Portrait of Seattle Volume 41

PORTRAIT OF SEATTLE H O M E

G A R D E N

T R A V E L

A N D

L I F E S T Y L E

M A G A Z I N E

TM

100s

of BRIGHT + EASY IDEAS for EVERY ROOM

7 RISING STAR

WINEMAKERS CHOCOLATE RECIPES from CHEF ANNIE CUGGINO

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RUG STAR’S

JÜRGEN DAHLMANNS

A SCANDI-INSPIRED DREAM HOME

BY DESIGNER LISA STATON

GIULIETTI/SCHOUTEN ARCHITECTS

ICONIC GORGE CLIFF HOUSE PortraitMagazine.com

DISPLAY UNTIL 12/25/18

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A LC H E M Y CO L L E C T I O N S

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KITCHEN INTERIOR DESIGN

Summers Studio at SieMatic Seattle 2030 1st Avenue Tel: 206.443.8620 www.siematic-seattle.com

PLANKS OF DISTINCTION

castlebespokeflooring.com

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KITCHEN + BATH SURFACES

Home + Garden

What’s the hottest trends in the coming months?

High style cook tops, hoods, stoves and ovens in bright colors. Metal shelving and minimalist kitchens that forego upper cabinets. Black is bringing that sharp contrast to kitchens and baths adding elegance to a space that no other hue can do.

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BOHEMIAN VERVE Designer Heidi Caillier creates a home with a crisp, modern bohemian style and durable features that make daily living a pleasure.

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MAKE IT MODERN A mid-century house is transformed into a light, modern, Scandi-inspired dream home.

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CLIFF HOUSE To design and build a modern two-story home that nestles into a cliff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge on the same footprint as a previous 1940s ranch house was a “tall” order that Giulietti|Schouten Architects and Don Young and Associates completed with aplomb.

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EYE ON DESIGN

Black makes a powerful and elegant statement from black furniture, black prints, black finishes, and fixtures. Black is pretty much all over the place.

We also look at some favorite products inspired by nature. Furniture is also taking a more environmentally-friendly approach with the use of earthy soft greens and browns.

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RUG STAR German designer Jürgen Dahlmanns shares the inspiration behind his latest Collection and vibrant textile creations.

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MINIMALIST LUXURY

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What started as a single room makeover by Style Guide Interior Design grew into a wider renovation once the modern design aesthetic, which began from the floor up, started to transform this 1990 home into a dramatic showpiece still suitable for a young family of four.

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Travel + Lifestyle 80

MODERN INTERPRETATION OF HEMENWAY Modern updates, and elegant high-end touches turned this humble ranch home into a modern palace. Perched on a forested hillside, this home maintains its original classic character and oneness with nature.

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MAKING CONNECTIONS A remodel and effective collaboration helped revive the spirit of this northwest contemporary home on Mercer Island. The colorful results are modern – yet warm, fresh, and fun.

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MASTERING A SMALL BATH From modern fixture choices to stylish custom storage, this small master bathroom makes a big design statement. .

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Recipe Index

BITTER SWEET

Q RESTAURANT & BAR

This trio of chocolate recipes by Exceutive Chef Annie Cuggino, Q Restaurant & Bar offers inventive twists on classic cocoa favorites.

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SEVEN RISING STAR WINEMAKERS Noted wine writer Eric Degerman takes a look at the latest NW talent making their mark in a highly competitive and growing industry.

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KEEPER OF THE HONEYBEES Old Blue Raw Honey in Philomath, Oregon makes varietal honeys that are a revelation for anybody who thinks the last word in honey begins and ends with clover.

Executive Chef Annie Cuggino

96 Layered Hazelnut Mousse Bar 96 Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce

on the cover Designer Heidi Caillier helped her clients transform their Magnolia area home with crisp, modern bohemian style and durable features suitable for the whole family. photography ŠHaris Kenjar

publisher’s

LETTER

PUBLISHER Claudia M. Brown EDITOR/SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Kiki Meletis PHOTOGRAPHERS Benjamin Benschneider Laurie Black Blackstone Edge Studios Richard Duval Alex Hayden Haris Kenjar David Papazian David L. Reamer Chuck Collier Schmidt CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Eric Degerman Emily Manke

TRAVELING HONEYBEES couldn’t help but catch my attention. Henry Storch and his wife Camille have a fascinating little cottage business. It started innocently enough, booking their honeybees wherever they were needed to pollinate farmers’ crops, sometimes requiring traveling hundreds of miles. While crisscrossing through the Willamette Valley and Coast Range on deliveries, Henry couldn’t help but notice all the sprawling wildflower meadows and blooming agricultural fields. Before long, he upped his game and carefully tucked hives into some of the most secluded areas for wild nectar. And VOILA! Honey gold worthy of any top chef ’s attention. Old Blue Raw Honey favorites include clary sage, pumpkin alfalfa, wild huckleberry & groundsel, parsley & mint, arugula, coriander, coastal wildflower and bigleaf maple.

Designing a home that both adults and their young children can enjoy might seem challenging, particularly in any shared spaces. Not a problem for Seattle designer Heidi Caillier, who has had first­ hand experience with child­friendly everything from fabrics to surfaces for her own young family.

Her clients’ Magnolia home was transformed from dark to light and welcoming, including a great nook in the kitchen, and a versatile attic den that can easily handle a crazy amount of kids’ toys one minute, and no evidence the next, so adults can unwind from a busy day.

The Cliff House overlooking the Columbia River Gorge was a special assignment for Giulietti/ Schouten Architects and builder Don Young. It had to be nestled unobtrusively into the hillside, keep the same footprint as the previous 1940s ranch house, and capture the entire magnificent vista in every direction. Well, they did good. This home’s views are, for me, the most spectacular I’ve ever seen of the Gorge.

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Interior designer Midori Karasawa dramatically transformed a Southwest Portland home using a backdrop palette almost entirely of black, gray and white, with occasional punches of red or gold.

Her vision is a bold, refreshing, modern aesthetic that perfectly set the stage for the Finkelsteins’ art, while accommodating a young family of four.

There are now over 1,700 wineries in the North­ west, and more springing up every month. 900 in Washington and 800 in Oregon. Eric Degerman is tracking all the talent and has singled out seven rising star winemakers who are earning golds, double golds and other rankings worthy of our attention. What’s also interesting is how they all got into winemaking.

Donna Pizzi Margarett Waterbury PREPRESS PRODUCTION William Campbell PUBLISHED BY Portrait Publications SUBSCRIBE Online www.PortraitMagazine.com Or mail check payable to Portrait Publications PO Box 9097 Portland, Oregon 97207-9097 503.203.1373

Chocolate lovers will be transported to a happy place by Executive Chef Annie Cuggino’s desserts from Q Restaurant & Bar. She shares recipes for Abacela Souffle; Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce; and a Layered Hazelnut Mousse Bar.

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Eye On Design captures the latest colors and design trends and where to source everything locally from furnishings and rugs to tile and fabrics. If you are looking for talented designers and architects, check out the portfolios on our website: www.PortraitMagazine.com

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© Copyright 2018 Portrait Publications, Claudia Brown + Company, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Every effort has been made to ensure the information published is current and correct. However, conditions beyond our control may change the accuracy over time.

Photo Michel Gibert: for advertising purposes only. TASCHEN - Sculpture : www.mpcem.com. 1Conditions apply, contact store for details. 2Program available on select items, subject to availability.

French Art de Vivre

Ivresse. Dining table, design Roberto Tapinassi & Maurizio Manzoni.

Keys. Sideboard, design Alexandre Dubreuil. .

Echoes. Chairs, design Piergil Mauro Lipparini.

Manufactured in Europe.

SEATTLE - 1922 Fourth Avenue - Tel. (206) 332-9744 - seattle@roche-bobois.com - PORTLAND - 1025 SW Washington Street - Tel. (503) 459-0020 - portland@roche-bobois.com

∙ Complimentary 3D Interior Design Service 1 ∙ Quick Ship program available 2

www.roche-bobois.com

surface + home

La Malaquita Chandelier is a classic form adorned with hundreds of rich emerald green and black beads. The empire style makes it a standout.

Through Curate Home. www.curatehome.net

SEASONAL • PARTY • FESTIVE GET THE LOOK

Cool Season Party

1. WORLD TOUR These coated place mats will take you to the four corners of the world, from the Eiffel Tower to the Statue of Liberty and the Egyptian pyramids. www.le-jacquard-francais.com

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2. ITALIAN TOUCH Bailey & Griffin Travelogue Prints Collection in Merapi and Peridot, made in Italy. Through Mill End Store. www.millendstore.com

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3. SPECIAL SERVICE Braid Serving Set from L’Objet is perfect for special occasions. www.l-objet.com

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In his new release, Season, Nik Sharma, beloved curator of the award-winning food blog, A Brown Table, shares a treasury of ingredients, techniques, and flavors that combine in a way that’s both familiar and completely unexpected. www.powells.com

4. ELEVATE YOUR BAR Bring art deco sophistication with a modern edge to your home bar with Arteriors Home Olivia Decanter. Through www.jgarnerhome.com 5+6. ROOM FOR ALL Double Pedestal Dining Table in Maple Solids / Walnut Veneers and Oasis dining chair from Hickory White. Available through Schoener www.schoenerinteriors.com

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There are plenty of ways you can host an enjoyable garden party during the colder months. Decorating your garden space so it is inviting will help to make your party one of the most memorable events of the year. Choose festive place settings, candlelight and of course fairy lights. Shown here, a seasonal table with elegant L’objet Corde Dinner Plates and Carrousel Candlesticks. www.l-objet.com

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surface + home POLISHED • MODERN • GROUNDED 3

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Hudson Valley Lighting’s brilliant Marlow Cut Glass pendant. Celebrating the cut glass that flourished from the late 19th century to the ‘20s.

Marlow’s shades of hand-cut, latticed glass tip a hat to this authentic American art-form. www.hudsonvalleylighting.com 2 4

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1. SAVEUR Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook features more than 1000 well-curated global recipes. www.powells.com 2. SOAPSTONE Pietra Del Cardoso Slab.

Currents of light gray streaks flow across a dark gray and black surface that reveals soft strata. www.intrepidrocks.com

AGA Mercury series Gloss Black Dishwasher. Through select Seattle showrooms

www.agamarvel.com

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3. LIMESTONE Woodridge Limestone Slab.

Browns and greys combine in layers to create this kingly tile. www.intrepidrocks.com 4. RISE AND SHINE Sip in style, start the morning off with L’objet’s Han Mug. www.l-objet.com 5. STRIKE A BALANCE Brizo’s Litze pull down faucet with angled sout and knurled handle in matte black/luxe gold. www.brizo.com 6. STREETS OF PARIS A graceful and cosmopolitan carpet in dramatic grey and blacks. Modern, but possessing the wistful elegance of a bygone era. Streets of Paris in Smoke from Tufenkian www.tufenkianportland.com

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A contemporary statement piece for any kitchen, the AGA Mercury range. With finely tuned performance, the stately AGA Mercury integrates contemporary details, like a sleek zero-clearance façade and Hi-Fi style cooking controls. Three separate ovens totaling 6 cubic feet can cook as much or as little as you want. The AGA Mercury 48� Dual Fuel Range is available through select Seattle showrooms, www.agamarvel.com

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surface + home SILKY MATTE • GREY • FOCAL POINT

This refined kitchen from Siematic proves it’s not the size that counts but the idea. Classic, timelessly elegant style and symmetric arrangements characterize this room’s concept, which also features mindful repetition of color and materials. The stove area forms a focal point with its silky matte lacquered base cabinets in “graphite grey” and exhaust hood in “lotus white.” Cleverly integrated into a simulated doorway is a refrigerator-freezer combination that blends perfectly with the surrounding architecture. Metallic details in “gold bronze” like the wall rack, give the kitchen a brilliant shine. A warm “graphite grey” from the SieMatic ColorSystem was chosen for a distinctive color contrast with the island’s rounded-edge countertop in noble “bianca carrara” marble. Through Siematic Seattle, www.siematic-seattle.com

Nox Sconce from Arteriors in rich bronze finish that is slightly weathered to add to its vintage look. Through www.jgarnerhome.com

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3 1. THE RITZ The Ritz: The Quintessential Cookbook is the first book to share the recipes that are served in the restaurant today, at lunch and at dinner. The book features 100 delicious recipes, www.powells.com 2. DRESS THE TABLE Table linens with graphic floral detail in a Bohemian chic style. www.le-jacquard-francais.com 3. CENTER STAGE Crackle champagne and gold speckle exterior define the freeform elegance of Arteriors Vanessa Centerpieces. www.jgarnerhome.com

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4. SWING OF THINGS Artesso kitchen collection by Brizo® is a warmer, more refined take on the industrial aesthetic. www.brizo.com

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surface + home GREEN • HANDCRAFTED • CONCRETE

With its perfectly curved form and deep interior, this award-winning NativeStone concrete bathtub provides breathtaking beauty and optimum comfort. Avalon’s thick walls provide insulation to ensure that a hot, deep, relaxing soak will last and last. Avalon is handcrafted of a breakthrough combination of natural jute fiber and cement known as NativeStone, making the tub much lighter than expected. Artisans hand form, polish, finish and seal each individual tub using contemporary craft techniques. Through BEST Plumbing, www.bestplumbing.com

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SHOWROOM.BESTPLUMBING.COM

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Enjoy a shower that simulates the soaking deluge of a warm summer downpour. This contemporary-style rainhead features innovative Katalyst airinduction technology, which efficiently mixes air and water to produce large water droplets and deliver a powerful, thoroughly drenching overhead shower experience.

