A decade of home.
This is my favorite "Home" issue, ever. The reason being, it feels like a love letter to anyone who has ever purchased a home, rented, been a landlord, is saving up, or is currently in the process of anything home related. Being an unofficial homebody, I love how many moving parts there are to owning a home. Insurance, furniture, real estate agents, the right lamp, the right placement of said lamp—it's all just a jigsaw puzzle of adventure, chasing that feeling of belonging and safety. It is, undoubtedly, our nest from which we fly and hope to return to each and every day.
This year is a biggie. My 10-year anniversary in my first home. I recall those early days of house hunting so clearly—the emotional leap of my heartbeat when we pulled down our driveway for the first time. This is it. We just knew. It's been 10 years since we moseyed through our home, seeing all the wall space and natural light, and imagining what those walls would witness over the decade to come. It's been our labor of love. We've built and painted shutters, painted and repainted walls, dug and dug and dug post hole after post hole for fencing. We built a barn with our own hands, and had our wedding reception in it after being married in the front yard. We've buried a few beloved animals and witnessed many miraculous births. And then, most monumentally, we brought our two sons home almost four years apart. They have made rooms come alive, flooded our little place with brightly colored toys, and littered our floors with drawings and paint drips, dirt, and sticky stuff. The past 10 years have been a masterpiece with home at its core.
Wherever you are in your home journey, I hope this issue lends inspiration, guidance, and the opportunity to reflect on and pursue new memories. Whether it's pulling everything out of a room that's been lived in for multiple decades and breathing fresh new life into it, or maybe making a move that's backed by knowledge and passion, let these pages fill you with courage.
CHELSEA LYN AGRO, EDITOR @MVLMAGAZINE
March 2025
PUBLISHER
Mike Tucker | MTucker@CityLifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Amanda Tucker | Amanda.Tucker@CityLifestyle.com
EDITOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Marla Huggins | Marla.Huggins@CityLifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Rick Szczechowski | RSzczechowski@Gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chelsea Lyn Agro, Marko Capoferri, Shelby Humphreys, Susie Wall
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT Erika Smiley
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell
20 - 70% off everything March 20th - 29th
inside the issue
Departments
Mountain Modern
Modory Home Furnishings offers heirloom quality items and local expertise.
Home, Where the Buffalo Roam
The Meadow Homes at the Resort at Paws Up is a summertime oasis for family.
Presenting a Harmonious Home
Missoula Staging defines a space to lend the opportunity for emotional connection for buyers and renters.
Modory Home Furnishings has a long-running history in Missoula built on relationships and quality products. Their rich textures, colors, and fabrics are time tested and proven. Read about their story on page 12. Photography: Rick Szczechowski
ARTICLE BY SUSIE WALL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
MOUNTAIN MODERN
Modory Home Furnishings offers heirloom quality items and local expertise
“We like to say we’re furnishing the new West,” says Lea, owner of Modory Home Furnishings and Amira Rug Gallery. She’s passionate about helping make a house a home, and her 4,000 square-foot showroom and design center offers everything you need to bring style and comfort to every room with furniture, rugs, wallpaper, and window treatments.
“I would define our design style as Scandinavian and mountain modern,” says Lea. “We specialize in clean lines, Europeanstyle looks, high-end fabrics and leather, and lots of color.”
Many people may not be aware that a furniture store has been in this location at 1121 W. Kent for decades operating first as Williams and Wegner before becoming Modory. Prior to purchasing Modory, Lea
owned Amira Rug Gallery in downtown Missoula. During that time, Amira and Modory shared many of the same clientele, and Lea worked closely with the previous owners of Modory, so it was a relatively seamless transition when she combined the two businesses in 2017.
Lea and her accredited staff offer free in-home design service, and nurture relationships with all their customers by first having a conversation to determine what each client is looking for in terms of furniture and design. They will then come to your home to help you pick out pieces and accents that match
what you already have, or start from a blank slate. They are also happy to work hand-in-hand with a designer of your choosing.
