a contemporary Seattle artist working in mixed media, specifically neon. His artistic influences include Banks Violette; Mike Kelley; Dash Snow; Anselm Reyle; the early indie and grunge rock scene in Athens, Georgia; David Bowie; William S. Burroughs; and Bret Easton Ellis.

evolution into an artist; local renown; dark period of drugs and alcohol; jail time; renaissance.

It’s that evolution that has allowed Neuwirth to produce his recent body of work called “The Conversation,” which was shown at Seattle’s Punch Gallery in November 2011.

Both referential and postmodern allegory, Neuwirth’s piece drew inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the words of Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho and Glamorama) to present a highly personal show that embodied Neuwirth’s past in his potent visual style.

As for the future, Neuwirth’s evolution as an artist seems to revolve around particular words or symbols that serve as a personal mantra for a period of time. Like Gold Hick’s diamond, his new talisman is a logo that Neuwirth designed. It simply says, “PUNK.” Drawing on his musical influence and a current style, he’s dubbed “gutter-glam.”

“It’s a joke in the punk world, like, ‘What is being punk?’” Neuwirth explains. “If you’re the punkest of all, it’s being yourself.”

GRAY ISSUE No. three

31

Written by hillary rielly

The future of eyewear looks pretty stylish

see good, do goo fashion

32

Buying glasses is a catch-22. It’s a big deal,

GRAY ISSUE No. three

but when you can’t see well (hence, the need for new glasses), buying the right pair is nearly impossible.

Amy Sacks Eyewear and Accessories has a novel idea that’s going to change that game.

The Portland-based company is looking to ease the process, allowing customers to borrow up to six pairs of glasses, test them for two weeks, and place orders for the winning styles—all for a $1 charge and no shipping fees.

Revolutionary thinking is nothing new for this boutique eyewear company. Founder Ann Sacks also founded Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, which Kohler purchased in 1989.

With her new venture, Sacks designs frames that work for countless faces.

The company adds new styles two times a year for a seemingly endless array of stylish specs. Coming soon are barely colored lenses that soften the appearance of eyes and frames made from durable cellulose acetate and sustainable bamboo.

The frames are irresistible for everyone, it seems. Sacks admits she often has multiple frames on hand at any time. “I’ll go from zero and start looking all over and find 12.”

stats

who: Amy

Sacks Eyewear and Accessories

what: Boutique eyewear company details: Named after Ann Sacks’ daughter Amy, this eyewear company donates all corporate profits to the Pixie Project, a nonprofit animal rescue organization in Portland.

1611 nw northrup

portl and

503.295.0151

m aisoninc . com

maison inc

INTERIOR

DESIGN

see a full p ort folio of our work at m ai soninc.com

GRAY ISSUE No. three

33

GRAY issue No. 2, page 54 Eggleston | Farkas Architects Photographed by Alex Hayden

100 % devoted to residential and commercial for and about the Northwest. design our talent. our services. our products. all available

exclusively

right here.

Be a part of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant design scene!

Here’s how you can get involved: ❈ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter ❈ Subscribe and be among the first to see each new issue ❈ Submit a project or story idea ❈ Advertise your products or services

34

GRAY ISSUE No. three

graymag.net

“ Eventually, everything connects…

— Charles Eames

...people, ideas, objects.

The quality of connections is the key to quality per se.”

This design philosophy remains true today, and in all different arenas. More and more, those connections emerge and are strengthened through social media sites.

Nology Media creates rich social experiences and lasting connections for brands and their audiences.

nologymedia.com | seattle

GRAY ISSUE No. three

35

shopping

Mint Written by RACHEL GALLAHER : Photographed by VICky TANG WHO: Rien Sharma, co-owner (with Michael McNamara)

of MINT Interiors in Vancouver, B.C. MINT offers furniture, lighting, and home décor from high-end, international sources.

Spring is coming up, and that always means a focus on color. What is your attitude toward color and how to you use it in your work?

RS: I am all for color even though most people are afraid to play with it. I love yellows, blues, grays, and pinks.

What is the best way for people to experiment with adding color into a room if they are afraid to play around with it?

RS: The one thing I always recommend to clients is to keep the bigger pieces that you can’t necessarily change safer with moreneutral colors. Start adding color with smaller items such as cushions or a throw or a small piece on the coffee table. You can always change it out if you don’t like it.

Do you have any new products in your shop that have a lot of color?

RS: We have some new hand-embroidered Adam & Viktoria cushions from Sweden and colorful Jielde lamps.

1805 Fir St., Vancouver, B.C., (604) 568-3430, shop.mintinteriors.ca

“Even though ... [Pantone] said tangerine, I personally think it’s going to be soft blues, pinks, and yellows.”

—RIEN SHARMA

36

GRAY ISSUE No. three

s r

™

subsc ribe now One year $30 US Two years $50 US

✹ Save 30%

off cover price Free delivery Makes the perfect gift

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX HAYDEN : landscape BY Allworth Design : installation BY Nussbaum Group : architecture BY REx Hohlbein Architects

Visit graymag.net to subscribe.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

37

shopping

Montgomery Klash Written by RACHEL GALLAHER Photographed by DAVID PAPAZIAN WHO: Amanda Klash of Montgomery Klash

Interior Design, a high-end, full-service, residential interior design firm in Portland that offers custom textile work such as pillows, drapery and, monogramming.

Why is it important to use texture in a room?

AK: Texture is its own pattern. I think it makes just as great of an impact as say a zebra pattern or something really bright. It’s all about how things come together. Whatever’s on the floor is a huge element, whether it’s a rug or just wood floors. People tend to forget that it makes the biggest impact.

What kinds of fabrics and textiles do you gravitate toward?

AK: I really love linen and wool. We use a lot of linen in our work, both printed and plain, and we use Lapchi a lot, which is a custom rug company here in Portland.

What colors are you favoring right now?

AK: I think there is still an attraction toward warm tones in the orange or raspberry range. A lot of people are asking for pops of color because they are still in a very neutral palette. I always think it’s great to see color in a house, especially here in the Pacific Northwest where it can get very dark.

1111 S.W. Alder St., Portland, (503) 224-7797, montgomeryklash.com

38

GRAY ISSUE No. three

TM

seven seconds of your life in a book. flip•tog•ra•phy: dance, get funky, sign, or kiss your date in front of our camera for seven seconds. in two minutes, have a flipbook of your performance in-hand. fliptography is a great way to make an event or venue fun: our live flipbook booth turns a moment into a pocket-sized take-home book of awesome. you can even add a message or graphics on a custom cover. we can also convert your existing videos into flipbooks. let us make you the coolest kid in school: call 877-4-FLIPTO today.