Let’s make your dream a reality. Visit your nearest KOHLER Signature Store by Keller Supply where our skilled consultants can help you recreate this look or design one of your own.

Portland Pearl District 1100 NW Glisan Street • Portland, OR 97209 • (503) 821-7239 Seattle 1018 116th Avenue NE, Ste 170 • Bellevue, WA 98004 • (425) 654-2407 www.kellershowrooms.com

surface + home SOFT MODERN • WALNUT • SERENE

Dynamic patterns join with organic forms to take this bathroom design to a softer, warmer side of modern. Drawing on the natural world for inspiration, from earthy tones to gently curved fixtures, the space conveys a sense of active serenity. Shown: Shagreen on Carillon® Round, Jute in Walnut Flax vanity, Ceric® freestanding bath, Composed® single-handle bathroom sink faucet with pure handle, Verdera ™ lighted mirror. All through KOHLER Signature Store by Keller Supply,

www.kohlersignaturestoreseattle.com

EARTH ADVANTAGE, LEED, ZERO ENERGY, & PASSIVE HOUSE CERTIFIED HOMES & BUISNESSES

DESIGN / BUILD REMODELING HANDYMAN SERVICES HOME IMPROVEMENT

Everything fits perfectly in this kitchen. Even two chefs.

Neil Kelly designs not only make a space beautiful, but also to heighten its functionality. In this case, both homeowners love to cook. Both are tall. And both wanted a roomy work space, and counter heights, to match their needs. You can see the stunning results for yourself. What you can’t see are the smiles emanating from everyone who visits. Kitchen, bath or whole house, a Neil Kelly team stands ready to make it yours in every way.

WE TAKE PRIDE IN BEING A CERTIFIED B CORPORATION

503.288.7461 www.neilkelly.com

Visit Our Design Centers: Portland | Lake Oswego Eugene | Bend | Seattle OR CCB#1663 | WA L&I #NEILKCI 18702

BOHEMIAN VERVE

This house in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood offered a growing young family great bones, a fantastic location, plenty of space‌and a funky interior that felt gloomy and drab. Designer Heidi Caillier helped these clients create a home to nurture little ones and grown-ups alike with a crisp, modern bohemian style and durable features that make daily living a pleasure. written by MARGARETT WATERBURY photography by HARIS KENJAR

THERE’S A CALCULUS FOR COUPLES WITH KIDS. Do you spend the time, money, and energy to create a home you love, then fret about muddy feet, juice spills, and standard childhood wear-and-tear? Or do you settle for 15 years or more of IKEA furniture and uninspired spaces, then remodel once the kids are all grown up?

Ask Seattle designer Heidi Caillier, and she’ll tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. “I have small kids,” says Heidi, “and I am a firm believer that you shouldn’t wait until your kids are grown up to have a house that’s beautiful. I think you should still have a house you love.”

This remodel and interior design project in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood was a chance to put that philosophy in action. The homeowners—a couple with an 18-month-old child and another on the way—had recently purchased a property with good fundamental spaces on a great lot, but the interior felt dark and gloomy, and too many colors on the walls and surfaces made the space feel disjointed. “This couple is very vibrant and fashionable,” says Heidi, “and the house didn’t reflect their personalities at all. So they wanted to bring in a light, bright, and airy feel.”

The catch? Everything needed to be child-friendly, while still looking, feeling, and acting like a grown-up home. For Heidi, that meant considering kids’ and parents’ needs at every stage of the process, from space planning to fabric selection, with the goal of creating a home that makes people of all ages feel calm, relaxed, and centered.

In the living room, that meant choosing clean, crisp, bright pieces with surfaces that could stand up to active little ones. To enhance durability, Heidi chose outdoor grade fabric for the white sofa, making it easy to wipe clean. Wool rugs offer similar benefits, including sturdiness and stain resistance.

Heidi says the homeowners were a little unsure about the pink fabric on the living room chairs, but she felt strongly that bringing in color and pattern on the furniture would enliven a room built on otherwise neutral tones. Plus, printed fabrics like those on the pink chairs are another favorite child-friendly trick of Heidi’s for their ability to hide stains. “I definitely try to push people a little bit outside their comfort zone, but only if I know the results are going to be amazing,” says Heidi.

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No appliances were moved during the kitchen remodel, but new custom cabinets, PentalQuartz countertops, and a revamped dining nook totally transformed the space. “The original kitchen was broken up with a bunch of different colors,” says Heidi, “and there was nothing in the back corner.” The wooden pendant light above the kitchen table is from Selamat Lighting, and echoes the warm tones of the wood floor.

To bring even more light into the living room, Heidi opted to paint the walls and fireplace in Benjamin Moore’s ‘Simply White.’ It’s one of her favorite neutral colors, and it’s used on walls, trim, and windowsills throughout the home. “It’s such a great, clean white without feeling too warm or too cold, and it reads well in almost every space” says Heidi. A reclaimed wood mantel above the painted fireplace adds warmth and interest.

Introducing an angular, geometric element to the space, Heidi commissioned a custom octagonal coffee table from a furniture maker in Los Angeles. A ceramic wall sculpture from Mudpuppy Ceramic Studio in Denver, Colorado, hangs on the wall opposite the fireplace, adding texture and layers. Greenery in the form of potted plants and vases of foliage provide contrast that helps the white pop even more cleanly.

In the kitchen, a targeted remodel avoided the need to relocate any major appliances, a key component in sticking to this family’s budget. New custom cabinetry from Baywood Cabinets, PentalQuartz countertops in an Onixaa honed finish, and a new tile backsplash, all in bright, crisp white, dramatically lightened the feel of the space. “Quartz is durable and attractive, and marble isn’t for everyone,” says Heidi, alluding to marble’s natural tendency to develop stains, chips, and patinas.

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While open kitchen shelving is super-popular in contemporary design, in this case, Heidi knew the streamlined look of traditional cabinetry was the right choice. “I do open shelving for clients who really like to curate, but these clients are really practical,” says Heidi.

“Traditional cabinetry creates this nice, clean line.”

At the end of the kitchen, Heidi created built-in bench seats to anchor a new dining nook in a space that had previously been underutilized. Here, too, clean white tones are punctuated with durable blue upholstery and warm wood surfaces, creating a feel that’s simultaneously crisp and warm.

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An upstairs den was transformed from a dark nook to a light, bright space that serves double-duty as a kid’s playroom during the day and an adult retreat in the evening. “During the day we can have it messy and crazy with toys, and then it’s really easy to clean up,” says the homeowner. “Then at night, we’ll sit up there, light a candle, and watch TV, and it feels like a totally adult space.”

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The homeowners say the changes to the kitchen have transformed it into a focal point. “The kitchen is really the center of the home here,” says the homeowner, “And I’m so happy with how it turned out.”

Upstairs, a previously dim and dark den got a full revamp, transforming the space into a family room that plays host to children during the day and some much-needed adult relaxation time in the evening. On the floor, wall-to-wall jute matting anchors the space, topped with a blue and white wool rug.

“The homeowners were initially concerned about its softness and practicality,” says Heidi, “but it’s really a great material for families. It ends up being soft and wears so well.”

Kid-specific amenities like a child-sized teepee (found on Etsy), lots of plush pillows, and a pint-sized reading nook with a cushion upholstered in a cozy vintage blanket make the upstairs family room a perfect place for play time and play dates.

But it’s not all kids’ stuff. In the evenings, the homeowners take advantage of the wall-mounted television and deep blue sectional to unwind after the kids have gone to bed. With relatively minimal updates, the homeowner says she’s amazed at how different the space feels. “We put in a new carpet and paint, and that really just transformed the space,” she says.

Even the powder room off the kitchen offered opportunities to showcase the blues, grays, whites, and warm natural wood tones that make up this home’s palette. The previous flooring, an earth-toned tile also used on the exterior patio of the home, looked heavy and muddy. Replacing it with crisp, geometric hexagonal tiling from Cement Tile Shop brought visual interest into the room without overwhelming it with color or busyness. A circular mirror adds unexpected curves to an otherwise rectilinear space.

Two years after the remodel, the homeowners say they’re still delighted with their new space. “Working with Heidi was great,” says the homeowner, “And we’re really happy with our house and the choices we made.”

And how’s that white sofa doing after two years of toddler action? “The funny thing is, I’m the one who’s gotten things the most dirty,” laughs the homeowner. “This is the second home we’ve owned, and the first time we’ve ever done a remodel.

You always worry about the wrong things. I definitely learned about myself through this process. It turns out I’d rather have the nice coffee table with a couple of dents in it, because that way, you still get to enjoy the thing you want.”

PROJECT SOURCES INTERIOR DESIGN Heidi Caillier Design www.heidicaillierdesign.com Appliances: Wolf, GE; Plumbing Fixtures: Delta

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LEFT Heidi created a “color nook” in the dining room to bring a focal point into the space. She says blue often reads as neutral, making it a particularly versatile color. As part of the remodel, the homeowners also had the exterior of the home repainted from brown to slate blue. OPPOSITE The powder room off the kitchen features simple, crisp lines. “I loved bringing the wood in with the mirror because it warms up all the white,” says Heidi. Geometric tile is from Cement Tile Shop.

A BUSY FAMILY OF FOUR, PLUS THEIR CANINE COMPANIONS, HAD A CONUNDRUM. THEY WANTED TO TURN THEIR CONFINED-FEELING

MID-CENTURY HOUSE, INTO A LIGHT, MODERN, SCANDI-INSPIRED DREAM HOME. ENTER AN IMAGINATIVE INTERIOR DESIGNER AND AN ARCHITECT WITH A VISION.

written by EMILY MANKE photography by HARIS KENJAR

MAKE IT MODERN

LEFT The newly-constructed entry features a textural mix of warm wood touches, paired with modern furnishings like the print by Society Six and the “Random� light by Moooi.

RIGHT Generous Pella sliding glass doors and wood floors help pull the forested backyard and living room together. Sectional by Camerich, coffee table by Four Hands, and Jute Ottomans by Safavie add modern flair.

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WHEN INTERIOR DESIGNER LISA STATON of Lisa Staton Design, and Architect Paul Whitney of Whitney Architects, met their clients, the young parents of two were in somewhat of a renovation crisis. The clients had already been through one phase of renovations and were gearing up for the second.

“When we started, the house was fairly dysfunctional. The kitchen, dining room, and living room all shared a space, which made it too small for any one of those rooms,” Whitney explained. “My vision was to open up the house to the backyard and give the kitchen and dining room their own space.”

“Everything just kind of gelled together when Staton also joined the team. After just a couple of meetings, Staton got a feel for both Whitney’s vision as well as the clients’. She showed them options and she really paid attention to their design style. The couple wasn’t always on the same page, but she was able to find a really strong middle ground. That’s how we ended up with Scandinavian style inside and out.”

Whitney recalled.

Whitney and Staton’s collaboration resulted in a plan to remodel a portion of the existing house and add to it, giving the kitchen, dining room, and family room their own distinct space and feel. Since the couple loved entertaining, giving them a standout living room was a priority.

“The client had a really clear directive of wanting the fresh simplicity of the Scandinavian design aesthetic, but were mindful of having a house that’s busy with kids and dogs, as well as desiring to preserve a homey feeling,” Staton said. “She wanted a home that’s light, bright, airy, open, and modern, yet still warm and livable.” With that vision in mind, Whitney and Staton got to work on phase two of the remodel, which involved a complete gut of the kitchen, dining room, and family room. A well-designed addition gave the kitchen sufficient space for a major upgrade; and while it remained open to the new dining room, the two spaces had plenty of room, and separate, distinct feels.

