home + design
Home Sweet Home
An interior designer turns a small Portland condo into a personal haven
Christopher Dibble
written by Melissa Dalton
Kristen Siefkin created a gallery wall with her favorite pieces of art.
KRISTEN SIEFKIN IS no stranger to reinvention. The Portland-based interior designer first became intrigued with her field while working as a public relations professional for McMenamins Hotels, Pubs and Breweries in the late ’90s. “Design had never really been on my radar,” Siefkin said. “I always hear designers say, ‘I grew up rearranging my family’s living room,’ and that was never me. I learned about design from Mike McMenamin, who was obsessed with the details and history and creating layers and creating spaces that people talk about.” After that unofficial introduction, Siefkin studied the topic formally at the Heritage School of Interior Design and swapped her PR career in 2015 to start her own firm, Interior Design Alchemy. In the interim years, she cultivated her passion for design via her own home renovations, designing four houses over 34 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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ten years, and experimenting with several different styles in the process, from a traditional Tudor and Craftsman to a contemporary LEED-certified abode. “I had the opportunity to test my mettle with all of these different aesthetic styles,” Siefkin said. Then a 2017 divorce led her to a condo in the Pearl District and her newest design challenge—personalizing a small space without much innate architectural character. During her real estate search, she saw “a lot of places without a lot of moxie,” Siefkin said. She chose the best of the bunch—a one-bedroom unit that juxtaposes large windows and hardwood floors with an industrial-tinged concrete ceiling and exposed ductwork. “While I can create my own space with my things, I think having an interesting canvas to start with is even better,” Siefkin said. Here’s how she applied her design philosophy to her new home.