503.935.5340 206.494.5358 twitter: @goflipto facebook.com/fliptography gray@fliptography.net BHS_Gray_Mar12_Baldwin.pdf

3/9/2012

12:41:32 PM

GRAY ISSUE No. three

39

Q.

ask

I’d love guidance on buying bedside lamps that sit on a nightstand and can be used for reading. Any tricks of the trade for getting just the right height?

ES: Although there is not a “right” answer to this question, there are some factors that will help you decide what height lamp is the best for you. If your nightstand is about level with the top of your mattress (usually between 24 inches and 30 inches tall), then a lamp of 26 inches to 32 inches tall will give ample light for reading. Following this scenario, shorter contemporary nightstands would naturally require a taller lamp. You might keep in mind that darker lamp shades tend to direct the light downward, thus limiting the distance the lumens dispersed by your lamp can reach.

1. Lace citron pillow, $129 at Room & Board, roomandboard. com. 2. Currey & Company 6074 Artois table lamp, available at Bella Casa, Portland, bellacasa.net.

dear designer 1

2

Q. I enjoy decorating with found objects from the garden—white

birch branches, birdhouses, nests, cones, and so on. What is the best way to display them without making it feel or look like clutter?

AP: I have a friend who purchased many interestingly shaped objects from Goodwill and painted them all the same color. In her case, she chose white because she was filling shelves in a long, dark hall. The same solution works for found objects from outside. A monochromatic vignette is the way to go because it emphasizes the organic (nest) or ubiquitous (birdhouse) forms found in a garden in a contemporary way that removes any trace of kitsch.

Q.

I love deep jewel tones but find them too dark to heavily decorate with in the Pacific Northwest. Do you have any suggestions for creating a bright yet saturated palette for an entertaining space?

MC: With the color-cautious, big design risks can be frightening. You can integrate bold colors into a room by adding accessories one at a time, until a level of color saturation makes you happy. I suggest accessories that aren’t too expensive so that you don’t feel pressured to live with them forever. Room & Board offers mohair lumbar pillows in saturated colors, and West Elm has patterned Moroccan area rugs. I also love to shop Driscoll Robbins’ close-out section for amazing designer area rugs. Have fun and switch it up often!

40

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Got a question?

Send us your interior design, architecture, landscape, or product questions. It could appear in print and be answered by a panel of design experts.

Email: info@ graymag.net

MEET OUR DESIGN EXPERTS Martina Clymer has been a residential interior designer for 13 years. She designs both mid-level and high-end projects and believes that good design is not a luxury in life but rather a requirement.

Her firm, Design Stage, offers full-service interior design, design coaching, and contemporary staging services for all budgets.

Design Stage, (206) 8299049, design-stage.com Eileen Schoener is an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers, the National Kitchen & Bath Association, and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. She provides full-service interior design and quality products through her Eileen Schoener Design, Inc. showroom in Bellevue.

Eileen Schoener Design, Inc., (425) 450-9055, esddesign.com April Pride is an established creative in the home interiors market with degrees from the University of Virginia and the Parsons School of Design. Her innovative kaarskoker line of decorative candle sleeves has been featured in a variety of national magazines and blogs. As creative director of eastern goods, she curates, markets, and retails an estate of antiques and vintage goods. April Pride Creative, (877) 272-4042, aprilpride.com

™

ngised tsewhtron cifiacp :ENIZAGAM

A reflection of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant design scene.

Subscriptions available at: graymag.net GRAY ISSUE No. three

41

left to right:

Formerly the American Scandinavian Bank, the newly renovated Hotel Ballard now offers 16 rooms. Interior designer for the project, Debera Riggle, chose a neutral theme of black, white, and light blue to let the historic features, such as crown molding, speak for themselves.

O

Scandinavia Restored Written by Lindsey M. Roberts : Photographed by alex hayden

n the corner of Ballard Avenue and Vernon Place in Seattle,

one finds something a little different in Ballard, where in the late 19th century, fishermen from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland recreated a piece of Scandinavia. As part of that neighborhood, in 1902, the American Scandinavian Bank built one of the most expensive and prestigious buildings in the community at 5,000 square feet. But years later, the booming city of Seattle annexed Ballard and the bank was converted in the 1920s into an easily overlooked extended-stay hotel. Last year, about 110 years later and long after Ballard was known primarily for its hardworking fishing and boat-building men, new owners

42

GRAY ISSUE No. three

transformed the rundown building into a more-elegant version of its former self, called Hotel Ballard.

Owners of the nearby Olympic Athletic Club, Jim and Debera Riggle, purchased the building in December of 2010, and then Riggle spent six months working with general manager Mark Durall to restore the hotel and preserve its “Old World charm of Ballard,” Durall says. “Debera wanted a clean, vintage appearance.”

The City of Seattle supported the team’s desire to make improvements and continue to operate the building as a hotel. However, because the business district is a Historic Landmark District on the National Register of Historic Places, the team couldn’t change the structural design of the

renovate stats

what: hotel

ballard

where: 5300 Ballard Ave., Seattle details: Renovated historic boutique hotel offering 16 rooms with modern amenities, such as Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, down-feather comforters, 600-count sheets, and high-end mattresses GRAY ISSUE No. three

43

renovate 44

GRAY ISSUE No. three

building—including the floor plan, which features 12 rooms that share four bathrooms, and four rooms that have their own bathrooms. (“We have to be careful to explain that to everyone,” operations manager Sarah Sanders says. “It’s really not that bad.”) In fact, the floor plan accentuates that European experience that certain guests look for.

Riggle repainted and redecorated the interior, choosing a palette of blue, black, and neutrals. The blue choice came from the walls, which the team discovered during remodeling— all Riggle had to do was bring that soft blue shade back to its original vibrancy. She hardly touched the crown moldings and the wood flooring, beside touch-up paint and refinishing. But she did have to find new period-appropriate fixtures for the bathrooms, because the originals had been discarded, Durall says.

For modern touches, Riggle added Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and high-end mattresses, as well as black, baroque-looking hallway mirrors and black-and-white-patterned sofa fabric.

For furniture such as dressers, she scoured antique shops.

And in the lobby, she added a custom-made chandelier.

One of Durall’s favorite parts is the lobby’s ceiling medallion, restored to as-new condition, helping to create the “presence of early Ballard,” he says. But what the team couldn’t have designed is the clientele, which consists of the expected out-of-town guests visiting local homeowners, as well as international travelers. Seattle may have moved on to coffee, grunge, and computer software, but Ballard still stays anchored to faraway worlds.