Another significant project was vaulting the ceiling in the kitchen and dining room which infused the spaces with a sense of volume and

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LEFT The faux marble backsplash from Bedrosians Tile & Stone gives an elegant feel while maintaining the client’s need for functionality. RIGHT Durable cedar stone countertops in Arctic White from MS International, along with white cabinets from Belmont Cabinets help create a light, open, scandinavian feel. The brightness is married seamlessly with the wood floors from Kentwood, and the “Big Sur” kitchen table from Crate & Barrel.

Copper pendants over the island from Tudo and Co. add a modern touch.

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OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE The “Boys Bathroom” maintains lightness with white tiles from Pratt and Moss.

Accessories like the pillows from Tasdemir Rugs on Bainbridge Island help add texture to the living room. Whitney’s vision for a bright, welcoming entry was realized with a large, low-hung window from Pella Window and Door. An elegant bed from Room & Board, and unique vintage pieces create a sleek master bedroom. RIGHT Chairs by France and Son, a vintage Moroccan rug, and wood touches create an elegant warmth in the living room.

helped bring more light into the rooms. Additionally, a new front entry that underscored the home’s architectural style was added onto the house.

Once the construction portion was complete, Staton got to work creating an interior that reflected her client’s vision and lifestyle.

“We worked really hard with the palettes in the house to have a very deliberate repetition of materials. So there’s a real harmonious use of blacks and blonde woods, and warm woods and textures,” Staton explained, “You intially see this in the entry where there’s a black herringbone floor and cabinetry in taupey tones which is repeated in the island. The ceiling of the entry has a little bit of that warm wood that is also repeated in the furnishings.”

The interior furnishings, in particular, were chosen with the modern Scandinavian aesthetic in mind. Staton and her clients chose new pieces, that were in the style of classic mid-century modern.

“For the furnishings it was really about texture rather than having lots of patterns. We let the texture in the material be the pattern,” Staton described. “Sculptural wood shapes, natural bowls, an old Moroccan rug, real Turkish textiles for pillows, a big Italian modern sofa but in a chunky gray live-in form.”

The sleek, and somewhat subdued interior is broken up with some fun touches.

“There are a few little glammy moments like the butterfly print when you walk in, and the pendants in the kitchen have that kind of brassy look to them.” Staton notes.

Staton, Whitney, and their clients’ collaborative vision and hard work, resulted in a home that is absolutely stunning.

The design worked with the home’s forested natural surroundings to create a space that’s both private, and filled with light. What was once a dark, cramped living space, was transformed into an open and welcoming home, with light pouring in from every direction.

PROJECT SOURCES CONTRACTOR Whelbilt Homes www.whelbilthomes.com ARCHITECT Whitney Architecture www.whitneyarchitecture.com INTERIOR DESIGN Lisa Staton Design www.lisastaton.com WINDOWS + DOORS Pella Window & Door www.pella.com Appliances: Sub-Zero, Wolf

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TO DESIGN AND BUILD A MODERN TWO-STORY HOME THAT NESTLES INTO A CLIFF OVERLOOKING THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE ON THE SAME FOOTPRINT AS A PREVIOUS 1940S RANCH HOUSE WAS A “TALL” ORDER THAT GIULIETTI|SCHOUTEN ARCHITECTS AND DON YOUNG AND ASSOCIATES COMPLETED WITH APLOMB.

CLIFF HOUSE written by DONNA PIZZI photography by DAVID PAPAZIAN

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AFTER DISCOVERING GIULIETTI|SCHOUTEN AIA ARCHITECTS’ WORK IN A BOOK ON ARCHITECTURE, this Portland-based couple approached the architectural team about building a second home for them that was close to their favorite playgrounds: Mt. Hood for skiing, mountain biking, and the Gorge for windsurfing, kiteboarding and kayaking.

“When we bought the property in White Salmon in 2010,” says the homeowner, “my wife and I knew we wanted to build a modern house on it, as the existing 1940s ranch house wasn’t worth renovating.”

“We liked the idea of modern Pacific Northwest architecture like Giulietti|Schouten’s Walnut House we’d seen in photos, which sits on an old orchard overlooking wine country, and features modern lines, but not materials that make the home feel cold.”

During an initial meeting, where the homeowners met with David Giulietti and laid out their goals and a description of each of the main rooms in the home, a series of concepts were drawn up.

“The couple had fallen in love with the cliff edge site and views up and down the Columbia Gorge with direct southern exposures and views of Mt. Hood,” says Tim Schouten. “After removing the existing detached garage and single-story home, our goal was to design the new home to fit between the rock outcroppings and large fir trees with as little ground disturbance as possible.”

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ABOVE A horizontal cloud was added as an architectural feature to counteract the tall vaults at the main living area/entry, where a bridge connects the upper guest parking area with the living room, and the spectacular view of Mt. Hood beyond.

RIGHT Staircase from the lower level and attached garage faces the kitchen, carrying through the same Raven Caesarstone ledge at left as is found on the kitchen island countertop ahead.

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To honor certain parameters of the design/build process, including the homeowners’ desire to keep the cost down, some of their initial requests had to be denied. One was the desire for curved glass south-facing wall and a curved staircase. “Curves,” explained Schouten, “add a lot more to the cost of construction.”

The happy result of this alteration meant that the upper story, which features a flexible floor plan, including living, dining, kitchen and covered outdoor kitchen/BBQ, master bedroom and master deck, each have corner windows with access to the best light, and views. The architects achieved this by creating progressive, rectangular set-backs that expose each room to the view.

To build a house of this magnitude, Giulietti|Schouten recommended Don Young and Associates - a contractor with a crew that is highly reputable and experienced at working on tough sites such as this, where workers had to battle winds of up to 100mph on occasion.

“We were excited about working on this amazing project on the spectacular White Salmon bluff,” says Young, who calls the homeowners “great to work with.” One of the more challenging tasks was building scaffolding at the site, which is just 3-5’ from the bluff edge to install the upper clerestory windows.

“There’s a 600-foot drop off those cliffs,” says Young. “It’s no more than what we’re used to, but it was a little challenging at that height.”

The cantilevered butterfly roof features broad, up to 12’, eaves for shelter from the sun. The Marlin clerestory windows provide additional daylight, keeping the house daylit most of the year, thus saving electricity costs. The regular high winds required the installation of fasteners to hold down each of the roof joists that are anchored back in the steel beams hidden in the roof along with structural hold downs inside the walls.

“Yeah,” says Young, “we didn’t want the ‘hat’ (roof) to blow off the glass window walls, which are installed between the steel support timbers. The steel is covered with cement stucco on the exterior and sapele wood casing on the interior of the home.”

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The original, small single-story ranch house with detached garage had approximately 1800 sq. ft. Giulietti| Schouten designed a two-story modern home situated on the same footprint with 2,008 sq. ft. on the main floor, where the homeowners have access to the main living areas, including their master bedroom. The lower level has 1590 sq. ft. for a total of 3598 sq. ft., effectively double that of the previous home. An 800 sq. ft. garage adds to a 560 sq. ft. concrete basement used for storage.

The materials and color scheme were guided by the homeowners’ desire to have the house blend into the bluff. “We stayed in the Northwest palette of materials with mostly stained cedar siding, dark stucco, and stained concrete in the lower areas,” says Schouten. “The dark roof was chosen to keep the house from interrupting the natural vegetation on the bluff.”

“The wood windows, which are by Quantum,” explains the homeowner, “were stained by them. Then they shared that stain recipe with the cabinetmaker for visual flow.”

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At the time, interior designer Jenny Guggenheim was collaborating with Giulietti|Schouten, where she rented office space. Jenny helped choose certain finish materials, including the Globe Lighting chandelier over the homeowners’ existing dining room table and chairs from Ethan Allen.

Fabricated from 22 crystal glass globes suspended from staggered cables, each of which holds a single light, the chandelier is a stunner installed by West Side Electric under Jenny’s and the homeowners’ direction.

Schouten designed the kitchen and master bath cabinetry built and installed by L & Z Specialties, using Sapele African mahogany wood veneer.

ABOVE An open plan keeps the main floor flexible and excellent for entertaining. Large windows provide lots of daylight. No deck off the face of house prevents any interruption of the spectacular views. LEFT TOP The covered outdoor kitchen’s cedar interior roof is echoed at the entry wall from the bridge. LEFT BELOW The painted fireplace left rises to the 12’ ceiling countered by the kitchen pillars interrupted by a cloud.

Large 2’ x 4’ porcelain tile flooring runs throughout most of the upper floors, except the master PortraitMagazine.com

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bedroom, where Brushed Oak Natural Kentwood flooring was installed. Instead of the oft-seen television placed above the fireplace, the homeowners requested that their existing artwork be hung there instead. The top of a Sapele wood cabinetry alongside the fireplace doubles as a mantelpiece with the television installed above it so that it vanishes into the stained shiplap Sapele.

The master bathroom features a fireplace as well, this one by Regency, and installed by True Gorge Stoves & Spas. It is encased in a floor-to-ceiling tile column, which protects the privacy of those bathing from the adjacent dual sink vanity. Cone shaped glass pendants from Flos add interest.

Perhaps the best pièce de résistance, says Schouten, is the very carefully engineered bridge entry. “We decided to keep the big fir tree and thus anchor the concrete bridge to the rocky bluff,” he says. A slight “kink” in the walkway redirects one back toward the house, where those entering from the guest parking lot can see through the house to the Hood River Valley.

“We used a steel frame, with concrete on top for the long span,” says Schouten. “We added a post at center, which is not seen, to reduce the weight and depth of the steel.”

The main driveway loops around to the West, where the attached garage is found. One enters from the garage into a mudroom area, replete with bar and Quantum sliding doors onto a concrete patio overlooking the water. The office is located down that same hall, and the media room beyond that, each with exquisite views of the Gorge. Two guest bedrooms are located on this level, along with the staircase rising to the main floor.

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FACING PAGE Buttermilk Caesarstone countertops reflect light from the ample windows. Dornbracht plumbing fixtures continue the sleek, modern look. ABOVE A Roche Bobois Athea armchair cozies up to the fireplace, sharing the ample space with the homeowners’ large leather W. Schillig sectional. LEFT A simple-span bridge accommodates a towering fir, which mimics the monolithic column at left that houses the outdoor kitchen with deck.

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UPPER LEFT Existing boulder outcroppings become part of the landscape as they rise out of the concrete patio. The office juts out from the mudroom at left with guest bedroom and media room beyond. LOWER LEFT A pass through window connects the adjacent indoor kitchen with the covered outdoor one. Jensen Jarrah outdoor furniture warms the space. ABOVE The upper level’s clerestory windows glow as early evening sweet light falls over the Cliff House.

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PROJECT SOURCES

Young says that although it takes a while to get to the end of any construction, the best part is when everything looks good and everyone’s happy.

He adds that Giulietti|Schouten is a great firm to work with. “They’re knowledgeable and very responsive to requests, as well as being really good at turning jobsite challenges into an opportunity if anything needs to be reworked.”

Schouten gives the same praise to Young and his capable crew. “Some people may not appreciate how seriously detailed a builder Don is, because he appears so super laid back and easy to work with. But we have a high level of respect for his great work and finish quality.”

For a couple that works hard and loves to play hard as well, the journey it took to reach completion, although sometimes stressful, ended with a home that is everything they imagined it would be and more.

“At the end of the day,” they say, “the house came out very nicely, and we are really happy with it.”

CONTRACTOR Don Young & Associates Inc. www.dyaconstruction.com ARCHITECT Giulietti/Schouten AIA Architects www.gsarchitects.net APPLIANCES BASCO Appliances www.bascoappliances.com CLERESTORY WINDOWS Marlin Windows www.marlinwindows.com Appliances: BASCO: Bosch, Zephyr, Jenn-Air; Windows & Doors: Marlin Windows, Quantum; Plumbing Fixtures: KWC, Blanco, Dornbracht

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MARL I N WI N D OWS capturing views and 100 mph winds

Marlin Windows tests our products to withstand all the elements – from high winds to temperature swings of below 0 to over 100 degrees, while still delivering stunning views. Discover why architects, designers, contractors and discerning homeowners rely on Marlin Windows to complement their design and energy efficiency needs. New construction and replacement windows. Residential and commercial. Since 1970.

Contact your Marlin Windows dealer:

WINDOWS, DOORS & MORE 5961 Corson Ave. S. #100 Seattle, WA 98108 Ph: 206.782.1011 • windowshowroom.com info@windowshowroom.com

MARLIN

WINDOWS, INC. www.marlinwindows.com

Ventura dining table, $2099; Evan chairs, $499 each; Kieran dining cabinet, $2799.

University Village 2675 NE University Village Street, Seattle roomandboard.com

EYE ON DESIGN A perfect balance of traditional-meets-modern design. Soft fabric upholstery embellished with tufting puts a modern twist on a classic style. Featuring quality craftsmanship, the Avery bed from Room & Board adds texture and color to your room. Through Room & Board, www.roomandboard.com

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eye on design STAYING NEUTRAL

If you want to create a relaxing retreat, a neutral color palette could be the way to go. The key is to use a variety of complementary tones, mix materials, and play with patterns—just like you would with any other palette.

