At Home with Miss Molly

By Amanda Rickenbach / Photography by Kate Schwager

Hood River-based music teacher, performer, and mother, Molly Schwartz invited us into her home to get a sense of her style and talks to us about her experiences working and raising three boys.

Tell us the story behind your home.

We moved here in January of 2009 with our 3 week old first baby. My husband got a job here and we were very lucky to land in our neighborhood. We rented a house a few blocks away and I would walk the baby and the dog past this house every day. I always lingered a little over it, seeing its potential from the outside. Then one day, the owner came out and I said, “Hey, I like your house” and he said, “Oh, we were thinking of selling.” And the rest is history! Also, it should be noted that we didn’t even have a key upon purchase. Also, legend has it, it was a house of ill repute. There were A LOT of random doors. So many entrances.

What's your philosophy when it comesto decorating?

I really love color and patterns. I’m not afraid of anything. I buy what I’m drawn to and make it work even if it seems that it won’t. I love Home Goods for quirky accents. I love Ikea but I hate this damn ugly brown leather couch and have dreams of a new one but...kids. They are constantly sticky. The showrooms at Anthropologie make me weak in the knees. I would take any one of them. Also, I have a serious problem with bedding. I love the fact that bedding and pillows can change a room immediately. But please, no maroon. Ever.

What is your favorite piece of artwork or furnitureyou own?

Our good friend Jason Oliva painted this giant rooster which lives in our living room above our fireplace. I love the bold lines and the shock of hot pink. It makes me happy every day. I also have a very weird painting from our friend Michelle Yamamoto of the actress Tilda Swinton in her character from The Grand Budapest Hotel. I really love portraits and the most hilarious one is hanging in our kitchen, also by Michelle. It’s of Kristin Wiig who I hold in embarrassingly high esteem. Scratch that. I’m not embarrassed about my love for her. Also one of my favorite things is the giant sail hanging over our bed. Danny and I lived for quite a long time on a sailboat which was challenging and fun and terrible and exciting and the sail is a great reminder of how long we’ve known each other and how far we’ve come.

What do you do professionally?

I teach a music program for kids which is called MaryAnn Hall’s Music for Children.

Tell us a little about your background.

I have a background in musical theater and improv and sketch comedy hence the myriad of jobs I’ve held over the lean years in NYC. I’ve nannied, waitressed, managed a restaurant, sold teeth whitener, was a barista, bartender, and a music teacher. I met Mary Ann Hall while living in New York and started teaching her program which I now have a branch of out here.

What do you like most about your work?

It’s hard to say just one thing. It has connected me a to a whole community of wonderful Gorge families. So many families have cycled through the program and the most rewarding part on a daily basis is the children. All I have to do is sing with them, listen to them, talk with them and they lift my spirits immediately. And they make me laugh so much!

What are your thoughts on kid stuff taking over? Is it in every room or do you keep it all corralled?

This question makes me laugh because I always think of my mom who each time she visits, practically begs me to create a play area in our basement for the kid’s toys. I’ve tried before, but they really don’t like playing down there and to be honest, I love having them around me IF they are playing happily. All the kids’ stuff is shoved into their small rooms. It actually works fine because they are pretty good about putting stuff away. I mean, after I ask them six times and then threaten to take away technology. Their closets are shameful though. Stuff crammed everywhere. I think Whit’s closet has some of my dresses hanging there and a rug and a mirror and a wig from Halloween. I rely heavily on Ikea’s wicker baskets which hold all their toys and have lasted a very long time. The boys have a thousand stuffed animalswhich I shove into cute plastic Ikea tubs and place undertheir beds.

Has your passion or view of work changed after havingkids?

For sure. The most passion I have is for my family. I want to be the best person I can be in their eyes and of course, in my own eyes. But I’m also passionate about my own creativity. It’s just not the center of my life like it used to be, and that’s ok. I find ways to express myself other than motherhood. Each year I do a benefit called the “I Hate Cancer Concert” which has taken on a life of its own and has raised a lot of money for local families fighting cancer. My kids go every year, even though some material is above their heads and the language is salty. I want them to see that you can do great things with what you’re given. You can make your own work and have a passion for something and do something good for others. They are always in the forefront of my mind.

What's it like raising three boys?

Oh man. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, infuriating and sublime. It’s what I’m most passionate about and most sure about. I always knew I wanted to be a mother above all else. I do feel like the older they get, the harder it gets. When they’re little, it’s tiring and sweet and all those things, then they reach an age where they are out in the world and you just hope they are making good decisions. I worry about them a lot. But I know if I just keep being myself and loving them and giving them a safe place at home, then I think they’ll be ok.

How would you describe your personal style?

Kind of like my house, I guess. I buy what I like. I have a lot of color in my closet. I love jackets. Oh my god Ihave so many jackets, it’s a little sick. I am inspired by fashion and I miss that about living in New York. ButI try and bring New York with me even in a small town because clothes are so much fun!

Where do you like to shop and why?

We are so lucky to have two of the best stores that you could find in any city, right here in this small town, Parts & Labor and Plenty. They are each so stylish but yet in different ways. I have to limit myself from even walking past the window displays because my closet is a little out of control and I can always justify ONE more pair of jeans...it’s dangerous. I would spend all my money in those two stores. Food? Who needs food?

Who are your favorite musicians?

Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks is my number one favorite album. I love him very much. I also love old soul, like Sam Cooke and anything from that era. My early memories are deeply rooted in Motown. I also love show tunes like crazy. I love to dance but I also love to listen to quieter stuff like Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon.

What do you like most about raising a family in the Gorge?

The peace I feel knowing that my children are growing up surrounded by a loving community and postcard perfect surroundings. The winters sledding at Jackson Park, grabbing hot cocoa at pine street bakery, summers playing at the marina, days spent at the Waterfront Park, hiking trails and riding bikes. How did we get so lucky to call this place home?