Clockwise from top left: A handmade headboard and custommade bed linens based on photographs from the time period appoint one of the suites. Throughout, Riggle chose both modern pieces, such as baroque mirrors and wallpaper, that recall the building’s history, as well as period-appropriate touches, such as one of the chandeliers. For all the rooms, Riggle scoured local antique shops to find one-of-a-kind pieces that would maintain the feel of stepping back into a luxurious history.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

45

entertain

Vodka Daisy Serves 1

2 ounces vodka ½ lemon, juiced 1 tsp grenadine 1 tsp powdered sugar or simple syrup Cracked or crushed ice 1. Mix all ingredients except for the grenadine in a cocktail shaker.

2. Shake and strain into a chilled martini or cocktail glass.

3. Add the grenadine. It will sink to the bottom but turn the drink pink.

4. Garnish with a fresh berry or a stir stick.

7

Tablescape Tips from Heather

Sweet.

Heather Christo, Seattle-area chef and

entertainer extraordinaire, created a sweet tea party for a baby shower with seasonal blooms, mixed-and-matched china, and feminine touches.

The vintage, romantic mix translates perfectly into an airy spring tablescape for any occasion.

Written by HEATHER CHRISTO : Photographed by JOHN GRANEN

1. Use fresh spring blooms from your garden and complement with softer tones and creams to pick up on the natural colors.

2. Scour your local antique and vintage stores for teacups, saucers, hand-painted bowls, and pedestal plates. For a more direct approach, try Anthropologie for tremendous character at great prices.

3. Instead of matching, try various combinations of china so everything is different. Tie it all together with matching romantic touches and soft colors.

4. Play with height. I like feminine cake plates mixed in with tea cups and tea pots.

5. Cover the table with a pale pink silk fabric for the tablecloth and stick with crisp, white linen napkins.

6. Accent with gold and white to keep things soft and glamorous.

7. Serve a menu full of light and fresh foods that highlight the season’s bounty.

46

GRAY ISSUE No. three

GRAY ISSUE No. three

47

Luxury Livable Written by rachel gallaher Photographed by Roger Brooks

48

GRAY ISSUE No. three

feature All furniture in the living room was custom designed by Patricia Gray Inc. The round rug features a heather-gray hue that reflects two elegant damask-patterned wall hangings. A mirrored side table and glass lamp from The Cross punch up the glamour.

stats

who: Patricia

Gray Interior Design

what: Interior design details: Patricia Gray’s interiors are sophisticated and glamorous, with a signature touch of warmth. She has studied in Paris, Italy, Cambridge, and Berkeley, and has worked with clients around the world. Gray is also a certified feng shui practitioner.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

49

Interior designer

Patricia Gray

fills a Vancouver, B.C., home with personalized spaces for each member of the family

f

or working professionals with children, free time can be hard to find. So when a busy Vancouver, B.C., couple wanted to decorate their new home, they turned to interior designer Patricia Gray to help create livable spaces with an elegant flair.

“The husband is a physician and the wife is a lawyer, and they have two young daughters,” Gray says. “They have a large family and entertain a lot, so it was very important that I make the house friendly for their daughters and easy for the wife as far as entertaining goes.”

For entertaining, the wife wanted a glamorous look in public areas. In the living room, where the couple often hosts cocktail parties, Gray opted for light-colored custom furnishings to contrast with dark wood accents. Sumptuous dark-brown silk taffeta drapery serves as the perfect backdrop for any gettogether. The sofa and chairs in the living room are also custom designs by Gray and finished in off-white velour. Rather than anchoring the room with a typical coffee table, the designer chose to use two smaller tables so that they could be moved around easily to accommodate entertaining.

Adjacent to the living room is the formal dining area, where white-leather chairs with nailhead detailing and a large, dark wood dining table reflect the color palette in the adjoining room.

To enlarge the generous look of the dining area, Gray added a large mirror, which reflects the gorgeous Giogali light fixture made from hand-blown Murano glass by Vistosi, a true standout piece.

“The living room and dining room are like the little black dress,” Gray says, “and that chandelier is the perfect piece of jewelry to set it off.”

50

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Sleek, white-leather chairs create a seamless flow from the living room, while recessed lighting and a gold-leaf ceiling add a subtle layer of drama.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

51

52

GRAY ISSUE No. three

A yellow-and-green abstract painting hangs above a sofa in the living room, where a Jonathan Adler ceramic bowl sits on the custom ottoman. OPPOSITE: Personal pieces, such as a gold statue and crisp white coral, pump character into the library.

If the wife received her glamour in the living room, the husband got a dose of masculinity in his library. Gray said he wanted his own space as well—a place where he could relax with a book or escape with his friends while his wife chatted with hers. French doors from the living room lead into the space where a large bookcase lines one wall, and two brown-leather chairs provide comfortable, rustic seating. A landscape painting by Canadian artist David Edwards catches the brown color palette in the room, while infusing the space with calm blue tones.

In a second, less-formal living room and dining area, the focus was the family. Relaxed sofas flank a custom Patricia Gray Inc., faux-ostrich ottoman that was made large enough for the girls to spread out art projects. A TV above the fireplace allows for movie nights, and family photos adorn the walls. In the dining

nook, Philippe Starck Ghost chairs and a glass-topped table sit under a whimsical Ingo Maurer lamp with attached paper that allows family members to leave notes and drawings when inspiration strikes.

The true retreat is the aqua-accented master suite, which feels like a breath of fresh air. Luxurious white-velvet curtains and sky-blue paint help achieve the “fresh, light” look requested by the wife. Pops of aqua blue add visual depth, and a reclaimed vintage Louis chair was upholstered in white leather and painted silver for an updated feminine flair.

“This was such a fun project for me,” Gray says. “The most important thing is that people are comfortable and happy in their homes. If their spaces are designed for them, then their life becomes more fulfilled.”

GRAY ISSUE No. three

53

54

GRAY ISSUE No. three

A large custom mirror bordered in dark wood is perfect for morning dressing, while bright turquoise lamps from The Cross sit on either side of the bed. A painting above the bed by artist Karen Lorena Parker reflects both the dark and light hues of the room.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

55

feature

a garden narrative Written by DEBRA PRINZING : Photographed by alex hayden

56

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Landscape designer Scot Eckley breathes new life into a Mercer Island garden

Opposite: Landscape designer Scot Eckley widened the entry path so two can walk comfortably side by side. The approach is more welcoming because the pale golden granite plank walkway extends outward to the auto court. this page: Perennials and small evergreen shrubs add vivid color to the “champagne courtyard,� while water flows along a stainless-steel runnel into a carved stone slab.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

57

i

magine writing a short story to describe each destination in your landscape. That’s how landscape designer Scot Eckley of Seattle-based Scot Eckley, Inc., approached a project to renovate a mismatched series of patios, decks, and terraces surrounding his clients’ contemporary Mercer Island home.

