WINERY
Embrace the Great Indoors
The places we inhabit can have a tremendous effect on how we think, act and feel. Spaces that open to the world can make us more open to new ideas. Configurable elements encourage creativity. Natural light aids mood and focus.
PARR ALOHA 755 NW 185th
Avenue Aloha, OR 97006
Home + Garden
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KITCHEN + BATH DESIGN
From uber moody kitchens with dramatic colored cabinetry and brushed brass fixtures to bright and crisp aqua cabinets with marble countertops, designer kitchens are boasting personalized color selections and added dimension with patterned-laid tile and statement lighting.
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CONDO REIMAGINED
Interior design firm Casework and contractor Hammer & Hand team to renovate a Southwest Portland condo using the words: ‘purposeful, clean, and cultivated’ as guidance, resulting in a gour met kitchen with optimal storage and a luxurious bedroom and bath.
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CITY INTERSECT
Stephenson Design Collective and Alchemy Building Company designed and built a modern, yet timeless home in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood, balancing privacy with picturesque views of the lake and treetops.
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HISTORIC TRANSLATION
Studio AM Architecture & Interiors and Bender Wasenmiller Custom Builders teamed to revamp a dark 1904 Seattle home into a family-friendly abode replete with light, space, and luxurious touches, paying homage to the homeowner's New England roots while honoring its historical Seattle neighborhood.
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TIMELESS TUDOR
A 1926 Seattle home underwent a kitchen and bath renovation by interior designer Emily Ruff of Cohesively Curated Interiors and contractor Ruslan Opanasevych of Complete Construction & Remodel. Brass lighting, Carrera marble, and a dedicated coffee bar create a personal and warm home for a family of three.
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Q RESTAURANT & BAR
Executive Chef Annie Cuggino is at the helm of Portland's award-winning Q Restaurant & Bar, specializing in fresh and local farm-to-table fare.
When it comes to designing a kitchen, there is nothing like customization to create something truly unique.
Commercial Quality Built for the Home
Eastbank has an extensive display of True products featuring Color & Trim options
eastbankappliance.com
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ROOM TO GROW
Landscape design and contractor GRO transformed a large, multi-generational pastoral landscape into an oasis perfect for relaxation and entertaining, complete with a pool, four-season patio and lush landscaping.
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EYE ON DESIGN
Curved shapes, textures and interiors that are guided by enveloping earthy colors offer welcoming touches to the home. Curated objects in natural materials add depth, a connection with nature and visual intrigue. A more modern grandmillenial takes shape with refined contemporary palettes and softer furnishings adding a touch of charm. 102
COMING HOME
A Mercer Island rebuild becomes a contemporary collaboration between homeowner, Tammara Stroud Design, McCullough Architects and JayMarc Homes. The team focused on creating a welcoming, dynamic and elegant home for a worldtraveling family of five.
Travel + Lifestyle
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MODERN FIT
Architect Paul Moon highlighted the Lake Washington shoreline with a four-story 1910 home remodel, terracing the gardens and creating a curtain of windows to take advantage of the view. This collaboration with Bender Wasenmiller addressed the home owner’s desire to create something “unpre tentious, quiet and comfortable.” 116
YO-JU COURTYARD HOUSE
Incorporating the concept Yo-Ju, or “secluded living” in Mandarin Chinese, DME Construction and Wittman Estes crafted a secluded family home, with private courtyards and thoughtful use of materials, on a busy arterial in Bellevue’s Clyde neighborhood. 124
OASIS IN THE CITY
Landscape designer Scot Eckley forged an escape from a bustling urban Seattle neighborhood with a peaceful garden sanctuary and outdoor living space. Tropical lushness and luxurious design provide a reason to relax outside.
RECIPES
All recipes by Executive Chef Annie Cuggino, Q Restaurant & Bar, www.q-portland.com
Cannoli with Bing Cherry Sauce
Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops
Olives and Fried Chickpeas
on the cover
Interior design firm Casework teamed with contractor Hammer & Hand to remodel a Southwest Portland condo, welcoming light, Dolomite stone, and a wealth of custom storage.
photography by George Barberis
SECLUDED RETREATS CAN EXIST
NEXT TO THE BUSIEST STREETS IN TOWN. THOUGH RARE, they can artful ly be achieved, thanks to brilliant architects and contractors able to puzzle through the challenges of designing and siting homes for optimum Zenlike tranquility. Traffic noise is replaced by sights and sounds of nature, and no one would know of the private world created only a few feet away from a busy urban neighborhood. We discovered two distinctive retreats worthy of feature – the ‘Yo-Ju Courtyard House’ in Bellevue, designed by Wittman Estes, who teamed with DME Con struction, and a garden sanctuary in Seattle, de signed and built by Scot Eckley.