An important component of their process is working directly with furniture designers to help clients find the perfect piece. Lea is proud that the majority of their furnishings are made in the United States, as well as Canada and Europe, and that everything is of very high quality
“I call it heirloom quality. These are not disposable pieces that you throw away. They will last a long time,” says Lea. “Almost all of our fabrics are made from polyester or polyacrylic blend
“We don’t like to do anything the same. I like it when people have an eclectic sensibility so it’s not all contemporary. You can mix in things you’ve had all your life to balance styles. I think that makes it unique to the person.”
with a high rub count, which means it’s extremely durable because the Montana lifestyle is dirty. There’s lots of kids and dogs around and animals need to be able to get up on the furniture. We help people with pet emergencies all the time,” Lea laughs.
What’s on the floor of the showroom is just a small taste of what they offer. Choose from a staggering amount of rug samples and furniture that can be customized in a number of ways including color, fabric, trim, and size. “We probably have over 20,000 fabrics here to choose from,” says Lea. “It’s all customizable, but it’s really particular to the customer. We don’t like to do anything the same. I like it when people have an eclectic sensibility so it’s
not all contemporary. You can mix in things you’ve had all your life to balance styles. I think that makes it unique to the person.”
Lea has always loved art and colors, and has found a gift in matching colors. Her bachelor’s degree is in anthropology, which at first may seem a far cry from owning a home furnishings and design business, but Lea says, “I think anthropology actually ties into what I do now because it relates to artifacts. Furnishings and the things people have in their home are often what survives over time. Our rugs also play into anthropology because the symbols in them can be ancient.”
These one-of-a-kind rugs can be made to fit any room in terms of space, color, and shape. Their rugs are high-quality and hand-knotted, held together by a fluid weave, without the use of glue. “Hand-knotting is how rugs have been made for millennia,” Lea says. Window treatments and wallpaper also play an important role at Modory, and Lea loves helping customers choose
from their vast and varied inventory. “A lot of people have PTSD from ’80s wallpaper,” she laughs. “But we carry excellent wallpaper and the glues now are easy to remove. I really try to convert people to wallpaper, even for a little accent wall. It adds so much and it’s fun to just page through the samples. If you’re stressed out, just look through pages of wallpaper and fabrics. It’s so soothing. “
Lea and her team are honored to be a part of the Missoula community and hope to share that love of “home” with each and every customer. “People come here for something different,” she says. “We’re not a chain. This is a total Missoula store and it has been for over 25 years.” They have many long-term customers who know to come to Modory to find that perfect piece while working with people they have come to trust.
“It’s so important to really love where you live,” says Lea. “You want to feel like your home expresses who you are. That can be life-changing. It can make your mood better when you get home and feel like you’re in a place that’s specific to you. That makes it your home and your safe place in this crazy world that we live in. When it’s beautiful and soothing and expresses your personality, that’s the whole purpose of home.”
ARTICLE
BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO
| PHOTOGRAPHY
BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
Policies & Plans
JUSTIN
ROSS FROM TREASURE STATE INSURANCE CLUES US IN ON HOW INSURANCE CAN WORK FOR YOU OR HAVE YOU COVERED
Justin, what do you do at Treasure State Insurance?
We're a brokerage, so basically there's two types of agencies. There's captive and uncaptive. Captive agencies are going to be like your State Farm, your Farmers, where all they can do is offer you one or the other. Being us, as a brokerage, we're appointed with everybody else. We're appointed with over 15 carriers—we can shop the market. We would be your agent with whoever we place you with. We're not subject to one carrier, we have the ability to move clients around if need be.
Can you tell us how that process works? How are you working on behalf of your client?
One benefit that we have is we work hand-in-hand with all of our regional reps, our claims team. We are local agents so if somebody does have issues, whether it be rate increases or issues with the claim not being paid out fairly, we go to bat
"We would be your agent with whoever we place you with. We're not subject to one carrier, we have the ability to move clients around if need be."
for them. In being local agents we're able to do a lot between the clients and the carriers. You'll see a lot of our Google reviews are people praising what we've done for them and working with them to understand what their coverages are and what they should be and how we can use their coverages to pay them back properly when there's an issue.