The professional couple loved the seclusion their sunrise-facing property offered, but its outdoor spaces did nothing to lure them there. Tucked into a heavily wooded area, the home had initially received some interior renovations. By 2010, the owners turned their focus to the landscape, where more than 40 huge containers cluttered the grounds like paratroopers dropped

58

GRAY ISSUE No. three

from the sky. What the property—and its residents— needed was harmony and order.

Eckley suggested a master plan for the three-acre hillside property to work in tandem with the new driveway, auto court, garage, and guest quarters designed by Seattle architect Michael K. Gibson.

Eckley used elegant details to better define the outdoor living spaces and suggested low-maintenance ornamental shrubs and Northwest natives for the ravine, walking trails, and perimeter borders.

During the design process, Eckley and his clients “ended up giving names to all the different decks, corridors, and spaces,” he explains. At first this shorthand

stats

who: scot

eckley

what: Landscape design details: Scot Eckley, Inc., is a Seattle-based landscape design-build firm specializing in custom residential projects. Owner Scot Eckley is passionate about creating and building long-lasting, finely crafted gardens integrating plants, stone, water, and other distinct features. He brings a trained designer’s eye to the challenges and details of landscape construction.

Opposite: New materials and finishes, including dark-stained ironwood panels and the granite walkway, have a horizontal point of view, repeating the home’s similarly oriented lines. this page, from top: the updated and expanded “martini deck” has allweather Trex decking and contemporary planters of weathered steel; Scot Eckley, seated on a custom garden bench, unified all the otherwise disconnected spaces of his clients’ landscape.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

59

The updated “martini deck� functions as a fully furnished exterior living room, day and night, with stunning views of Lake Washington, the Cascades, and Mt. Rainier. Eckley specified Mamagreen outdoor furniture, including a sofa, two armchairs, and several ottomans. He added drum-style side tables and completed the space with a custom fire table.

This page and opposite: Eckley’s clients asked him to turn a sloped area below the “martini deck” into a dog-friendly landscape for their two rambunctious golden retrievers.

Called the “East terraces,” the dog run features easy-care faux turf and an on-demand water bowl. Eckley’s experience with detailed stonework is apparent in the low walls, the tops of which are planted with hardy succulents.

Over time, these resilient plants will cascade over the stone to give it a timeless feeling.

ensured that everyone was referring to the same place for planning purposes, but soon the labels morphed into charming descriptions of the emotional experience each offered.

Eckley reconfigured outdoor destinations to better relate to their corresponding indoor rooms—including a nowgracious entry garden, a sunken patio where a gentle rill of water streams from a stainless-steel channel into a granite receptacle (“champagne courtyard”) and a living room–sized deck with a fire table at its center (“martini deck”). Two upper decks became the “salsa garden,” where zesty edibles grow in pots, and the “San Diego deck,” a private place for husband and wife to relax.

Streamlined furnishings and impactful plantings relate one area to the next. Eckley specified nearly black, all-weather rattan furniture and worked with a custom fabricator to design a sleek black bench with a geometric cast-aluminum base for the home’s entry.

The plantings are mostly evergreen: soothing and un-fussy swaths of lily turf and Mt. Vernon laurel line the entry walk and draw the eye to a massive copper-hued vessel containing

62

GRAY ISSUE No. three

a sculptural Japanese stewartia tree. The water-facing deck has a beachy touch thanks to drifts of bronze carex, an ornamental grass with metallic hues. Two weathered-steel planters contain specimen-sized full-moon Japanese maple trees, which are up-lit at night.

A textural flower and foliage tapestry brightens the champagne courtyard, where raised stone and COR-TEN steel planters bring orange-red, dark pink, purple, yellow, and blue hues to eye level, in all four seasons. “It’s their special gemlike moment of color, energy, and beauty,” Eckley says.

Indeed, for his clients, the new landscape is a beneficent gift to celebrate their life together. Eckley and his crew completed the renovations just weeks before the owners were married last September—in an intimate, garden wedding. “We got married on the martini deck with the trees in the backdrop acting like a kind of natural chapel,” the wife says. “We couldn’t imagine a more magical location.”

Author Debra Prinzing is an outdoor living expert. She produces, writes, and speaks about architecture, interiors, gardens, and floral design. Her work can be viewed at debraprinzing.com.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

63

feature

stark

contrast

Interior designer Garrison Hullinger invests in a locale-inspired beach home of his very own Written by Lindsey M. Roberts : Photographed by blackstoneedge.com

64

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Train used to be the only way to get to Seaview, once known as the Hamptons of the West, interior designer Garrison Hullinger says. This helped give him a vision of a small, quaint cottage, but the perfect place ended up being a 1957 one-level almost twice the size of what they wanted. Hullinger stripped the house of almost everything and then designed his beach home to subtly recall the nearby Long Beach, the town’s ’50s beach signs, and local cranberry bogs.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

65

66

GRAY ISSUE No. three

The durability and flexibility of the house starts with the granite countertops and drills down to the upholstery. Hullinger chose durable fabrics in the living room and den that could withstand the greyhounds and sand from the beach. It’s about “being sensible about your design,” he says. He also attached the cushions to the chairs and sofas and minimized throw pillows so that he wouldn’t have to fluff them. His firm custom-made the sofa and chairs, and he found the bronze drum tables at Bravado Home in Portland.

O

n holiday weekends,Garrison Hullinger walks out of his 1909

earth-toned Craftsman house in Portland, drives 114 miles to Washington, and walks into his 1957 seafoam-green ranch-style house in Seaview.

Hullinger and his partner J Jones knew that such a stark contrast in style and locale would inspire the different lifestyle that they wanted on weekends and vacations. “I wanted a house that we felt like could be a totally different appeal,” he says.

They each spend long hours at their respective businesses—Hullinger as owner of Garrison Hullinger Interior Design and Jones as an IT project manager. And when they’re home, they spend much of their free time rescuing greyhounds. “Our lives are kind of based around them,” Hullinger says. “Besides work. We always have work.”