Organic Luxe Designed to highlight the visual interplay between dark and light. The Kirk Nix Collection includes two new hardwood finishes for Palecek – midnight and fossil.

Shown: Fritz Rope Side Chair with hardwood frame and legs in grey with pewter finish foot caps and double wall back and sides with hand-twisted lampakanai rope in a grey finish with black stripe detail; paired with the Broderick Dining Table in Sand. All from Palecek. Available through DFG, www.dfgseattle.com

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Timeless Elegance Traditional style mixes with clean, elegant simplicity in a room of soothing neutrals from Marge Carson. Offsetting textures with soft fabrics, shiny with matte surfaces and luxurious details create an understated elegance. Shown, the Stiletto Chair shown with tight seat and back and a Satin Brass frame, Collins Sofa shown with boxed bench seat in Bombay finish and Satin Brass finish on decorative ferrules.

Available through Schoener, www.schoenerinteriors.com

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Offering a fresh, sophisticated interpretation of New Traditional style, Barclay Butera’s Newport Collection for Lexington. The Shorecliff canopy bed shown with headboard fabric, in a natural raffia coloration, is framed with aged bronze nailhead trim, creating an ideal backdrop for showcasing layers of pattern and color on the bedding ensemble.

Available through J. Garner Home, www.jgarnerhome.com

Exclusive Designer Lines CASE GOODS UPHOLSTERY FABRIC ACCESSORIES

SEATTLE DESIGN CENTER 5701 6th Ave. South. Suite 238, Seattle, WA 206.764.9222

www.dfgseattle.com

Lexington Barclay Butera Newport Collection

Seattle Design Center 206.762.0597

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www.jgarnerhome.com

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Utilizing modern design elements in warm and inviting tones, the Unity Dining Table from Camerich, in Brown Walnut with a Black Eco Leather wrapped base.

Shown here with the Stilts Cabinet in Tobacco Walnut and Camel Lacquer accents.

Through Alchemy Collections, www.alchemycollections.com

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eye on design WALKING THE LINE Equal parts classic and dramatic, the versatile Patton Pendant Arteriors, with outer matte eggshell surface and brilliant metallic semi-matte interior. www.alchemycollections.com

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Rug Star’s ‘Folding Sky ‘ in Paradise No. 03 with Grass Sandblast | Joshua Tree | 100% Bikaner wool | 9/9 Persian quality. Through Christiane Millinger Handmade Rugs. www.christianemillinger.com

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1) Aleph bookcase for Jesse furniture designed by Lievore Altherr Molina. Wooden modular wall bookcase in matte lacquer for the inside and shelves. Available at Alchemy Collections, www.alchemycollections. com 2) Inspired by Dora Maar, the French photographer, poet, and painter best known for being a lover and muse of Pablo Picasso. The Muse Bowl from Jonathan Adler, www.jonathanadler.com 3) Antje Hassinger, Untitled 4, part of a series of fours serigraphs from Room & Board, www.roomandboard.com 4) Eilersen’s custom Giga presents itself as a great playground of possibilities. You can sit, lounge about, and even use the sofa as a bed. Available through Alchemy Collections, www.alchemycollections.com

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eye on design ORGANIC FLUX

Designed by Michel Goineau for Roche Bobois Nouveaux Classiques collection, the Alliance Table with encrusted applications in iron, X-shaped legs with oxidized bronze finish, linked by a wooden crossbar. Also shown, Tempesta hand-tufted rug in wool and Fenice chair. All through Roche Bobois, www.roche-bobois.com

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Rippled Rock 0580 roddapaint.com

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Orson Side Table in Midnight from the Kirk Nix Collection for Palecek. Cerused wood side table in midnight finish with hand-painted gold top. Through DFG www.dfgseattle.com

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1) Designed by Angioni et Louvry, the La Ligne floor lamp from Roche Bobois, www.roche-bobois.com 2) Mugara Cushion in corded velvet and Kame cushion with matte gold piping, from www.roche-bobois.com 3) Modern organic, Louis de Poortere, Cracks rug in Dark Pine, available through SMG Collective www.smgcollective.com 4+5) A luxurious modern update, the Basket Cocktail Table designed by Renaud Thiry and Montsouris armchair from Roche Bobois www.roche-bobois.com

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RUGSTAR ORCHID NO. 01 ORIGIN: PERSIAN WEAVE PRODUCED IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA. MATERIAL: FINEST SILK AND HAND SPUN WOOL

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RUG STAR

GERMAN DESIGNER JÜRGEN DAHLMANNS SHARES THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HIS LATEST COLLECTION AND VIBRANT TEXTILE DESIGNS written by DONNA PIZZI photography by LAURIE BLACK

From architect to rug magnate, Jürgen Dahlmanns, owner of Rug Star in Berlin, Germany, has traveled a long and winding road that has led him to unite cultures, create beauty and integrate his rugs, textures and explosive designs within a physical setting that is at once artful, functional, and aesthetically speaking, far beyond.

Employing over 1600 artisans in Nepal and Jaipur, Rug Star combines centuries-old techniques with the knowledge Dahlmanns gained as an architect working on Vienna’s MuseumQuartier in 1998, coupled with a free-wheeling upbringing by his parents, who believed in alternative means of education and experiential living.

With stores in Augsburg, Zurich, Beijing and Berlin, Jürgen Dahlmanns’s hand-knotted Tibetan and Persian rugs are now also represented in the Northwest by Christiane Millinger Handmade Rugs.

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Shoptalk l JÜRGEN DAHLMANNS

Tell us more about your journey to becoming a rug designer.

Dahlmanns: It all began 1990, with my first visit to Nepal at 23. I was coming down from the holy pilgrimage site “Muktinath,” when I found my first old Tibetan “Khaden,” the traditional sleeping or sitting mats from the Tibetans, in an old mountain village. Back in the Kathmandu valley, I went to the Tibetan quarter “Bhouda,” where exiled Tibetans started to produce their traditional handicraft: the hand-knotted Tibetan rug. It took 10 more years, but, in fact, that was the first moment it all began.

Was there an influential individual or moment that helped define your career?

Dahlmanns: I think the reason to look for a commitment such as the one I have with the people in Nepal is multifaceted and hard to explain in a few words. To build up a production with Tibetan and Newar people is not only the link to the product, or the idea of a career, it is the result of the meeting of minds with the people and their country.

It is a social commitment, like we have with our friends and family.

You produce several new collections and updates of older ones every year. Where do you get your ideas from?

Dahlmanns: I am like a whale, with this large mouth, eager to feed on all the information out there. Curiosity is my daily inspiration and in each second of daily life, I absorb every detail that contains beauty. When the process of design starts, all the answers and ideas are already lined up in my heart and soul. They are just there, they are the knowledge you’ve always had inside yourself, but with education and age, you learn the language that enables you to share them to others.

How have your travels influenced your rug design?

Dahlmanns: We are born in a beautiful world, so the first mission for me was to go, absorb and understand. This became my life and my life created my style. And now we all live in a global world and this “global world” brings so many new questions into each person’s daily life. In my case, travel liberated my mind, as well as my idea of what style is. I have no particular style per se, as I believe in diversity. Diversity connects us in our current world with all of its beautiful people. Thank you, World, for being so wonderful.

Do you consider the effect on a room when you are designing?

Dahlmanns: With the combination of the materials (most hand-knotted area rugs play with silk and wool), we should understand that we have the option to invent a storytelling texture on the floor with a strong ability to guide movement. The architectural dimension is always in my mind, maybe because I am an architect, so I always start with the room when I create a new design.

Tell us more about your most recent collection.

Dahlmanns: For more than a year and a half, I have worked and reworked my latest Waterlily designs, which I also call the Portland Poetry Collection. At first glance, they are a combination of mostly primary colors or clear black and white divisions in blurred block – a fresh, bold and clear message in Persian weave, which is being produced in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The audience might see a play of geometric fields in these designs, but for me, it is a question of what is geometric and what is landscape, as we place these rugs later in interiors.

Are there certain techniques that you favor? Conventional or contemporary—what is more important to you in terms of design and production?

Dahlmanns: The area rug divides resting areas from walking areas and creates a room without building walls.

This is its main purpose and architectural meaning in interiors. Pattern, color and material guide movement and express movement within the product. Together with quality, the area rug is able to reflect room atmosphere and light as the light changes throughout day, thus becoming dynamic in its expression and interaction with interior.

Can you share some guidelines on what a person should consider when purchasing a carpet?

Dahlmanns: We should understand a rug as a textile room: a dining table with a rug converts into a dining room, a sofa with a rug converts into a living room.

So, there is a very high architectural dimension which helps us to describes the different functions in our living space. You can talk about the intimacy of the area by the material you choose. Wool rugs are perfect for hallways; add some silk for living areas to get a nice play of light and room atmosphere on the surface of the rug. Maybe use 100% silk in the bedroom to celebrate the intimate moments of our sleep, where we are protected and surrounded by value.

What are one of your most memorable projects or rug creations?

Dahlmanns: I have no particular style, as I said, I believe in diversity, since diversity connects us in this current world with all its beautiful people. My memorable projects are many and I value them all. It is very hard for me to say which of them is outstanding. There is no ranking in my head, no princess is more important than a 98-year-old-man who wants my bold and crazy design “Splash” for his new room in a nursing home. I feel blessed when I see that my rugs change a space for the better, as rugs, in my mind, can solve architectural problems and express liberty and joy in life.

WHERE TO BUY Exclusively represented in the NW by Christiane Millinger Handmade Rugs, www.christianemillinger.com

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What started as a single room makeover by Style Guide Interior Design grew into a wider renovation once the modern design aesthetic, which began from the floor up, started to transform this 1990 home into a dramatic showpiece still suitable for a young family of four.

MINIMALIST LUXURY

written by DONNA PIZZI photography by BLACKSTONE EDGE STUDIOS

ABOVE A pair of Eero Aarnio bubble chairs hung in the hospitality-style entry draw the eye toward a Peter Gronquist painting encased in brass. OPPOSITE The original drywall staircase that had a wooden railing became all drywall; stair treads are engineered wood from Castle Bespoke Flooring; LED strip lighting lights black staircase wall. Peter Gronquist painting hovers like the moon.

MOLLY AND SCOTT FINKELSTEIN PURCHASED THIS 1990 PORTLAND HEIGHTS HOME DESIGNED BY PORTLAND ARCHITECT PIETRO BELLUSCHI IN JUNE, 2016, after the spectacular views had captured their hearts. The all beige walls, ceiling, carpeted living area, flooring, and staircase had not. Consequently, the couple planned to update the entire home, despite a 2009 3-storey traditional restoration of their previous 80-year-old Irvington home that had not gone as smoothly as they hoped. They hired an architect to draw up the plans, but when the cost became prohibitive, they decided to table the work.

Enter Portland interior designer Midori Karasawa of Style Guide Interior Design, with whom they began discussing the possibility of giving purpose to the little-used living room and its amazing view.

“They were spending all their time in the adjacent Den/TV room,” says Karasawa, “and the living room was being under-utilized.”

After the couple began collaborating with Karasawa via text messages, phone calls and eventually Pinterest, she created a Pinterest page to

which they could all upload images. Discussions ensued, which helped to align their overall vision. Karasawa then created a concept that specified the scope of the project, including the color scheme, flooring, new fireplace surface, lighting and furnishings.

She recommended an engineered flooring from Castle Bespoke Flooring, a division of Greenpointe Wood Floor Supply that offered 10’ long planks, the longest length of any company she had researched. “Given the length of the hallway and grand living area, I didn’t want the floor to look chopped up,” she explains.

“We were only going to work on the living room,” says Finkelstein, “but once we saw the major impact the change in flooring had throughout most of the main floor and were blown away, we expanded the remodel scope.”

To maintain the gray, black and white color scheme, Karasawa recommended staining the oak Jet Black on site followed by an application of rubio oil for a silvery gray finish by Dion Varadin of Portland Floor.

Once the gorgeous white oak was installed, however, the couple wavered.

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“Midori told us to ‘Stay strong! It’s going to look amazing,’” said Molly.

“She was right! The dark wood gives the house such a unique feel. We haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else.”

“The original goal for the color scheme,” says Karasawa, “was to frame the city view in the living room with a really dark, dramatic color.” They chose Sherwin Williams Black Magic for the walls, ceiling, molding, baseboard and new fireplace shelving.

The color was meant to transition from a light gray entry, but Scott preferred it to be white as a break from the black and gray. Thus, the grand entry is white, the hallway Benjamin Moore Hearthstone with Benjamin Moore Cobblestone Path ceiling, and the living room the very dramatic Black Magic.