Ten years of cooking in a dark, cramped kitchen motivated Eric Karl and Ana Quinones to hire interior designer Casey Keasler of Casework and contractor Hammer & Hand to overhaul their Southwest Portland condo. Cooking and enter taining now is a pure delight, due to the total re fresh of their living spaces, including a “cocoon” bedroom and luxurious bath.
Sometimes, you’re ahead to just start over. After all attempts to redesign an existing four-story 1910 home on Lake Washington became more costly than building a new contemporary with terraced gardens leading to the lake, architect and garden designer Paul Moon of Paul Moon Design joined talents with Bender-Wasenmiller Custom Builders to craft a masterpiece that not only blends into the shoreline, but also celebrates its magnificent water views.
Seattle interior designer Emily Ruff, owner of Cohesively Curated Interiors worked with Ruslan Opanasevych of Complete Construction & Remodel to transform the kitchen of a classic
1926 Tudor-style home on Lake Washington into a light-filled, warm, and inviting space, in keep ing with the rest of the home. Also on the agenda, three baths, a home office, and the dining room – and all had to be completed before their client’s due date, which they pulled off with aplomb.
Executive Chef Annie Cuggino continues to cre ate memorable dishes at Q Restaurant & Bar. Known for her innovative seasonal twists to the classics and sourcing from the top local farmers and purveyors, it’s always a truly special dining experience. Cuggino shares recipes for Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops, Olives and Fried Chickpeas, and Cannoli with Bing Cherry Sauce. It’s no sur prise the Q is ranked #1 by both Tripadvisor and The Portland Business Journal.
If a new kitchen, home, or remodel is on your wish list, check our website for leading North west design professional portfolios, or go online to www.portraitmagazine.com/portfolios If it’s time for a refresh of your interiors, check out our Eye On Design pages for the latest fabrics, appli ances, wallcoverings, surfaces, lighting and home furnishings – indoors and out, most of which can be sourced locally from leading shops and show rooms around town.
We’re proud to be celebrating 28 years of success ful publishing. Thank you for all your support!
PUBLISHER
Claudia M. Brown
EDITOR/SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Kiki Meletis
PROJECT MANAGERS
Karla Prater
Laura Taylor
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Nicole Rummel
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Melissa Dalton
Donna Pizzi
Emily Zahniser
PHOTOGRAPHERS
George Barberis Miranda Estes John Granen Haris Kenjar Greg Kozawa Andrew Pogue Michael Schultz Carina Skrobecki John Valls
PREPRESS PRODUCTION
William Campbell
PUBLISHED BY Portrait Magazine
SUBSCRIBE Online www.portraitmagazine.com
Claudia M. Brown Publisherclaudia@PortraitMagazine.com
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© Copyright 2021 Portrait Magazine, 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.
MAKE YOUR HOME A DESTINATION
Coming home should always look this good.
There is a place where local color and flavor blend. There is a place where togetherness thrives. There is a place where life slows down. Home. Be there.
The Concrete Advantage.
When it comes to your outdoor living area, having a timelessly designed stainless steel outdoor kitchen is the best way to showcase your creativity with color and style. Designed to accommodate even the most creative outdoor kitchen layout, our cabinets complement any manufacturer’s grill along with a multitude of other outdoor kitchen appliances and bar accessories. This versatility allows our expert designers to effortlessly turn your outdoor kitchen idea into a reality.