In 2010, they bought and remodeled the 1,700-square-foot

Seaview house. Now when they open the doors after the two-hour drive, they are enfolded by the calming, saturated, soft-green color on the walls that extend from the entry and eating area to the kitchen. A large sign over the beach entrance to the town of Seaview inspired the shade. “Can you imagine what this sign was like in the ’50s? Man, I bet that was a glorious seafoam green when it was first painted,” Hullinger recalls telling J. The renovated house—nicknamed the SeaHound Ranch— also greets the holiday-goers with a well-organized space fitted with high-quality, minimal-fuss furnishings, such as the strand bamboo flooring throughout and Hullinger’s GRAY ISSUE No. three

67

68

GRAY ISSUE No. three

favorite Godfrey Hirst wool carpet in the den. Newly painted cabinets and stainless-steel, restaurant-grade shelves provide storage in the kitchen. A durable granite slab that stretches from kitchen cabinets to the dining room creates a workspace for easy telecommuting when Hullinger and Jones want to stay a day or two longer.

Hullinger wanted to create a durable yet luxurious feel in line with his theory about second homes: One should choose higher-quality materials and furnishings for weekend homes so as not to deal with maintenance issues while on vacation. “You want to step it up sometimes if you don’t want to deal with problems,” he says. “I thought, what’s it going to feel like in the summer if I’m barefoot? What’s it going to feel like in winter?” Even the plants are low-maintenance; the terrarium only needs a few ice cubes every now and then.

Part of creating that luxe feeling was Hullinger the interior designer getting to be Hullinger the client. He relished the chance to use the high-quality materials that he often recommends to his clients. The master bathroom, for example, is tiled in 12-inch-by-12-inch basalt tile and installed with a high-grade thermostatic shower that allows for a high water temperature. In the ceiling, Hullinger installed a solar tube to flood the shower with natural light, one of his “favorite tricks” for his clients’ homes.

Hullinger balanced the high-end with the nature-inspired, rustic touch. In the guest bedroom, he left a wooden wall intact as a nod to driftwood one might find on the 22 miles of Long Beach. He discovered the wall when stripping the house of chipboard, and thinks that it was made of parts of an old barn or garage. He filled it with a soy treatment, buffed it with a cream, and sealed it.

The first wood wall inspired Hullinger to do another like it in the den. At the end of the project, he took all of the wood that was either torn out during renovation or leftover from rebuilding and created a vertical stacked wall, “the way a construction site would have driftwood … all washed up,” he says. His carpenter toe-nailed it 14 feet up to the sleeping loft.

In addition to the seafoam green and shades of driftwood in the house, Hullinger added a cranberry accent in the guest bedroom. The tart red is found on the nightstands, shams, and plant pots. This color was also inspired by the local surroundings, as cranberries have been farmed in bogs in southwest Washington for more than 100 years.

And as a final accent on this pair’s quiet getaway, spots of metallic silver—from the stainless-steel banding on the fireplace to the George Kovacks lamps in the guest bedroom— are like soda cans rubbed shiny from the pounding surf in the distance of this serene getaway.

In his second home in Seaview, Washington, Hullinger chose a palette inspired by the splashy colors of the natural surroundings, from the browns of the beach driftwood to the seafoam green of a local road sign.

As an added benefit, the painted green walls of the kitchen and dining room make the neutral furnishings pop.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

69

Hullinger the interior designer became his own client for this project, which gave him a chance to use and enjoy in his own home the décor and art that he most often uses for client homes.

In the guest bedroom, a light by George Kovacs and framed photography from Bruce Wade Gallery in Ilwaco, Washington, add the final touches to a palette inspired by Oregon’s cranberry bogs. “I wanted to bring a little bit of the vibe of the midcentury home in, but not be too literal,” Hullinger says. “Same with the beach—I didn’t want it to be seagulls and ships.”

70

GRAY ISSUE No. three

stats

who: Garrison

Hullinger Interior Design

what: Interior design details: Fun things happen when Garrison Hullinger brings his love of colors and textures to his clients’ projects: red-and-orange plaid chairs meet gray, graphic wallpaper, and brass nailheads punctuate a traditional kitchen’s backsplash. The Portland interior designer, and his two associate and one junior designers, offer all levels of design guidance.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

71

Creating a Market Written by Lindsey M. Roberts

Niels Bendtsen makes furniture design look easy. He spends half his days sketching out new ideas and uses his store, Inform Interiors in Vancouver, B.C., to test new things.

His minimalist bookshelves, coffee tables, and sofas even have that simple, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that quality. (“I’m not the outrageous designer that makes the big splashes,” he says.)

It’s likely that this sense of ease is exactly what makes his furniture internationally successful. Like the Meryl Streep of furniture, Bendtsen designs pieces that can be everything to everyone—fitting in with midmod, Craftsman, traditional—and wins awards while doing it. The Museum of Modern Art picked up his canvas-and-steel Ribbon Chair in 1975, Design Within Reach started selling his designs in the late’90s, and the British Columbia Achievement Foundation gave him its Creative Achievement Award of Distinction in 2006. Last year, he also designed his first piece for Poliform: the Tokyo

Chair, an elegant cross between Japanese style and Scandinavian lines made of oak.

It all may look easy to us, but the 68-year-old Bendtsen has been perfecting his business since his youth.

As a child, Bendtsen emigrated from Denmark to Canada, where he apprenticed for his cabinet-maker father. When he was 20, he started a retail store, Danet Interiors, to sell his father’s Scandinavian furniture designs as well as imported pieces. But frustrated with the quality of the imports in his 30s, he gave it all up to go to Europe and design goods for other factories. In 1981, he came back to Vancouver and established a retailand-manufacturing entity, naming it Inform Interiors Vancouver—which sprouted Seattle’s Inform Interiors in 2002. He later moved the manufacturing to BENSEN in 2000.

“We seem to have gotten a bit of a following in the Northwest,” Bendtsen says. He wishes that a similar following would catch on in North America, not just for his pieces but for well-designed furniture as a whole. But “our store in itself is education,” he says. “A lot of people that are buying from us are educated, well-traveled people. That’s what’s needed to rub off onto the next generation.”

In order to design well-made furniture, Bendtsen knew he had to control the manufacturing as well as the design process—which, together, form a design group called BENSEN. In 2010, he launched BENSEN Italy.

Bendtsen’s favorite designs are “what I’m working on tomorrow,” he says. “Sometimes, it takes a long time to get things right, but then the minute you get it right, it’s on to the next one.”