Can you describe what your most common type of insurance plans are for clients?
We basically do everything but life and health. On the personal side, we're able to ensure anything from your home to autos, pet coverage, your recreational vehicles—boats, motor homes, trailers, campers. I'd say that's the majority of our business where maybe another 40% is commercial. Most businesses would have a general liability policy at least, where it just protects them from any lawsuit that may arise from the work they may perform, the services they're providing. We do a lot of policies for contractors and tradesmen, which seems to be popular around here. Up at the lake we're doing a lot of vacation homes, secondary homes, and recreational vehicles like your boats, jet skis, things like that.
You mentioned Flathead Lake and vacation or secondary homes. Can you shed some light on investment properties and what your company can offer someone if they're looking to get into some real estate venture?
I think the biggest thing that I would recommend is just making sure that you're getting the proper coverages because you could have a homeowner's policy, you could have a secondary homeowner's policy but if any of those properties are being rented out, there are changes that we need to make to note that there are people occupying the property that do not own or have any insurable value in that property, which brings on a lot larger liability risk. Short term rentals are much different than long term rentals as far as liability goes.
Do you have tips for someone who is a homeowner or anyone who has an investment in the home space?
Currently we're seeing a lot of price increases across the board. The biggest thing is just making sure that your home is accurately insured because since 2020, prices and reconstruction costs and materials have skyrocketed.
Us Handle Your Pain
HOME, WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM
The Meadow Homes at the Resort at Paws Up is a summertime oasis for family
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO
I had a newly minted 4-year-old and a fresh 8-week-old baby on my most recent trip to the Resort at Paws Up during the dog days of summer in 2024. My husband and I thought it'd be better to chase around a wild little boy and soothe the cries of our infant while tucked away in a home away
"Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to shake the dust loose on a traveler's soul."
from home, because sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to shake the dust loose on a traveler's soul.
It's not unusual for us to travel with young children. In fact, we hitched up our travel trailer in 2021 with our first son being just shy of 10 months old and traveled the country for over 40 days. While I love the comforts of home and the security of everything being at my fingertips, I also love the contagious spirit of adventure. Children who are brought along on trips from the very beginning of their lives pack a certain spontaneity that lends
the opportunity for rest and reset when you need it most.
The Meadow Homes beckon families. On the sprawling 37,000 acre property, the Meadow Homes are centrally located between The Village and the Wilderness Outpost. This treed setting gives way to a meadow that acts as a temporary summertime pasture for their large herd of horses. Paints, palominos, grays, and bays—they're a daytime dream of serenity. There was a hot tub, a wide deck, swivel chairs around a big coffee table, and board games lined the corner shelves. None of it
was ours and yet, here we were—at home. We drove to dinner at The Shed, a casual and seasonal outdoor eatery near the Wilderness Outpost, and devoured tacos and chips. There's something about fresh ingredients enjoyed in the warm evening air that invites one to stray from one's seat. I took a walk, taco in hand, baby in arm.
Back at the house there were quiet moments to be had. New games held attention. New rooms had hiding places. The floors were warm and the snacks were not what we were used to. Everything was sprinkled with excitement. And when energy was to be spent, a dirt road was rolled out before us.
Even the unexpected can happen over a long weekend away; a dinner on the Blackfoot River. An endless table took over the cow pasture, perfectly lined with flowers, and guests stood, sat, and gathered without phones in hand. Down by the river is where strangers become friends. The live band played and serenaded a fading sun. These moments, spent with my boys, surrounded by Montana's best natural setting, are etched in time and memory. It is exactly what a home away from home should feel like.