Rather than tear out the original beige marble fireplace, Karasawa recommended building a plywood frame around it to create a more modern rectangular form. She then had Shou-Sugi-Ban wood panels installed.

This Japanese technique of charring wood requires the paneling to be burned with a torch for 7-minutes to create a protective charcoal layer that resists decay and fire, thus producing a very green, more maintenance-free material that can last up to 80 years.

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“You often see it in Japan as exterior siding done in this technique and it’s gorgeous,” says Karasawa, who was born in Tokyo and at 18 studied at the University of Portland. Upon graduation, she returned home, where she worked for Nike Japan, before returning to Oregon in 1997 to work at the Nike campus, after a stint at the Gap in San Francisco.

“Midori did such a great job,” says Molly, “of not only creating something we love, but going above and beyond with things like the Shou-Sugi-Ban that we never would have thought of ourselves for the fireplace.”

“That’s a call out for Midori,” adds Scott. “She told us we’d never regret putting in higher end materials like the Shou-Sugi-Ban fireplace and engineered flooring and she was totally correct.”

She also sourced the glitzy Agnes chandelier and sconces by Claire Boutelle from the Lindsey Adelman Studio – where there was nothing but 6” ceiling cans originally.

Topography style Area Environments wallpaper created by a group of artists who turn their mural work into wallpaper, was also part of Karasawa’s original concept. “I could see the marbly-style wallpapers were trending, and I liked this one for its organic graphic movement,” she says.

Artist Eric Boyer’s human body steel mesh sculptures add drama to each hallway. Coves are lit by new LED strip lights as are the stairs down to the living area. Elegant gray velvet sofas from Perch Furniture pair with circular Design Within Reach gold tables, the latter counter the room’s rectangular aspects, including the Louis de Poortere, Griff rug in whiteon-black from the Mad Men Collection.

Touches of gold add bling to the dramatic black, gray and white color scheme found in the living room – from the graduated circular DWR coffee tables to the angular Agnes Chandelier. The outside comes in with a potted palm crowned in chartreuse moss, a mound of limes and a faux leaf sprouting from a glass vase.

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Molly and Scott wisely chose the positive topographic version for the living room and the predominantly dark negative one for the black, red and white powder room makeover once their renovation plans began to grow past the living room.

An exquisite pair of Nathan Anthony Luxtan Black and Luxtan White Dali chairs were the happy replacement for the Eero Aarnio bubble chairs that were supposed to hang from the living room ceiling originally. Structural issues with the children’s rooms’ floors overhead prevented them from carrying out the initial plan.

“The bubble chairs look even better in the foyer,” remarks Scott. “They’re like an art installation with functionality something our guests always comment on when they first come into the house.”

“In fact,” adds Molly, “our girls love using the hanging chairs as their reading perch.”

Karasawa found another round element for the living area while scrolling through Instagram. DSHOP Modern Home Décor, located in Baltimore, Maryland, was featuring a marble top table that day, with elegantly designed brass legs, which shipped directly from Spain. The black veined marble acts as a reversed reflection of the white and black topographic wallpaper and is echoed in the black and silver iridescent globe accessory.

When the couple purchased the home, the original color scheme was mostly beige with lots of warm browns. Karasawa’s cooler palette had them all wondering whether they should replace the existing molding throughout the house or simply paint it.

“It was so beautiful,” says Molly, “and to demolish it would have been expensive from a cost standpoint. Interestingly, painting it completely changed the look by modernizing it.

So, in the end, it was a win-win decision keep the molding and paint.”

Art plays an integral part in Karasawa’s design. The Case of Bass boom box in the girls’ reading area adds a touch of Mid Century Modern to the space. Brothers Ezra and Alex Cimino-Hurt delight in recycling other people’s castoffs as showcases for their rebuilt electronics. Peter Gronquist, a local painter with clients in London, New York and Los Angeles, who also sculpts, works with a fabricator to create his popular infinity mirrors. Sculptor Eric Boyer fashions his art from wire mesh, using a steel ball, a process he likens to finger painting. “You have some paint, and your fingers and you smear

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TOP LEFT By unifying the hallway finishes that included wood and painted surfaces with a single gray paint, Boyer’s red steel mesh artwork becomes center stage. BOTTOM LEFT Black metallic draperies flank a neutral tête-à-tête sofa, DWR floor lamp and side table. RIGHT: Topographic black wallpaper adds movement to the red-dominated powder room.

it around, and it just happens.” Boyce’s human bodies sculptures accentuate the hallway, while a very voluptuous red mesh flower highlights the entrance to the master bedroom.

The original powder room had a tiny pedestal sink situated in the center of a floor-to-ceiling mirror, surrounded by gold wallpaper and a black ceiling. “It had its own ‘glam,’” says Karasawa, “but it wasn’t my clients’ style at all.”

“Midori presented us with several unique ideas,” says Molly, “but she had me with the red ceiling and door. Scott was excited to have a full-length floating quartz vanity with a built-in sink.”

“It all goes back to the hospitality concept,” adds Karasawa, referring to her entry design. “In a powder room, you can take a risk with colors and graphics, but I also used lighting to create ambiance.”

To stay away from gold, she used the pièce de résistance - a bright red sleek VOLA faucet, created by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen in the 1960s. Tom Dixon pendant lights flank the back-lit mirror backed by black matte ceramic penny rounds from Ann Sacks Tile.

The sensually curved bay window in the former formal dining room also needed a drapery update. Its creamy drapery with sheers were replaced with a Pindler velvet fabric with metallic foil print. The draperies, fashioned by Tatyana Putra of Comfortlines, tie well to the artwork discovered during a shopping trip to Grand Marketplace with Molly.

“The pieces are made of plexiglass, and have a Mid-Century Modern feel, especially after we had them painted matte black,” says Karasawa. “Molly and I loved the cutout shapes, which work perfectly here.”

Clearly, the transformation has amazed everyone, guests and homeowners alike. “We knew we liked Midori’s design aesthetic,” says Scott, “but not only is she an amazing designer, she is also an excellent project manager, getting things done in a timely manner, and on budget.”

“Yes,” says Molly, “I love it! I’ll wander into the ethereal powder room and exclaim, ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall!’ Or sit in the living room whenever possible because everything - décor, furnishings and functionality are all so perfect.”

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PROJECT SOURCES CONTRACTOR Look Construction LLC www.lookconstructionllc.com INTERIOR DESIGN Style Guide Interior Design www.styleguideid.com PLUMBING FIXTURES Kohler www.kohler.com WOOD FLOORING Castle Bespoke Flooring www.castlebespokeflooring.com Plumbing Fixtures: Kohler, Vola; Rugs: Louis de Poortere; Dali Chairs: Nest Portland; Flooring Installation: Portland Floor

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GETTING “THE LOOK” Karasawa gets “The Look” with sparing, but artful accessories that use color, texture and contrast to draw the eye. TOP LEFT Jeff Koons gold balloon dog prances before Ezra Cimino-Hurt black and white Case of Bass boombox. TOP RIGHT Spanish imported marble top table echoes wallpaper.

LEFT CENTER Interesting shapes and textured white side table pops against black wall. RIGHT CENTER A pair of white hands offer contrast and an extra seat as well. BOTTOM LEFT Jonathan Adler needlepoint cushion in the bubble chair adds period authenticity. BOTTOM RIGHT Tom Dixon gold candle holders cast fascinating golden light adding intimacy to late night conversations.

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Shoptalk l MIDORI KARASAWA

What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go? I was fortunate to have grown up in Tokyo, which offered worldclass art and culture. I had annual visits to opera, symphony, theater, and art museums, which shaped my love for art and design. Although I pursued a business career post-college, I worked closely with creative teams to bring a compelling product to market. Influenced perhaps by my mother who brought beauty to our home life, I’ve always had the desire to design beautiful environments. One thing I know for certain is when I align my passion with what I do for a living, it’s a proven recipe for success, and that’s why I followed my passion to pursue this career.

Where do you find inspiration?

Hospitality industry: Hotel and restaurant designs evolve around all five senses and creating experiences, I’d like to do the same for residences. Fashion: Having a background in fashion, textile and merchandising at Nike, I seek inspiration by staying current with fashion trends. Travel: I tap into history and cultural insight through form, color, and texture.

Every culture represents something unique and that alone can trigger dynamic trends and ideas in another country.

If you had no limits (money, resources), what would you create? I’d love to work with someone like Kengo Kuma, a globally acclaimed Japanese architect, to design/build a boutique hotel in the Pacific Northwest that showcases the beauty of modern and traditional Japanese architecture and design. The hotel would offer world-class Japanese cuisines, spa, garden, along with an art museum, where curated artists from Japan could display their work.

What is your favorite book/magazine on design?

How about your favorite site? Books: Rhapsody by Kelly Wearstler, Designing Design by Kenya Hara; Magazine: Hospitality Design; Online: Dezeen.com, Archdaily.com What trends do you see emerging in Portland’s architecture and design? One emerging need, if not trend, is our homelessness epidemic in Portland. I think we creatives need to ask ourselves how we can solve those problems from a design perspective that creates a city that’s safe for everyone.

What are 3 things you can’t live without? Smile (I can’t imagine a world without a smile), Love, Music.

What part of the world do you most want to visit? Having traveled the world extensively in my 20s and 30s on business, I’d like to explore the Scandinavian countries to study their progressive ways with health care, education and keeping people well and happy. I resonate with Scandinavian design, which resembles Japanese design, in their simplicity, pure thought and stunning beauty.

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MASTERING A SMALL BATH written by EMILY MANKE photography by ALEX HAYDEN

From modern fixture choices to stylish custom storage, this small master bathroom makes a big design statement.

ONE NECESSARY ELEMENT OF ANY DREAM HOME is a well-appointed master bathroom.

Interior Designer Michelle Dirkse conceptualized and curated this stunning space for returning clients using luxury finishes, fixtures and a magnificent Waterworks tub as the centerpiece. Sleek custom storage and a rug from Driscoll Robbins completed the look, giving her long-time clients a dream refuge.

“The homeowners were some of my first clients. I worked with them on a previous portion of their home four years ago, before they moved into it. We just did kind of a refresh on the general spaces and furniture and decor. They always had the plan of updating their bathrooms but they just couldn’t do it in the beginning. So it was really great when they reached out again to invite me back to remodel their master bathroom, powder room, and guest bathroom” says Dirkse.

OPPOSITE The bookmatched marble makes a stunning backdrop to the Waterworks tub.

Robern medicine cabinets bordered by walnut perimeter, ABOVE The bookmatched marble echoed in the shower, the shampoo niche extends the entire width of the shower, wall-towall for generous storage, with marble wrapped within it. Sinks from Kohler. Vanity sconces by Waterworks.

This existing rapport helped the clients trust Dirkse’s process. “I had a good overall sense of their style. They like what I would call softly modern. So, the question was would we transition that into the existing bathroom footprint using all new finishes and fixtures? I showed them a few ideas of the direction we could take it with the layout options and the fixtures and the finishes. I was so happy they went for the bookmatched marble and that beautiful Waterworks bathtub” says Dirkse.

Despite the harmony between Dirkse and her clients, the project wasn’t without its hurdles.

“It was a challenge because they lived at home during the project, so we had to phase it. We started with their master bathroom and once it was complete, then we moved on to the powder room and guest bath.

Another of Dirkse’s favorite elements is the medicine cabinet. The mirrors are two Robern medicine cabinets set in a custom-made Walnut perimeter giving them a recessed look.

The clients’ willingness to give Dirkse creative freedom resulted in the beautiful and highly function-driven master bathroom of their dreams. “Because they gave me and my team so much trust and respect, I think it really shows in the work. We were able to go that extra step.” Dirkse says.

PROJECT SOURCES CONTRACTOR Toth Construction www.tothconstruction.com INTERIOR & HOME DESIGN Michelle Dirkse Interior Design www.michelledirkse.com Plumbing Fixtures: Waterworks, Kohler, Window Covering: The Shade Store

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BEFORE

MODERN INTERPRETATION OF HEMENWAY written by EMILY MANKE photography by CHUCK COLLIER SCHMIDT

MODERN UPDATES AND ELEGANT HIGH-END TOUCHES TURNED THIS HUMBLE RANCH HOME INTO A MODERN PALACE. PERCHED ON A FORESTED HILLSIDE, THIS HOME MAINTAINS ITS ORIGINAL CLASSIC CHARACTER AND ONENESS WITH NATURE WHILE BEING EXTRAORDINARILY CONTEMPORARY.

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REALTOR SAM DOWLATDAD had a personal connection to this 1939 single family home, designed by Roscoe Hemenway. Dowlatdad lived in the same neighborhood and had gotten to know the previous owner. This personal connection gave her incentive to find the right buyer.