(above) The Soji Pendant from Alora Lighting creates a warm ambiance. Shown in Matte Black with Opal Matte Glass. globelighting.com
1. SHADES OF BLUE
The Fade Abalone from New Moon Rugs creates tranquility with blue, gray, and ivory tones. newmoonrugs.com
2. OPTIMAL OVEN
(left) The Torsion dining table from Ethnicraft evokes simple elegance and complements any room. Also available in a round top or oak finish. smgcollective.com
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Vikings 30" electric Double French-Door Oven boasts top-of-the-line convection capabilities in a charming form. Available through eastbankappliance.com
3. FLOWER POWER
The Tropical pillow in Blue dream brings vacation vibes home with deep indigos. elitis.fr
4. PILLOW TALK
From Loloi, find a subtle mes sage of 'happiness' in the P4079 ED, shown in Navy. hippdx.com
5. TRUE BLUE
From Thibaut, the Lily Flower in Spa Blue (top) and Austin in Spa Blue (bottom) printed fabrics on 100% linen brighten rooms with their cheerful patterns. thibautdesign.com
6. SIMPLE TOUCH
From Arteriors, the matte ivory lacquer Montecito Tray introduc es rattan-wrapped handles for an organic feel. arteriorshome.com
7. REFINED RATTAN
The Harrington Counter Stool from Arteriors is handcrafted with organic materials, featuring a handwoven seat in a traditional cane pattern. The Moth Gray finish completes the rustic aesthetic. Available through arteriorshome.com
WEEKEND VIBES
From Cosentino, Desert Silver from the Silestone line is inspired from marble with its icy surface patterned with fine and clear veins. Shown in these countertops, its uniform translucent design makes it complemen tary with a wide range of cabinetry, flooring, and lighting. Available in both polished and suede finishes, through Contract Furnishings Mart, www.cfmfloors.com
CHEF IN THE CITY
From Wolf, the Convection Steam Oven is versatile and ideal for the at-home chef extraordinaire. With options to utilize steam, con vection or a combination of the two, as well as chef-tested modes including Gourmet and Sous Vide, this oven will ensure your dishes are cooked to perfection. Available in three design styles, including Contemporary as shown, available through Standard TV & Appliance www.standardtvandappliance.com
(right) From Savoy House, the Winfield 2-Light Wall Sconce in Warm Brass is sleek & sophisticated. globelighting.com
1) Fading World Medallion Area Rug from Louis de Poortere brings a bold design to any room. Available in a variety of colors, through smgcollective.com 2) The Hexa from Saba Italia is inspired by the iconic forms of midcentury furniture design, available through sabaitalia.com 3) From Arizona Tile, the Calacatta Gris Honed Flower Mosaic (left) and from Akdo, the Sublime Bouquet Azurite with Talc & Ink Art Glass (right) enhance any space with their intricate detailing, through cfmfloors.com 4) The classicinspired Artifacts freestanding bath from Kohler offers gentle curves, through kohler.com 5) The Artifacts floor-mount bath filler in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass beautifully complements free standing baths as the finishing touch, through kohler.com 6) From Arteriors, the Turner Chaise in Iceberg Linen evokes glamour and elegance, perfect for lounging, through arteriorshome.com 7) From Brunschwig & Fils, the Silk Bird in Ebony brings bold, tropical vibes, millendstore.com
(below) From Arteriors, the Daria Tall Vase is eye-catching with its heavily textured and wildly unique façade, available through arteriorshome.com
From True Residential, the 30" Dual Zone Wine Column and 48" Full Size Refrigerator take inspired luxury to the next level. Holding up to 150 bottles, the Wine Column beautifully displays your favorite wines and preserves them with dual-zone control. The True 48 boasts professional performance with unparallel craftsmanship. Peek through the glass door to see sleek lighting and stainless steel finishes. Shown in Jupiter with glass door and stainless hardware. Available through Eastbank Contractor Appliances, eastbankappliance.com
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A MODERN EARTHY PALETTE OF FIERY COPPERS, MAHOGANY, AND RICH CHESTNUT layer effortlessly to create a warm atmosphere. We’ve gathered a collection of our favorite late-autumn inspired fabrics from Fabricut. 1) Fresh Floral in Coral Blush, an ornate pattern on 100% linen 2) Rockland in Rustic features orange, burgundy, and gray tones, best for upholstery 3) Telluride in Terra brings a playful, geometric pattern to upholstery 4) Apolline in Rouge avails your classic plaid pattern to multipurpose uses, in 100% cotton 5) Grevillea in Clay features vertical, delicate leaves, best for adding visual length to bedding and drapery 6) Lighting Tech in Terra Cotta features an abstract pattern in 100% polyester 7) Omaggio in Coral features a printed latticelike pattern in 100% cotton 8) Lush in Cognac brings a rich and luxurious feel with its mahogany tones 9) La Moreaux in Rouge, for a royal pattern made of 100% cotton embroidery over viscose and linen base. Available through Mill End Store, www.millendstore.com
ARRANGEMENT BY Kailla Platt, Kailla Platt Flowers kaillaplattflowers.com
COOL + GROUNDED
Soften dark cabinetry by using white countertops and backsplashes, resulting in a warm space that also feels bright and airy. From Dura Supreme Cabinetry, the clean Metro-Vertical door style in Hazelnut stain perfectly complements the sleek countertops. For a modern and industrial flair, the island cabinetry features the Alu minum Framed Door Style 1 in an Onyx matte black metal finish with Frosted glass insert. Style with black hardware and accents to finish the look. Available through Parr Cabinet Design Center, www.parrcabinet.com
REPLACE, REPAIR, OR REIMAGINE?