But every parent, especially of a newborn, knows that playtime isn't just for kids. Our older son spent half the day at Kid's Camp while Mom and Dad took turns getting lost in the woods. Chris, my husband, loves a good downhill mountain bike course. Their "Flow Trail" is ideal for a bit of adrenalin mixed with
"The live band played and serenaded a fading sun. These moments, spent with my boys, surrounded
by
Montana's best natural
setting,
are etched
in
time and memory. It is exactly what a home away from home should feel like."
too-good-to-pass-up sightseeing. And I, being a lifelong horseman, took to the arena where a handy wrangler helped me aboard one of the many mustangs that call Paws Up home. The horse trails meander down dirt roads, narrow and treed settings, and open meadows where the vistas offer such solace and replenishment. Biking and riding are only two of the many recreational activities one can sign up for upon booking their stay. Perhaps one of the best unforeseen parts of staying in one of the Meadow Homes is the walk to and from the Cook Shack. A short
drive there with your complimentary Lexus can rumble a baby fast asleep, and when it's nap time again after dinner, a long walk up the gradual hill back "home" is just right. I always rejoice in our parting breakfast right after checkout, sitting at Trough on the open air patio that overlooks The Yard. Yard games call all the littles (bigs, too!) to engage together and make friends. Parents can watch from the patio and look out at the herd of bison that take up residency right beyond the fence line. It is a summertime dream—an escape needing to be had.
Helping Patients Live Healthier Lives
REAL TALK ABOUT REAL ESTATE
"I actually was in the bottom of the Grand Canyon one time and I took a call."
Katie Ward is no stranger to hard work. It was so obvious to me, especially after we both chuckled about her level of devotion to this trade—the Grand Canyon, really?— that Katie is among a small percentage of professionals within the real estate industry who uses 25 years of invaluable experience to bend back the branches to get her
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
clients what they're after. Her background is business centric, and it all began when she was 18 years old.
"I was the downtown girl for the Missoulian. I remember I wore red shoes and I didn't even take a lunch break because I was having so much fun," says Katie. She enjoyed helping businesses through selling advertising. In her 20s, Katie opened up Sign Pro not only in Missoula but all across the country. "You know, they are only small for a little bit of
time, if they're hardworking," says Katie, speaking from her soft spot for small businesses. When she began her real estate journey in 1996, she dived right into finding these businesses storefronts and offices in and around the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys, and she was relentless at opening the right doors and calling the right people. “Having been a business person, I know the numbers behind a business, and so I do value businesses and I value any income property—I’m well-versed in that.”
"YOU JUST HAVE TO PICK UP ALL THE ROCKS TO FIND GOOD PROPERTIES FOR PEOPLE.”
Today is no different.
Katie picked up the phone on the right day when Yellowstone producer Charlie Skinner called her up in an effort to lock down some spaces to lease for all sorts of show related work—costume shops, producer's offices, interior sets, etc. "I actually had to call the commissioners in Missoula because I wasn't finding anything great and they helped me," says Katie. "And then you start calling lawyers and start calling bankers and you just have to pick up all the rocks to find good properties for people.”
Katie also explains the domino effect that real estate often produces. When you
get a reliable tenant and cashflow, leased spaces are easier to sell. But then selling proved challenging when our local inventory became sparse, especially for people looking for residential spaces. "Statewide, we’re actually 50,000 homes short, according to the economic development director in the governor’s office," says Katie. "We just don’t have enough homes." So out comes the crystal ball, metaphorically of course, and Katie starts to rattle off what's to come. "With interest rates coming down, we’ll see a lot more products hitting the market. A lot of people are just waiting," says Katie. “I think we’re going to see a lot more downtown housing—I
have people working on that—apartments, condos...In the Bitterroot, riverfront lots, business parks, and light industrial." And speaking of the Bitterroot, Katie says that Lolo is "going to come alive." She says, "I also sold the Lolo school... once that school is developed, it will be a mixed use property. Some multifamily, some townhomes but along the front will be commercial, and real soon Stockman Bank will have a big bank there. They are also opening a bank in Stevensville right now. We have a lot happening but it takes tax money to extend the infrastructure so you know, it’s probably a five-year process for Lolo."