“The house was quite special to her because she knew the elderly lady who had lived there. She was quite a character apparently, her husband had been a well-known local artist” says designer Benjamin Silver. The artist who had formerly resided in the home was Pulp Fiction author Verne Tossey.

“Sam just figured someone would come in and buy it and tear it down, and she didn’t want to see that happen. She liked the history that happened in the house. So she was searching for someone who would want to restore the house, do justice to the house. Then she found me.”

At first, Silver was unimpressed. “She had me come and look at the house, and I actually wasn’t that excited about the house the first time I looked at it,” says Silver. He came back with his architect, Maria Cohen and they decided the way it sat on the property, the light and the sense of space made sense.

After purchasing the home, and drawing up plans, Silver had to put the project on hold for some pre-arranged travel to India and London. While abroad, Silver was inspired by the modern architecture he saw in London, and the unique blend of new and old design he found in India.

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BEFORE

“The countertops are all white quartz because that’s a very durable, practical product but it’s also very beautiful and contemporary.” says Silver. ABOVE Kitchen backspalsh is Snow White 3”x12” polished marble from Turkey sourced through Intrepid Marble & Granite. Countertops in Absolute White Quartz. Cabinets designed by Benjamin Silver. Sub-Zero 36-inch Integrated Refrigerator, Wolf 36-inch Six Burner Gas Range, Wolf 30” Electric/Convection Wall Oven, Wolf 30” Convection Microwave, Wolf Warming Drawer, Miele Crystal Fully Integrated Dishwasher, all from BASCO Appliances. Watermark faucets. Live sawn Clear White Oak with Bona Heavy Traffic Flat Finish floors from Castle Bespoke Flooring.

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“By the time I got back, the house already been gutted and the plans drawn, but I actually decided to redraw the plans and open it up a bit more to make the house feel much more contemporary. I wanted to do things like I’d seen in England,” says Silver, “like all integrated baseboards.

I also didn’t want to have any casing or trim on the windows or doorways. I wanted a very crisp clean look so I folded the sheetrock right into the windows and doors.”

Silver also made height a priority, in order to adequately make use of the natural light. The house originally had very low ceilings. Silver actually re-engineered the roof, the ceilings, and the ceiling rafters. The living-room ceiling was opened up and made into a vaulted ceiling. The finished ceiling was 12 feet high, raised from eight feet. Beams were also added into the space. The master bedroom underwent the same transformation.

“So as you come into those spaces, things are very tall and very open, light reflects through them. But then as you walk through to the less formal spaces, then the ceilings go back to the normal height. So it’s sort of gives you this nice feeling as you walk from one room to the other, you feel the difference.” says Silver.

“One of my favorite things about working on this project was Silver’s fluid design style. Sometimes during a remodel, the design needs to change from the original plan and working with Benjamin Silver allowed for this to happen as seamlessly as possible,” says Oliver Olson, owner of Olson Design Build. “I remember coming back to work on a Monday and seeing that Benjamin had decided to change the living-room ceiling from a flat ceiling with exposed beams to a vaulted ceiling. It was the right decision.”

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OPPOSITE Expansive Pella windows and french doors in the master bedroom open up to the green, lush, forested surroundings West Portland is famous for. LEFT The powder room countertops with integrated sink, and white marble background. Cement custom made by Cement Elegance.

BELOW White and wood keep with the home’s natural modern feel. Cabinetry was designed by Benjamin Silver.

Intrepid Marble & Granite sourced polished Snow White marble from Turkey for the master bath floor and shower; and Carrara Marble for the downstairs bath. Faucets and plumbing fixtures are by Watermark and Crosswater London.

BOTTOM The infinity glass staircase has steel hand railings, an homage to modern English architecture.

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BEFORE

THIS PAGE The exterior was rewrapped with vertical cedar siding with a custom gray wash. Pella windows and doors modernize the new facade.

The project, like all projects, wasn’t without its challenges, Olson weighed in on some of the more difficult moments. “The decision to keep the master bedroom on the main floor with a large walk in closet versus having an extra bedroom and a small master closet was challenging, but in the end the right decision,” says Olson.

Silver and Olson agreed that maintaining the home’s relationship to its natural surroundings, as well as its original character, were top priorities.

“We wanted to bring the outside in. It was such a beautiful green space with all the trees and the vista of the hills behind it.” says Silver. The living room has large french doors and windows on all three sides and same thing with the master bedroom and dining room. You can open up the French doors to the outside and walk all around the house into those rooms.”

“The clean roof lines, the way the home sits on the lot with its surrounding foliage were left intact out of respect not only to the previous architect, but also to the neighborhood.” says Olson. “We could have added another story and possibly even captured some view but we felt it was best to respect the way the home sits in its surroundings.”

The result of this respect for the integrity of the home led to a modern home, with a decidedly classic feel.

“It was really about creating a very modern liveable space. And basically taking what the architect did in the 1930s and reinventing it.” says Silver.

No doubt Portland-based architect Roscoe Hemenway, who passed away in 1959, would have been pleased with his reinterpreted home. This ranch style home manages to be liveable, yet sophisticated, contemporary yet vintage. A living monument to everyone who ever loved that home.

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PROJECT SOURCES CONTRACTOR Olson Design Build www.olsondesignbuild.com DESIGNER Benjamin Silver Design www.houzz.com/pro/bgsdesign/benjamin-silver-design ARCHITECT Maria Cohen Design www.mariacohendesign.com APPLIANCES BASCO www.bascoappliances.com WOOD FLOORING Castle Bespoke Flooring www.castlebespokeflooring.com STONE MATERIALS Intrepid Marble & Granite www.intrepidrocks.com WINDOWS & DOORS Pella Window & Door www.pella.com Appliances: BASCO: Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele; Plumbing Fixtures: Watermark, Crosswater London

David Small Designs

E X PA N D YO U R

possibilities

Our new Pella ® Architect Series ® contemporary windows and patio doors offer stunning modern

E X PA N D YO U R

possibilities features and finishes, bringing beautiful inspiration to your home.

E XPLOR E A RCH I TEC T SER I E S | TH E COLLEC TION

PELLA WINDOW & DOOR SHOWROOM Our new Pella ® Architect Series ® contemporary windows and patio doors offer stunning modern Seattleand I 11818 Northcreek Pkwy, beautiful Suite 105 I Bothell, WA 98011 features finishes, bringing inspiration to your home.

Portland I 13535 SW 72nd Ave., Suite 145 I Tigard, OR 97223

E XPLOR E A RCH I TEC T SER I E S | TH E COLLEC TION (425) 287-8283 www.pella.com

© 2018 Pella Corporation

PELLA WINDOW & DOOR SHOWROOM

MAKING CONNECTIONS written by EMILY MANKE photography by BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

THEY SAY LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED, AND THAT OLD ADAGE CERTAINLY PROVED TRUE WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL MODERN HOME. A REMODEL AND EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION HELPED REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THIS NORTHWEST CONTEMPORARY HOME ON MERCER ISLAND. THE COLORFUL RESULTS ARE MODERN – YET WARM, FRESH, AND FUN. PortraitMagazine.com

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ABOVE Walnut paneling from DuChateau, 3-Form made the resin paneling which is infused with blue string. Hardwood flooring is also DuChateau.

The floating chair is an outdoor piece from Dedon. BELOW Floating walnut shelves made by Schoener, cabinets by Brookhaven. Blanco plumbing fixtures from Master Source and Abbrio. Miele cooktop and Liebherr refrigerator add industrial touches. Five Star Granite installed the countertops which came from Pental. Statements Tile flooring.

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UNLIKE SOME REMODELING PROJECTS, this Mercer Island beauty, built in 1975, didn’t need renovating because of a lack of love on the owner’s end.

“I fell in love with the house as soon as I walked in, with the wall of windows and large open spaces. I was drawn to the architecture.” Says the homeowner. “The bones of the house were very northwest contemporary and our goal was to take it back to that feel and intention it had when originally built.”

General Contractor and Interior Designer extraordinaire Brian Schoener agreed with the homeowners’’ assessment.

“It’s a really great house, on a really great spot. It’s up on a ridge and overlooks a cool landscape view. You can tell somebody built it back when people spent a lot of money on architecture,” Schoener says.

The problem was simple, the house, though beloved and beautifully designed, was dated, and needed modernizing.

After doing some renovation on their own, including swapping out white carpet for wood floors, adding lighting, color, and metal baseboards, the homeowner and her husband decided to call in reinforcements. They hired Schoener with the initial intent of having him just do the downstairs bathroom.

Pleased with the results, and his easy to work with demeanor, they soon hired him to complete the entire house. Schoener’s intuitive collaboration style led to his discovery early on, that the homeowner loved the color blue.

He ran with that.

“The “blue” powder room was inspired by the blue floor, materials Brian had on hand in a small quantity and from there, custom cabinets were built, wallpaper and fixtures selected,” the homeowner says.

As the project moved along, and upstairs, the entryway proved a bit of an obstacle.

“The entryway wall had a white wall when you walked in - that separated the dining room but didn’t feel complete, it felt like the rooms were not quite together but not separate. I wanted something that had texture and let light through- thus the idea of the cutout cubbies,” Says the homeowner.

“We also wanted to add something to give the spaces some separation without it feeling closed off and let light through thus the panels were added suspended from the ceiling which addressed both of those issues. The blue in the panels also pulled color that runs through the house,” The floors are wide plank oak which provides character, with aluminum metal baseboards to give it a sleek, industrial feel.

“We love industrial touches but still wanted the house to feel warm, inviting and lived in,” Says the homeowner. The kitchen was the final, and most challenging project.

Schoener recalls the kitchen before renovation. “ You almost have to see the before pictures to even believe it. The kitchen had one tiny window in it, and it looked out where the sink is. What we ended up doing was making that window much larger, all the way up to the ceiling,” PortraitMagazine.com

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LEFT Decker Design installed the lovely blue tile backsplash. The tiles were by Mir Mosaic. Floating walnut shelves add contrast to the blue tones. Book storage was a must for the homeowner, Schoener accommodated with a blue built-in bookshelf. Deep drawers provide ample storage. RIGHT Schoener personally hand-sketched the two-tiered vanity in the powder room, made locally by West Coast Innovations.

“On the wall where the cooktop is, that’s a big ten and-a-half-foot wide Fleetwood window. That used to be where the refrigerator was, and the oven, so that was a wall. So when you’d go in that room it felt tiny,”

PROJECT SOURCES

The large windows took up storage space, but large pull-out drawers around the island, floating walnut shelves, and floor-to-ceiling cabinets helped solve that issue. In addition to solving the space and storage issue, Schoener also fixed another problem – too much heat building up in the kitchen. Schoener added ventilation while respecting his client’s desire for the solution to be hidden and sleek. The general contractor did this by replacing the 70s style five-foot by five-foot plastic bubble skylight with two-foot by four-foot skylights that open up and let heat escape.

DESIGNER Schoener, www.schoenerinteriors.com

A mutual love of the architecture led to a respectful and successful collaboration, and ultimately, a beautiful home. “She was kind of a perfect client, I got her and she got me,” Schoener says.

“Overall it was a nice collaboration,” the homeowner concluded.

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CONTRACTOR Schoener, www.schoenerinteriors.com

CABINETRY Wood-Mode, www.wood-mode.com PLUMBING FIXTURES Kohler, www.kohler.com Appliances: Miele, Liebherr, Best; Plumbing Fixtures: Kohler, Aquabrass, La Cava, Blanco

©2018 Wood-Mode, Inc.

WHERE SENSIBLE MEETS SENSATIONAL

Come see our new displays at: LINCOLN SQUARE NORTH 700 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 220 Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 454-9000 info@schoenerinteriors.com

BITTER SWEET THESE INVENTIVE TWISTS ON CLASSIC COCOA FAVORITES HAVE IT ALL recipes by Exceutive Chef ANNIE CUGGINO, Q Restaurant & Bar, www.q-portland.com photography by DAVID L. REAMER

LAYERED HAZELNUT MOUSSE BAR recipe on page 96

Abacela Souffle SOUFFLE

SOUFFLE SAUCE

2 egg whites

1 cup cream

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup Abacela port

2 tbsp Abacela port

1/3 cup chocolate

1 egg yolk 1 tbsp chocolate

Bring port and cream up to a boil.

Pour over chocolate.

Whip whites and sugar to medium soft to medium peak.

Let sit 5-10 minutes, then stir until fully incorporated.

Whisk together port, yolk and chocolate.

Add in Âź of the whites to chocolate and mix well.

Fold in the rest of the whites until well incorporated.

Pour into sugared ramekin, shape and bake in water bath for 30 minutes at 350.