A new sofa called Edward with tufted seat cushions is currently selling well, in addition to Brix, a modular, stackingdrawer system: “a practical product that can be used in a lot of places.”

bend 72

GRAY ISSUE No. three

who

niels

dtsen GRAY ISSUE No. three

73

architecture

The Wind in the

Meadow

A modern wine-tasting room fits right into its organic vineyard surroundings Written by Brooke Burris : Photographed by david Papazian

stats

who: Winderlea Vineyard

and Winery

what: Luxury boutique winery

74

GRAY ISSUE No. three

details: Winderlea specializes in the limited production of elegant, sensuous, age-worthy wines. The tasting room was designed and built by Ernest R. Munch Architect Urban Planner and R&H Construction.

W

hen Boston transplants Bill Sweat and Donna Morris started a winery in 2006, they decided to focus on the beauty of the Willamette Valley. They named their venture Winderlea, a loose German translation meaning “the wind in the meadow,” and began crafting chardonnays and pinot noirs in Dundee, Oregon.

On their 20-acre vineyard, they chose a spot for their tasting room that feels as if you are “floating above the vineyard” with expansive views of the terrain. The original vision was “essentially a glass cube with a roof,” inspired by an Austrian winery that Sweat and Morris discovered while researching design ideas. The duo hired Portland-area LEED-certified architect Ernest Munch, and their vision was translated into reality with a Northwest twist—a mix of modern architecture with organic surroundings.

The 4,000-square-foot, two-story tasting room features photovoltaic arrays to convert sunlight into electricity and a solar hot-water system that uses sunlight to heat water.

The large overhanging roof works to protect exterior walls from rain but still allows the sun to warm the concrete floor—made with fly ash, a recycled material generated from making steel—inside.

Sweat and Morris kept the color palette neutral with cream walls offset by gray Venetian plaster. The tasting bar features a walnut base with black granite, light-green glass, and a white Corian counter.

Sweat describes their tasting room as the pairing of a modern building with a 35-year-old vineyard. In wine terms, the clarity of the tasting room perfectly balances the texture and depth of the beautiful vineyard that surround it.

Owners Bill Sweat and Donna Morris let the terrain of their 20-acre vineyard choose the spot for the tasting room. They wanted it to seem like they were floating above the land.

Expanses of windows allow natural light to flood in, adding to the airy feel.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

75

emerge

out of the

ordinary Written by Hillary Rielly : Portrait by david papazian

When summing up Andee Hess, the Portland interior designer behind Osmose, you can say a lot of things. She’s humorous, energetic, vibrant, and smart as a whip. With a bottomless well of ideas and a healthy sense of exploration, she’s rightfully registering on many a design radar.

Hess got her start 10 years ago at Portland’s Skylab Architecture, where she was the interiors director. Six years ago, she decided to open her own practice. The move has paid off and then some.

Her work continually puts her out on a limb, but the results never come off as trying too hard or being outlandish just for the sake of it.

“I’ve got some pretty crazy ideas but have also executed a wide range of work from minimalist restraint to boisterous modernism, so I know where the right balance is,” Hess explains.

Concept, research, and client input all support the end results.

She enjoys creating custom pieces for each space, and this leads to even better results.

Her custom lighting creations are often standouts in her designs. “An environment dies without the right lighting—it’s such a crucial aspect of finalizing effect and mood,” Hess says. “Fixture pricing can often be a budget issue, so I always jump at the chance to design an affordable custom piece that is project specific.”

And if you’re wondering just how unique Hess’ ideas are, here are the details about one of her upcoming projects: “Right now I am working on a den environment for an office here in Portland. It’s going to be a bright, cave-like war room that will exist as a space within a space and functionally allow them to conference and hold working sessions.”

Definitely not ordinary.

Hess’ array of work is a study in bold moves and quiet restraint. She works with her clients to create custom design solutions for each space, working magic in both visual appeal and functionality. photographs courtesy Osmose.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

77

resources

Alicia Interiors (pg 12) Port Angeles, WA (360) 452-0800 aliciainteriors.com

Bruce Wade Gallery (pg 70) 223 Howerton Way Ilwaco, WA 98624 (360) 642-2291

AM-Living (pg 64) am-living.com

Builders’ Hardware & Supply Company, Inc. (pg 39) 1516 15th Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 281-3700 builders-hardware.com

Amy Sacks Eyewear and Accessories (pg 32) 1532 S.W. Morrison, Ste. 1000 Portland, OR 97205 (877) 274-0410 amysacks.com April Pride Creative (pg 40) Seattle, WA (877) 272-4042 aprilpride.com Architecture Building Culture (pg 79) Vancouver, B.C. (503) 208-6515 architecture-bc.com Artemisia (pg 64) 110 S.E. 28th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (503) 232-8224 collagewithnature.com BAKU Contemporary (pg 3) (253) 265-3921 bakucontemporary.com Bella Casa (pg 40) 223 N.W. Ninth Ave. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 222-5337 bellacasa.net BENSEN (pg 72) 405 Railway St. Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1A7 bensen.ca BETA5 Chocolates (pg 16) 413 Industrial Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2P8 (604) 669-3336 beta5chocolates.com Blackbird Home & Apothecary (pg 82) 5465 Leary Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 297-6093 blackbirdballard.com BoConcept (pg 10) boconcept.com Bravado Home & Design (pg 67) 536 N.W. 14th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 224-0555 bravadohome.com

78

GRAY ISSUE No. three

1038 116th Ave. N.E., Suite 310 Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 679-5115 builders-hardware.com Castanes Architects (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 441-0200 castanes.com CB2 (pg 64) cb2.com Clayhaus (pg 10) Portland, OR (503) 928-3076 clayhausceramics.com Colin Campbell (pg 10) 494 Railway St., Vancouver, B.C. 604-734-2758 colcam.com The Cross Decor & Design (pg 54) 1198 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2X6 (604) 689-2900 thecrossdesign.com Currey & Company (pg 40) curreycodealers.com David Edwards (pg 48) Montreal, Quebec davidedwards.ca Design House (pg 82) 852 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2W2 (604) 681-2800 designhouse.ca Design Stage (pg 26, 40) Seattle, WA (206) 829-9049 design-stage.com Dimitri Kourouniotis (pg 64) dolmas.com Dylan Neuwirth (pg 30) Seattle, WA dylanneuwirth.com

Eidem’s Custom Upholstery (pg 42) 5422 Ballard Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 783-1519 eidemcustomupholstery.com

Glacier Window & Door, Inc. (inside back cover) 1229 S.E. Grand Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (503) 408-8838 glacierwindow.com

Eileen Schoener Design, Inc. (pg 40) 12515 Bel-Red Road, Ste. 101 Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 450-9055 esddesign.com