Katie has been a consultant on development projects and she's had her hand in many up-and-coming projects that will undoubtedly serve our growing valley. If you're entering the market as a buyer or seller, Katie hones in on one important tip: "It’s really important to find a great agent who works hard for you.” Whether it's an investment property, a business location, or a residential space, Katie meets any opportunity with an extensive network of connections and a trusted reputation.
MISSOULA STAGING DEFINES A SPACE TO LEND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION FOR BUYERS AND RENTERS
PRESENTING A HARMONIOUS HOME
When viewing a property to rent or buy, how much do you really think about where the couch is placed in the living room, or how the kitchen table aligns with the counters and windows?
working definition of home staging: “furnishing a home to better market it,” she says, “to show how a home can be lived in, to showcase the potential of the property.”
“MY WHOLE GOAL IS TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE, AND THAT THINGS WORK FOR THEM AND REFLECT WHO THEY ARE AND HOW THEY LIVE.”
Ideally, you’ll think about it very little, and with a lot of hard, meticulous work (and a dash of magic), you will feel those details of form and function. If the space has been arranged with skill and taste by an experienced hand, the effect on a potential buyer or renter will be subtly, and powerfully, affirmative.
In a nutshell, this is the work of Missoula Staging, a small cooperative of local real estate agents and designers who each bring a unique flavor and skillset—and decades of collective expertise—to the task of home staging.
Becky Broeder, Missoula Staging’s resident design expert, provides this
“It’s not only furnishing it,” adds Shannon Hilliard, longtime Missoula realtor and Missoula Staging co-op member, “but it’s arranging things in a way that helps define spaces, helps people see how it lives and helps people have an emotional connection to a house, because emotions make us want to buy. You need an emotional connection.”
In the staging business, getting to that effective emotional resonance in a potential client recalls an old adage that most of us have heard in some form or another, which applies also to the best of any other art form: show, don’t tell.
“It’s impossible to describe to someone how to furnish a room,” Becky says. “You have to show them.”
“I’ve been an interior designer for 20 years,” she continues. “My whole goal is to make people feel comfortable and safe, and that things work for them and reflect who they are and how they live. It’s trying to get at human emotion and not a specific personality.” This can be achieved by adhering to the fundamental elements of design: “filling the space appropriately, scale, color, texture, softness, all those components that you put together in a package, where people don’t even realize what they’re seeing or feeling. It’s just coming together harmoniously and they get it on an unconscious level.”
“From a pure sales perspective,” Shannon says, “usually when people are moving, they’re going through something. It’s positive or negative, but oftentimes there’s a life change: they got married, they got divorced, they had kids, the kids moved out, the parents are moving in with them. Something big is happening, it’s overwhelming, so if you can come into a space and [big exhale] decompress for a minute, it makes saying ‘yes’ a lot easier.”
“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE
TO DESCRIBE TO SOMEONE HOW TO FURNISH A ROOM.”
In addition to arranging accouterments in a home’s floor plan to inspire or inform potential buyers, Missoula Staging can also provide the kind of guidance for homeowners akin to the guidance a producer offers to a musician, or an editor to a writer.
“One of the things we can do as stagers is advise people what to do with what they already have in their house,” Shannon says. “Oftentimes we say ‘take down the old, dark curtains, go with a top-down, bottom-up blind so you can let some light in the top but have that privacy on the bottom.’ A lot of that is consultation. You can hire us for hourly work, also.”
Whether they’re showcasing the potential of a new home or the possibilities of what currently exists in your place, Becky and Shannon want to note that desired results often do not come as easily as one might imagine, but with a lot of trial and error.
“There’s a lot of tweaking,” Becky says. “Endless amounts of fluffing and tweaking.”
“But fun!” adds Shannon. “It’s super fun to do.”