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LAYERED HAZELNUT MOUSSE BAR (*Prepare two shallow hotel pans with 1 ½ sheet parchment lying horizontally so it drapes up the side*)

Bloom gelatin for 10 minutes.

CANDIED HAZELNUTS

Heat cream, milk, and sugar to boil.

2 cups hazelnuts

Turn off heat and temper in eggs.

1 ½ cup sugar

CHOCOLATE/FUEILLETINE BASE

Stir in gelatin to hot cream and then pour over chocolate to melt.

1 cup water

5 cups chocolate

Let cool to 90 degrees then fold in whipped cream.

2 oz butter

Spread evenly on top of dark chocolate mousse layer.

½ cup Nutella 3 ½ cups fueilletine

Using a bench scraper, make sure the top is flat.

Let set in freezer before cutting.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate, butter and Nutella.

SPICED CRÈME ANGLAISE

Let cool to room temp, then fold in fueilletine.

2 ½ cups cream

Spread evenly in two prepared hotel pans.

1 ½ cups milk

Let set in freezer before adding next layer of mousse.

3 cinnamon sticks

DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 10 ½ gelatin sheets – bloom in ice cold water 38.5 oz andoa chocolate (chopped) Pinch Maldon salt 31.5 oz milk 63 oz heavy cream (whipped to medium peak) Bloom gelatin in ice water for 10 minutes.

Put chopped chocolate and salt in large bowl.

3 star anise 6 cardamom pods 1 tsp cloves ¼ whole nutmeg (grated) ¾ cup sugar Pinch salt 6 egg yolks Heat cream, milk, spices, sugar and salt to a boil.

Turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes.

Bring milk to a boil and turn off heat.

Return to a boil and temper in eggs returning to stove on very low heat.

Squeeze excess water out of gelatin and add to steaming milk.

Using a rubber spatula continually scraping bottom to prevent burning.

Stir until dissolved.

Cook until nape` or about 3 minutes.

Pour hot milk mixture over chocolate to melt.

Cool completely with spices still in.

Let sit for one minute before stirring together.

Strain once cooled.

Let cool to 86 degrees then fold in whipped cream.

Use whisk if there are any cream chunks.

Spread evenly on top of crunch base in hotel pans.

Let set in freezer before adding next layer of mousse.

SESAME BARK 1 cup andoa chocolate 4 tbsp mixed sesame seeds 2 tbsp cocoa nibs (chopped)

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

2 tsp Maldon salt

10 ½ gelatin sheet – bloom in ice cold water

Set aside 6 pieces of andoa and chop very fine.

1 ¾ cup heavy cream

Over a double boiler, melt chocolate completely.

1 ¾ cup milk

Remove bowl and cool down chocolate to 115-118 degrees, then add the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally.

¼ cup sugar

Combine sugar and water in pot and put over medium high heat. When sugar is dissolved, add in the hazelnuts and stir. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain hazelnuts from the excess liquid and cool.

7 4 oz egg yolks

Continue to cool until it reaches 86 degrees.

60 1 hazelnut milk chocolate (cut off)

Very carefully heat up to 89 degrees.

6 ¼ cups heavy cream (whipped)

Spread mixture flat onto silicone mat.

While still warm, sprinkle sesame seeds and Maldon salt over.

Cool completely and break into shards.

CHURROS MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE FOR CHURROS 3 cups chocolate 5 cups heavy cream 1 oxaca chile ¼ lb butter 1 tbsp orange blossom honey 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon 1 pinch salt 1 pinch cayenne Bring cream, butter and chile to boil, then steep for 20 minutes. Remove chile. Pour over chocolate, let sit for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in all other ingredients and strain. Serve warm.

CHURRO DOUGH 5 cups water 1 ¼ cup butter ¾ cup brown sugar 5 tbsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp salt 5 tbsp orange zest 3 tbsp nutmeg 5 cups flour 16 eggs Combine all ingredients except flour and eggs in pot, and bring to boil. Shut off heat and add flour.

Whisk together until ball forms.

Transfer to mixer with whisk attachment on medium-low speed.

Whisk until still warm, but able to touch.

Add eggs one by one until batter forms a ‘V’ shape when lifting whisk.

Transfer to pastry bag, and pipe into desired shapes onto parchment paper.

Freeze until ready to use.

To cook, deep fry in oil at 350, about 4 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Toss in a bowl with cinnamon and sugar; serve with the warm chocolate dipping sauce.

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Churros

recipe on page 96

with Mexican Ch ocolate Sauce

Dundee Hills Pinot Noir It Started Here for a Reason.

Fifty years ago, a small but intrepid group of wine pioneers searched for the perfect place to plant pinot noir.

They chose the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and the legend began.

The Vintage Collection The Dundee Hills Vintage Collection represents the character and range of wines from the Dundee Hills, showcasing the unique quality of each vintage. Available each year from October through February, this collection is a must have for collectors and enthusiasts. www.dundeehills.org/vintage-collection

Open year round, experience the wines, the food and intimate lodging. Visit www.dundeehills.org

The Heart & Soil of Oregon Wine™

SEVEN RISING STAR WINEMAKERS written by ERIC DEGERMAN

Sarah Cabot

©Richard Duval

©Richard Duval

Ryan Raber

JJ and Kelly Menozzi

SEVEN RISING STAR WINEMAKERS IN THE NORTHWEST are making their mark in a highly competitive and growing industry. From more than 1,700 wineries, four are from Washington, three are from Oregon. All are passionate about their journeys, career choices and humble beginnings, ranging from harvest interns, growing up in a family of chefs, wine educators, personal fitness, research, singers, pilots, and bartenders.

Taste their juice, join their wine club and meet them at those special events limited to club members. The hope is that in all six cases you will begin to see why they made this list.

We look at who inspired them, where they started, where they’re headed, and glimpse at their recent gold medals, double golds and other rankings causing all the attention.

Sarah Cabot Battle Creek Cellars/Primarius Winery, Dundee www.battlecreekwinery.com

Best to discover young talent before the prices skyrocket, or worse yet, that you simply cannot find their wines at any price.

Precept Wine, the largest privately owned wine company in Washington state, took Seattle native Sarah Cabot from a cult producer to corporate winemaker in 2014.

Here is an introduction to seven talented winemakers worthy of more attention and support. In Oregon, meet Sarah Cabot at Battle Creek Cellars and Primarius Winery in Dundee, Ariel Eberle at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville and Rob Folin at Belle Fiore Winery in Ashland. In Washington, Casey Cobble is at Goose Ridge Vineyards and Estate Winery in Richland, JJ Menozzi and his wife Kelly own Aluvé Winery in Walla Walla; and Ryan Rader is at Tertulia Cellars, another estate project in the Walla Walla Valley.

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OREGON

When adding up the production of Battle Creek Cellars, Primarius, the Kirkland Signature Series Willamette Valley Pinot Noir on behalf of Costco and Precept’s growing list of clients and labels, no other female winemaker in Oregon produces more wine that Cabot.

“I definitely know my region, and I know my varietal,” she said.

Ariel Eberle Acclaim came quickly. The Primarius 2014 Pinot Noir ($15), her debut vintage, produced a double gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. She produced 32,000 cases of that. This spring, her Battle Creek Cellars 2015 Roe Vineyard Pinot Noir ($59) took a gold at the Cascadia International.

“As a winemaker I believe that I’m going to get the first 100 points out of Oregon,“ she says.

Pinot Noir’s finicky reputation fascinated her as a young bartender, and she learned winemaking through South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy.

“I used to work in restaurants like Wild Ginger in Seattle and sold a lot of Oregon Pinot and loved it,” she said.

She left money on the table at Wild Ginger when she took the plunge as an assistant winemaker at Belle Ponte. Next was WillaKenzie before taking over the lead at Omero. Along the way, she’s become a canvas for artist renderings of grape vines and pruning shears. She ranks as one of the most tattooed winemakers in the Pacific Northwest, and the first one disappointed her father, now a professor at Oregon State University. Despite that, they enjoy a close bond, even after she turned her back on the jazz composition degree she received from Boston’s vaunted Berklee College of Music.

“My dad still asks, ‘Do you still sing?’ “ she said. “I do. But in order to make it, especially with jazz, you have to have a strong facility for shameless self-promotion. And I do not have that — at all.

Ariel Eberle Yamhill Valley Vineyards, McMinnville www.yamhill.com Two years ago, the heir apparent took over at historic Yamhill Valley Vineyards. It was a transition well-timed as Ariel Eberle took over for Stephen Cary, who spent 25 years as head winemaker for Yamhill Valley Vineyards.

Together, they’ve done a stellar job with cool-climate varieties, particularly in the past few years when Eberle spearheaded the white wine program.

“I will be celebrating 10 years with Yamhill Valley Vineyards in October,” Eberle said. “My winemaking career began as a harvest intern in 2008. From the beginning I intuitively knew that this place is something special.”

She’s making the winery’s 35th anniversary extra special. This year, the Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2017 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir earned the title of best rosé at the 2018 Cascadia International Wine Competition. The voting panel is dominated by winemakers, who by nature are their own worst critics, and it’s the largest judging of Pacific Northwest wines staged in the U.S. This summer, Yamhill Valley Vineyards was among the featured wineries at the International Pinot Noir Conference, a proud moment for the graduate of Wilsonville High, Oregon State University and Chemeketa Community College’s Wine Studies program.

“My first job out of college was doing research and development with an experienced team at a pharmaceutical research laboratory in Corvallis,” she said. “While I possessed curiosity to seek out answers to questions unknown, I lacked passion for the repetition needed for this type of research.”

So she took a year off to teach English in South Korea.

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“My time in Seoul helped me realize my obsession with home. It is true we often don’t realize what we have until we lose it,” she said.

Alas, her winemaking mentor passed away this spring in Portland at the age of 71. Yamhill Valley Vineyards staged its celebration of Cary’s life on Aug. 12, and he died knowing that the winery he was a part of for 33 years is in beautiful hands.

Rob Folin Belle Fiore Winery, Ashland and Ryan Rose Wine, Gold Hill www.bellefiorewine.com and www.ryanrosewine.com Somehow, Rob Folin remains one of the top winemakers in the Pacific Northwest who few know of. That seems likely to change with his new position at Belle Fiore, a showpiece winery in Southern Oregon that wouldn’t look out of place along Napa’s Silverado Trail.

His résumé begins with integrity, an internship at iconic Domaine Serene that led to seven vintages working in the Dundee Hills alongside acclaimed Tony Rynders and producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for the Evenstads.

“It was really interesting to learn how to make wine when you have the biggest wallet you can imagine,” Folin said.

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Rob Folin

He took those talents, returned home to Southern Oregon and adjusted his winemaking to fit the terroir for the grapes he and his family grew on their estate near Medford. Folin Cellars became an early champion for Rhône varieties in the Rogue Valley, and he showed a deft touch with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Viognier. Folin earned a double gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for his work with the robust Spanish grape Tempranillo.

“I think we’ve finally figured out in Southern Oregon to stop trying to make California wines,” he said.

His pedigree with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shows in his new ultra-boutique brand Ryan Rose, launched when his family closed Folin Cellars. Those early releases have drawn praise from Wine Enthusiast.

This spring, he took over at Belle Fiore for Gallo alum Heather Nenow, and he’ll get to play with Tempranillo, Verdejo and fascinating Italian varieties Barbera, Montepulciano and Teroldego. And while he’s a nose-to-the-grindstone guy, Folin doesn’t take himself too seriously, listing his work experience at Folin Cellars as “janitor.” (That’s an inside joke among nearly every winemaker.)

But aside from fly-fishing, Folin is a family man without hobbies.

“Honestly, I like to work,” he said. “I even enjoy being in the tasting room once in awhile.

WASHINGTON Casey Cobble Goose Ridge Vineyards, Richland www.gooseridge.com Not long after she finished her career as a University of Washington varsity swimmer, Casey Cobble sought a job that blended physical work with science and creativity.

“I stayed involved with fitness and strength conditioning and being a personal trainer, but I burned out on that,” she said.

A tasting room visit with a Yakima Valley winemaker had planted a seed with Cobble, and she considered a career in the wine industry. Wisely, she picked up a few science classes at UW on her way to the psychology degree she earned in four years. So she dived headlong into wine, growing into a role as lead wine educator at Columbia Winery in Woodinville while going back to school at South Seattle College and its Northwest Wine Academy. Her classwork, energy and charisma set her up for an internship with Bob Betz, a Master of Wine and owner/winemaker at esteemed Betz Family Cellars.

“It was a huge blessing for me to get that internship,” she said.