GR Home (pg 12) 4520 Union Bay Pl. N.E. Seattle, WA 98105

Ellen Markoff (pg 64) mesart.com

Hensel Design Studio (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 728-1657 henseldesignstudios.com

Ellentuck Interiors (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 322-3367 ellentuckinteriors.com Ernest R. Munch Architect Urban Planner, LLC (pg 74) Portland, OR (503) 224-1282 www.ermunch.com EWF Modern (pg 26) 1122 N.W. Gilsan St. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 295-7336 ewfmodern.com Faith Sheridan Design Group (pg 28) Seattle, WA (206) 973-3743 faithsheridan.com {Far4} (pg 18) 1020 First Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 621-8831 far4.net Finne Architects (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 467-2880 finne.com Fliptography (pg 39) (877) 435-4786 fliptography.net Garrison Hullinger Interior Design (pg 64) Portland, OR (971) 255-0326 garrisonhullinger.com Gelotte Hommas Architecture (pg 6, 11) Bellevue, WA (425) 828-3081 gelottehommas.com seattlearchitect.thenew hive.com/arc-i-tek Geralynne Mitschke Design (pg 12) Delta, B.C. 604.710.9237 geralynnemitschkedesign.com

Heather Christo (pg 46) heatherchristo.com

Hip (pg 15) 1829 N.W. 25th Ave. Portland, OR 97210 (503) 225-5017 ubhip.com Hotel Ballard (pg 42) 5300 Ballard Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 789-5011 hotelballard.com Howard Elliott (pg 64) howardelliott.com Hudson Goods (pg 64) hudsongoods.com Inform Interiors (pg 17, 72, 82) 50 Water St. Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1A4 (604) 682-3868 informinteriors.com 2032 Eighth Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 622-1608 informseattle.com Ingo Maurer (pg 53) ingo-maurer.com Jennifer Ament Art (pg 20, 29) Seattle, WA (206) 225-9107 store.jenniferament.com The Joinery (pg 16) 4804 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.

Portland, OR 97206 (503) 788-8547 thejoinery.com Jonathan Adler (pg 48) jonathanadler.com Jonathan Quinn Barnett Ltd. (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 322-2152 jqbltd.com

concept stats

who: Architecture

Building Culture (ABC)

what: Architecture details: The firm tackles a wide range of projects, including residential, commercial, civic, and cultural structures. With a deep commitment to collaboration, ABC works closely with its clients to produce projects that are meaningful and engaging for both the client and the community at large.

Built on Community Written by RACHEL GALLAHER

Last year Brian Cavanaugh and Mark Ritchie of Vancouver, B.C., and

Portland’s Architecture Building Culture found themselves designing a new conference center for the Jewish cultural organization, Lubavitch Foundation of British Columbia. The architects worked closely with the center’s rabbi to learn more about the center’s activities and orthodox traditions, and added modern touches to bridge the gap between past and present.

The architects’ work on the community center, (areas they designed are slated to open late this spring), included the massive 5,963-square-foot renovation within a nondescript office building constructed in the late ’90s. Clean, simple lines and an abstract grid ceiling give the new reception hall an open, modern feeling, while traditional hand-washing stations fabricated with limestone are both functional and sculptural.

Cavanaugh and Ritchie also designed the mikvah—a religious bathing pool and facility that has a long and sacred history. The architects researched ancient mikvahs in Israel and found that they were always made of stone, so they decided to stick with the tradition but added a regional injection with details in Douglas fir.

“The project was challenging but important,” Ritchie explains. “We really were helping [the Lubavitch Center] design an interface with the surrounding community.”

GRAY ISSUE No. three

79

resources

JPC Architects (pg 12) Bellevue, WA (425) 641-9200 jpcarchitects.com

Morgan’s Electrical and Plumbing, Kitchen and Design (pg 42) morgansplumbing.com

Karen Lorena Parker (pg 54) Vancouver, B.C. (604) 724-4494 karenlorenaparker.com

Museum of Contemporary Craft (pg 10) 724 N.W. Davis St. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 223-2654 mocc.pnca.edu

Kravet (pg 64) kravet.com Ladies & Gentlemen Studio (pg 18) Seattle, WA ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com Lubavitch Foundation of British Columbia (pg 79) lubavitchbc.com Maison Inc. (pg 33) 1611 N.W. Northrup Portland, OR (503) 295-0151 maisoninc.com Masins Fine Furnishings & Interior Design (back cover) 10708 Main St. Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 450-9999 masins.com Mallet Incorporated (pg 20) Seattle, WA (206) 767-1875 malletinc.com Mamagreen (pg 60) mamagreen.be Michael K. Gibson PS (pg 56) Seattle, WA (206) 522-1705 architecturegroup.com Mill End Store (pg 64) 9701 S.E. McLoughlin Blvd.

Portland, OR 97222 (503) 786-1234 millendstore.com MINT Interiors (pg 36) 1805 Fir St. Vancouver, B.C. V6J 3A9 (604) 568-3430 shop.mintinteriors.ca Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (inside front cover) 1106 W. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 972-5000 mgbwhome.com Montgomery Klash (pg 38) 1111 S.W. Alder St. Portland, OR 97205 (503) 224-7797 montgomeryklash.com

80

GRAY ISSUE No. three

NKBA (pg 6, 13) nkbapugetsound.org greatkitchenandbathtour.org Nology Media (pg 35) Seattle, WA (877) 665-6499 nologymedia.com Northwest Woodworkers’ Gallery (pg 12) 2111 First Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 nwfinewoodworking.com NuBe Green (pg 18) 921 E. Pine St. Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 402-4515 shop.nubegreen.com Olson Kundig Architects (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 624-5670 olsonkundigarchitects.com Osmose (Cover, pg 76) Portland, OR (971) 226-9583 osmosedesign.com p:ear (pg 12) 338 N.W. 6th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 228-6677 pearmentor.org Pacific Galleries (pg 42) 241 S. Lander St. Seattle, WA 98134 (206) 292-3999 pacgal.com Patricia Gray Inc. (pg 48) Vancouver, B.C. patriciagrayinc.com Peridot Decorative Homewear (pg 82) 1512 W. 14th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V6J 2B9 (604) 736-4499 peridot.ca Philippe Starck (pg 53) starck.com The Picket Fence (pg 7) Sun Valley, ID (866) 944-5511 thepicketfence.com

PUNCH Gallery (pg 30) 119 Prefontaine Pl. S. Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 621-1945 punchgallery.org

Stand Up Comedy (pg 14) 811 E. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97214 (503) 233-3382 shopstandingup.com

R&H Construction (pg 74) Portland and Bend, OR (503) 228-7177 and (541) 312-2961 rhconst.com