Keep It Local, Keep It Fresh
“We are bringing back new life to Pattee Creek Market, as your specialty neighborhood market that you can find the local meats in the store, the local produce in the store.”
“Has my cancer treatment been effective?”
Whether diagnosing disease or guiding your treatment, we provide solutions that expedite patient care and help you live a healthier life.
So let’s get answers to your questions.
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
MARCH 8TH
2025 Home and Remodeling Expo
Western Montana Fairgrounds | 10:00 AM
Home meets innovation at the Home and Remodeling Exposition! The Missoula Building Industry Association offers the latest trends in home design, smart home technology, and sustainability. Whether you're into DIY or you're looking for an expert to lead a big home project, you'll find invaluable resources at this event. Come Saturday, March 8 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. or Sunday, March 9 between 12 and 5 p.m.
MARCH 15TH
Run for the Luck of It
Missoula County Fairgrounds | 8:45 AM
What better way to kick off Saint Patrick's Day than with a Run Wild Missoula event? Run for the Luck of It is back! Racing options include 7 miles, 5K, or the 400 meter Kid's Dash. All paid participants receive chip timing, custom designed pint glass, a post-race beer and a hot snack. Kid friendly beverages will be provided, too!
MARCH 18TH
Spring Break Science Camp
spectrUM Discovery Area | 9:00 AM
Does your kiddo want to be a Mad Scientist? This spring break camp is the ideal place to learn the art of being a mad scientist through fantasy, solving mysteries, building habitats, and engineering robots and explosions. Camp is for ages 6 to 10 and runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
MARCH 22ND
Missoula Home & Garden Show
Adams Center at the University of Montana | 10:00 AM
If you're a homeowner, you're not going to want to miss this! Browse more than 160 exhibits featuring a wide variety of products and services that enhance any living environment. This is a full weekend event. Come Saturday, March 22 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. or Sunday, March 23 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Admission is free with the donation of non-perishable food items.
MARCH 26TH
Cartography Comes Alive: 10 Years of Monitoring Elusive Carnivores
XplorerMaps | 6:30 PM
On Wednesday, March 12 between 6:30 and 8 p.m. treat yourself to an evening of education. "10 Years of Monitoring Elusive Carnivores in the Southwest Crown" is brought to you by Swan Valley Connections' Luke Lamar. He will discuss results from a decade's worth of wolverine, Canada lynx, fisher, and marten monitoring.
MARCH 28TH
The Tortoise Versus the Hare
Missoula Children's Theatre | 5:00 PM
Performances are March 28 at 5 and 7 p.m. for this twist on Aesop's classic! Taylor Toroise and Curly hare's competitive antics are getting out of control and lots of other animals get in on the action in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Don't miss the excitement!
This is an incredible opportunity to step into a property with a preliminary plat approved subdivision. This 44.75 acre tract in the path of development is approved for up to 614 units. Actual unit quantity and product type can vary within approved transects. Permitted uses include an array of Residential Types from Mixed-Use, Townhouse to Assisted Living, Lodging Types, Commercial Uses from Office, Retail to Tavern, Education Types including Day Care Centers, and other Industrial/Manufacturing uses as outlined in Form Based Code Transect standards. Complete approval documents available in pdf form. For an additional $300k, full engineering CAD files available from the original developer. BRING YOUR PRODUCT OR RE-SELL
Hard to find high-density residential (12-36 units per ac) development property. Form-Based Code Town Center designation allows mixed-use, high-density residential. City water through the property, and city sewer extremely close. Net acreage approx. 16.49 ac. Transect standards T4-R and T4-O, uses include senior living, townhouses, apartments, and commercial.
• Corners Marked, Level & Open Lot
• High visibility & Easy Access: 5 minutes to Missoula Airport, 10 minutes to Downtown Missoula & Saint Patrick Hospital
• Brand new collector street “Mary Jane Boulevard” with traffic light on Broadway & round-about on Mullan servicing property
• Part of the historical Dougherty Ranch land
Sustainability in Action