Cobble stayed there four years, leaving only when offered the lead winemaking role at Robert Ramsay Cellars, where her work with Rhône varieties set her apart in Woodinville. Last year, she earned four gold medals at the Seattle Wine Awards for Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache and the Mourvèdre-based Par La Mer blend. Her standalone Mourvèdre earned a gold at the Great Northwest Invite.

At Robert Ramsay, she processed 60 tons of fruit and 4,000 cases of wine. This summer, she accepted a job back home in the Tri-Cities at Goose Ridge Vineyards, where she will be in charge of 300 tons and focused club-member wines and those for the Monson family’s four tasting rooms across the state.

“We love living in this area, and someday I would love to have my own brand, but my husband is getting his doctorate in physical therapy so we’ll have student loans to pay for a few years,” she chuckled.

JJ and Kelly Menozzi Aluvé Winery - Walla Walla www.aluvewine.com The Menozzis have spent most of their adult life serving their country as pilots in the Air Force, and those tours of duty allowed them to travel the globe.

During their 23-year career, JJ flew fighters. Kelly piloted refueling aircraft.

Along the way, they developed an interest in the world of wine, constantly scouting potential landing spots for a winery and vineyard of their own.

The winery would be called Aluvè, a mashup of the Italian words for “wing” and “grape.” Reconnaissance in 2000 led them to the Walla Walla Valley, and they were befriended by the Dunham Cellars family. A decade later, the Menozzis purchased 10 acres along historic Mill Creek Road. Neighbors include luminaries such as Abeja, Walla Walla Vintners, aMaurice Cellars and Upland Vineyard, owned by the Figgins family of Leonetti fame.

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And JJ and Kelly went back to school, graduating from Walla Walla Community College’s vaunted viticulture and enology program, to learn how to grow their grapes for their wine.

Success came early. Their 2012 red Bordeaux blend called Primo Volo, Italian for “first flight,” earned a gold medal and best of class at the Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition then a gold medal at the Great Northwest Invitational. The 2015 Menozzi Vineyard Chardonnay won best of class at the 2017 Savor NW Wine Awards. The 2014 Menozzi Vineyard Cab recently got 92 points from The Wine Advocate’s Jeb Dunnuck.

“In the Air Force we always talked about procedures and techniques,” Kelly said.

“There are the procedures that you have to follow, and then there are the techniques that allow you to refine your skills, to be a better pilot, to be a better winemaker.”

Ryan Raber Tertulia Cellars, Walla Walla www.tertuliacellars.com Ryan Raber came from a family with passion for food. His great-grandfather, a grandfather and two of his uncles were chefs. His mother grew up cooking dinner for them when they got home from the restaurant.

That begins to explain why there’s a food-friendliness finesse that seems inherent in the wines at Tertulia Cellars.

“We don’t follow a recipe here,” Raber said. “We might pick at 21 or 22 Brix, and we don’t crush our fruit. I figure going through a 3-inch hose does that.”

And if he’s not in the cellar or checking on estate fruit at owner Jim O’Connell’s three vineyards — Rivière Galets, Whistling Hills and the terraced Elevation — you may well find Raber playing pétanque somewhere in the Northwest.

There’s a terrain at the ready at Tertulia, and he totes in his car or scooter a set of competition boules - the specialized palm-sized steel balls used in France’s version of bocce.

“You always carry a little measuring tape in your pocket so you can argue with people,” he smirked.

If pétanque gets added to the 2024 Paris Olympics, he’ll try to qualify for Team USA. In the meantime, he’s amassing gold medals for Tertulia. Last year, his Phinny Hill Vineyard Carménère won best of class at the Cascadia International. The Carm and his Phinny Hill Cab grabbed golds at the San Francisco Chronicle. A rosé from estate Tempranillo earned a gold in a Wine Press Northwest magazine judging. Tertulia’s Syrah and GSM-style wine — dubbed The Great Schism — produced golds at the Seattle Wine Awards.

Those seeking intensity shows in his Tierra Labrada line, produced from Elevation vines in fractured basalt that yield one ton per acre.

Fortunately, his retail team operates tasting rooms in Dundee, Oregon, Woodinville, Washington, and at the winery near the Washington/Oregon border.

The problem is - and it’s a good one - inventory. Raber needs to make more than 5,000 cases.

“Each wine is extremely limited in availability and handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail.”

-KELLY & JJ MENOZZI

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Local Harvest HONEYBEES

KEEPER OF THE

HONEYBEES written by MARGARETT WATERBURY photography by CAMILLE STORCH

THINK ALL HONEY TASTES THE SAME? THINK AGAIN. OLD BLUE RAW HONEY IN PHILOMATH, OREGON, MAKES VARIETAL HONEYS THAT ARE A REVELATION FOR ANYBODY WHO THINKS THE LAST WORD IN HONEY BEGINS AND ENDS WITH CLOVER. FROM ARUGULA TO WILD BLACKBERRY, THESE BEES MAKE HONEYS THAT CAPTURE THE EPHEMERAL BEAUTY OF FLORAL BLOOM.

BEEKEEPER HENRY STORCH eyed me warily as I walked up to his honey house. “You probably smell too good,” he said with a resigned tone of voice. “The bees will get all over you.”

Lesson learned. When visiting bees, skip the fancy salon shampoo. They’ll think the floral scent is, well, a flower, not a human scalp, and those little buzzers won’t leave you alone.

Henry knows a lot about bees. He and his wife, Camille Storch, own a company called Old Blue Raw Honey. They only sell honey harvested from their own hives, and unlike most other honey companies, they focus on unique varietals made from crops as well as wild plants. For anybody who’s ever wondered what poison-oak honey, groundsel honey, or parsley and mint honey might taste like, Old Blue Raw Honey has got you covered.

A BEEKEEPER IS BORN Raised in Corvallis, Henry has a keen interest in animals. Before launching Old Blue Raw Honey about four years ago, he worked as farrier—a professional horseshoer—giving him the unique distinction of having worked with one of the largest animals ever domesticated by man as well as one of the smallest. Camille, too, is a born-and-raised Western Oregonian, and her parents still farm a parcel not far from their home in the western edge of the central Willamette Valley, just a few miles from the foothills of the Coast Range.

Meeting Henry, I get the sense almost immediately that he has a deep vein of economy in the classic New English sense—a disdain for wasted effort, a desire to maximize the resources in front of him, a serious work ethic, and the belief that conservation is an action that you do, not a talking point or issue to exploit.

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1) A single frame from a hive can hold up to 14,000 bees. 2) Worker bees are responsible for building honeycomb; collecting nectar, pollen, and propolis; caring for larvae; and mending the hive—a lot of responsibility for a creature that might only live four weeks. 3) Henry’s choosy about the agricultural fields where he places his hives, only working with farmers he knows and trusts not to spray when the bees are flying. 4) Old Blue Raw Honey sells a limited amount of honeycomb, which makes a beautiful centerpiece for a cheese board. 5) Honey is concentrated nectar, and the flower variety dramatically impacts the flavor of the final honey. 6)Honey never goes bad; jars found in Egyptian tombs dating back about 3,000 years are still perfectly good to eat. 7) Honey made from bigleaf maple nectar is pungent, intense, and rare.

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Henry says he’d started keeping bees about a decade ago. (When he and Camille got married, the wedding featured a single hive in attendance, adorned with caution tape to keep curious guests at bay.) But it wasn’t until he had a particularly busy horseshoeing year that he started the business, thinking it sensible to invest his proceeds in a new venture rather than pay taxes on pure profit.

In Henry’s eyes, bees are a particularly elegant way to take advantage of an entire segment of natural resources that would otherwise go largely unutilized. Native plants, non-native plants, and agricultural crops are all fair game. Transport hives to a flower-rich section of the forest or the middle of a brassica field, and several weeks later you could be enjoying honey made from nectar that would otherwise disappear into the landscape. With the help of bees, humans can render an ephemeral phenomenon—floral bloom—as close to permanent as any foodstuff can be.

FROM CROPS TO WILDFLOWERS AND BACK AGAIN To understand the importance of that idea, it helps to have a sense of how the larger commercial honeybee industry works. Most commercial beekeepers focus on providing pollination services. In exchange for a fee, they load their bees up on a truck, transport them sometimes hundreds of miles, and set up their hives near farmers’ fields to pollinate their crops.

Not all crops need insect pollination, but many do, and some, like almonds, are almost wholly reliant on commercial honeybees for pollination. During the height of the pollination season, it’s estimated that more than 80% of all domestic honeybees in the United States are packed up, loaded onto flatbeds, and trucked to California.

Crop pollinations like these aren’t just about producing honey. The almond honey harvest, for instance, is pretty meager, since the trees bloom so early in the season. It’s also bitter, limiting its commercial value. Instead, the pollination itself is the service, and honey is a rare byproduct.

For Old Blue Raw Honey, crop pollinations are part of their business— Henry goes to California every year like most of other commercial beekeepers in the nation—but that’s just one part of a larger vision. Here in Oregon, Henry also places hives in remote sites in the Coast Range to forage on wild nectar flows as well as blooming crop fields in the Willamette Valley. Honey harvested from each hive location is processed, packaged, and labeled separately, with each bottle displaying the location of the hive, the nectar source plant, and the date of harvest.

The results are remarkable, with a startling diversity of flavors, colors, and even textures. Brassica honey, for instance, crystalizes almost immediately, while blackberry honey stays fluid and pour-able for longer. (There’s nothing wrong with crystalized honey—just run it under warm water to

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“Bees are complicated,” says Henry.

“They’re the last free-range livestock.

You’ve always got to plan ahead.

I always have about three different trains running on different tracks in my brain, and that’s what beekeeping is good for. If you like dynamic situations you’ll never find a real solution to, then you might like beekeeping.”

return it to a liquid state.) Bigleaf maple honey tastes medicinal and intense, while meadowfoam honey has an amiable, almost marshmallow-like sweetness that seems to get along with almost anything. Can’t choose? Old Blue Raw Honey’s annual membership delivers three varietal honeys to your door each quarter.

“Honey is concentrated flower nectar,” explains Camille. “So all of the honey’s character comes from the nectar source plant. But people are always shocked that they taste so different.” Camille says her favorite varietals are coriander and poison-oak. Henry likes clary sage, but admits he always has a bias towards honeys made where the bees were doing particularly well. When faced with Old Blue Raw Honey’s dozen or more rotating varietals, it’s even more astounding to hear that it all was produced in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties. “We’re in a really special part of the world that affords a diversity of varieties in just three counties,” says Camille.

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Seasonal Food~Locally Sourced A BETTER BEE In a hive, the population is dynamic. When I ask Henry and Camille how many bees they have, they tell me it’s virtually impossible to know since the number is constantly fluctuating. That’s one reason beekeepers measure their bees by the number of hives, and gauge the size of their hives by the number of frames inside the hive that the bees cover, rather than the number of individuals.

The population of a hive fluctuates according to the conditions.

During the spring, hives grow rapidly in population as queens lay more eggs and the colony rears more offspring to take advantage of an abundance of food resources. Queens produce two different types of bees: drones, whose job is to mate with the queen; and workers, whose job is to forage for nectar, pollen, and propolis, tend to larvae, and build honeycomb.

Bees rapidly increase the population of their hive in the early spring. In late spring and early summer, they maintain the size of the hive while making honey. Then, in late summer, they start decreasing their population and wind down honey production. By October, they’re hunkering down for the winter, and once temperatures drop below about 45 degrees, the bees go dormant, clustering together inside the hive to keep warm and wait for spring’s return.

Commercial bees bred for almond pollinations overwinter in large, resource-intensive clusters, up to 20 frames in size. That means they’re ready to roll in the early spring when the almond pollination season begins, but it also means they start the season with higher parasite loads and more disease pressure, which means many beekeepers need to actively treat them with miticides and antibiotics.

Henry wants to reduce Old Blue Raw Honey’s reliance on outside inputs like these, so he’s been working on a breeding project to develop a population of honeybees that is sturdier in constitution by selecting for desirable traits and incorporating feral genetics into his hives.

“I want bees with disease resistance, hygienic behavior, wing strength, and ability to forage in cool temperatures,” explains Henry. “I want them to be thrifty with their resources.” Henry’s bees overwinter in smaller clusters, which conserves resources, and are then able to build up their populations quickly in the spring. That makes them less ideal for early spring commercial pollinations, but they’re better adapted to the wetter, cooler, and more diverse conditions here in the Northwest.

In other words, they’re survivor stock, well suited to a life that includes much more than almond orchards. For the first time this year, Henry has started selling bees from that breeding project, sharing his advances with other beekeepers.

For most of us, our honey experiences start with the generic plastic bear on the top shelf of the peanut butter aisle. Thanks to Old Blue Raw Honey, that’s just the beginning. It’s hard to think of a sweeter way to rediscover the pleasures of culinary and botanical diversity.

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