Susan Mills Showroom (pg 16) 5701 Sixth Ave. S., Ste. A200 Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 682-6388 susanmills.com

Relish (pg 82) 1715 N.W. Lovejoy St. Portland, OR 97209 (503) 227-3779 shoprelish.com Revival Home & Garden (pg 20) Seattle, WA (206) 763-3886 revivalhomeandgarden.com Robert Abbey, Inc. (pg 64) robertabbey.biz Room & Board (pg 40) roomandboard.com Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. (pg 82) 2181 N.W. Nicolai St. Portland, OR 97210 (503) 230-7113 schoolhouseelectric.com Scot Eckley, Inc. (pg 56) Seattle, WA (206) 526-1926 scoteckley.com Seattle Design Center (pg 12) 5701 Sixth Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 762-1200 seattledesigncenter.com

Tami Jones Interior Design (pg 12) Fall City, WA (425) 260-1337 tamijonesinteriordesign.com Terris Draheim (pg 9) 5600 Sixth Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 763-4100 terrisdraheim.com Vistosi (pg 48) vistosi.it Weber Thompson (pg 12) Seattle, WA (206) 344-5700 weberthompson.com West Elm (pg 64) westelm.com Williams-Sonoma Home (pg 64) williams-sonoma.com Winderlea Vineyard and Winery (pg 74) 8905 N.E. Worden Hill Road Dundee, OR 97115 (503) 554-5900 winderlea.com

Seattle Design Foundation (pg 81) Seattle, WA seattledesignfoundation.com

Windows, Doors & More (inside back cover) 5961 Corson Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 782-1011 windowshowroom.com

Seattle Lighting (pg 42) seattlelighting.com

Wisteria (pg 64) wisteria.com

SieMatic (pg 19) 2030 First Ave., Ste. 110 Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 443-8620 siematic-seattle.com Sound Glass (inside back cover) 5501 75th St. W. Tacoma, WA 98499 (253) 473-7477 soundglass.com

interview Late last year, Erin Gainey (left), and Amber Murray (right), decided to raise money and mentors for the Pacific Northwest’s growing community of designers and started the Seattle Design Foundation, with a first fundraising auction in January.

Courtesy Seattle Design Foundation

Seattle Design Foundation Written by Lindsey M. Roberts : Portrait by kyle johnson

recent recession years The

seem to have lit a fire under the seats of design talents in the Northwest—from the JOIN Design Seattle collective that has shown at NYIGF to the growing number of independent studios and boutiques in the area. Now architect and product designer Amber Murray and event-planner Erin Gainey want to see this flame grow into a bonfire. Last December, the two started the Seattle Design Foundation to find money and mentors for emerging designers. We quenched our curiosity with all the red-hot details:

Why does Seattle need a foundation like this right now?

AM: It’s a really great time to be a designer in Seattle, but it’s at this transition. We asked ourselves if there’s anything we can do to facilitate that.

Maybe it’s a connection for a designer or just a couple thousand dollars.

What is your long-term vision for grant giving?

AM: We want to give grants every six months. Even though we’re not able to reach every emerging designer, we’re highlighting that there’s a big design community here.

EG: For people who aren’t able to give, we’ll bring [them] in as mentors or board members. … And we’re going to focus on holding two big fundraising events per year, right around the time we give the grants.

Your first is the Ladies Design Grant. What others will you give?

AM: Maybe it’s film, maybe it’s some sort of technology. We did the Ladies Grant because there are a lot of very talented women designers in Seattle that are working really hard.

EG: And as the foundation grows, whomever we give a grant to, we’re hopefully going to be able to secure

them to be on our board after they’ve completed said grant work to provide guidance to future grantees.

Why do you think we’re seeing the design scene thrive right now?

AM: I don’t know exactly what happened, but … when I have a photo shoot, I know I can call Charlie Shuck and Kyle Johnson and they’ll be down for the cause. If I’m interested in branding, I can call Strath Shepard at Pacific Standard. Jane Iacoli is one of the leaders of JOIN, and making that push to connect to New York has been really important. People have been fighting to think of Seattle in a different way.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

81

Left to right: Evan Metal Chair,

zodiac

$630 at Blackbird Home & Apothecary, Seattle, blackbird ballard.com. ❈ Marimekko Praliini upholstery fabric, $79 per yard at Relish, Portland, shoprelish.com. ❈ Lafitte pendant, $225 (CAD) at Peridot Decorative Homewear, Vancouver, B.C., peridot.ca.

Aries March 21–April 20

Assertive, Confident, Courageous

Aries’ ram and Taurus’ bull share strong characteristics, so it’s no surprise that bold design statements are the obvious choice for each. It may be difficult to predict the next big trend, but why lock horns?

Great style is always in the cards.

Clockwise from top:

Taurus April 21–May 20

Reliable, Warmhearted, Determined

82

GRAY ISSUE No. three

Wedgwood End Table, $995 at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., Portland, schoolhouse electric.com. ❈ Blu Dot Stilt table lamp, $239 (CAD) at Design House, Vancouver, B.C., design house.ca. ❈ Moroso Fjord footstool

by Patricia Urquiola, available at Inform Interiors, Seattle, informseattle.com.

Loewen Window Center of the South Sound 5501 75th Street West Tacoma, WA 98499 253-473-7477 sales@soundglass.com www.SoundGlass.com

Loewen Window Centre of Portland 1229 SE Grand Avenue Portland, OR 97214 503-408-8838 sales@glacierwindow.com www.glacierwindow.com

Loewen Window Center of Seattle 5961 Corson Avenue South Suite #100 Seattle, WA 98108 206-782-1011 www.lwcseattle.com www.windowshowroom.com Project: Waterfront

Architect: McClellan Architects

Builder: Jergens Construction Company

For luxury homeowners — and the architects, designers and custom builders who create their dreams — Loewen is the brand that delivers an unrivaled combination of artisanship, experience, and environmental sensibility in an extensive line of Douglas Fir, FSC Douglas Fir and Mahogany windows and doors.

Contact the Loewen Window Center in your area to begin the experience.

Discover the world’s most inspiring windows and doors at www.loewen.com

Design. Create. Inspire.

GRAY ISSUE No. three

83

Aireloom Baker Councill Dedon Guy Chaddock Hancock & Moore Henkel Harris Hickory Chair Stickley

Design solutions unique to you and your home.

CONTEMPORARY + TRADITIONAL FURNITURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN 10708 Main Street, Bellevue, WA | 425.450.9999 www.masins.com

84

GRAY ISSUE

. three

No