REPLACE, REPAIR, OR REIMAGINE?
We can help you answer the question.
REPLACE, REPAIR, OR REIMAGINE?
At Marvin, we understand how overwhelming replacing windows and doors can feel. Classic Sash & Door can walk you through everything you need to know step-by-step. With a little guidance, getting to a result you’ll love is easier than you think.
We can help you answer the question.
We can help you answer the question.
At Marvin, we understand how overwhelming replacing windows and doors can feel. Classic Sash & Door can walk you through everything you need to know step-by-step. With a little guidance, getting to a result you’ll love is easier than you think.
At Marvin, we understand how overwhelming replacing windows and doors can feel. Classic Sash & Door can walk you through everything you need to know step-by-step. With a little guidance, getting to a result you’ll love is easier than you think.
Discover a smarter way to replace with Classic Sash & Door.
Classic Sash & Door Company.
Discover a smarter way to replace with Classic Sash & Door.
Discover a smarter way to replace with Classic Sash & Door.
Visit our Showroom
1106 SE 6th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97214 503.227.0202 | www.classicsash.com
ALL-WEATHER LUXURY
Outdoor kitchens and living spaces can be accessible year-round with optimal heating, grilling, and specialty baking appliances. With Danver Outdoor Kitchens, personalize your cabinetry to fit your desired cooking techniques and aesthetic style. Pictured are the Ceramic Smoker Cabinet, Pizza Oven Cabinet, and Power Burner & Grill Cabinets, in the reliable stainless steel Key West Door style in Champagne 302 powder coat finish. Available through Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens, www.danver.com
(right) From Brizo, the Odin Pull-Down Faucet with Arc Spout has metal or wood handle options for a personal touch against the Luxe Gold finish. brizo.com
1. BRIGHT IDEA
The Thomas O’Brien Antonio
Adjustable Wall Lamp by Visual Comfort with hand-rubbed antique brass finish adds an industrial look and offers three adjustable points to focus light wherever you need it. globelighting.com
2. TEMPTING TILE
Add sophistication with State ments Tile’s CC Mosaics Matte Black Penny Round Mosaic tile. cfmfloors.com
3. GO MEDITERRANEAN
This soft cotton hand towel delights with its lemon design. le-jacquard-francais.com
4. GROW YOUR OWN TEA
Cultivate and enjoy your own tea at home. A must-read for tea fans and includes recipes to highlight the creative uses for tea. Available through powells.com
5. GO GREEN IN BLACK
Made of layers of post-consumer recycled paper and pressed into “stone,” PaperStone Products are environmentally friendly and perfect for kitchen and bath surfaces. paperstoneproducts.com
6. PERFECT PERCH
Inspired by the traditional spin ning wheel, the Spindle bench by Ethnicraft has a clean design. smgcollective.com
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RANGE OF COLORS
Freestanding 40" gas range by Ilve is a stunning add for any kitchen in graphite and brass trim. Available through eastbankappliance.com
HOME CHEF FRESH
Delight your family or dinner party of ten with professional-quality meals delivered with Viking's 48" Sealed Burner Gas Range. From the Viking 7 Series, it features eight burners with VariSimmer technology for gentle, precise cooking; the Gourmet-Glo Gas Infraret Broiler for searing meats and fish; and LED backlighting on the knobs for a polished touch. Available through Basco Appliances, www.bascoappliances.com
LIGHTING REFRESH • MATTE BLACK
SHOP THE LOOK
RLM 10" 1-Light Outdoor Angle Shade Black; 10"W X 10.5"H www.globelighting.com
SHOP THE LOOK
Harmon 1-Light Seeded Glass Pendant Matte Black; 12"W X 19.25"H www.globelighting.com
CLASSICALLY MODERN
Create a timeless yet modern look with updated lantern-style lighting. From Capital Lighting’s Harmon Collection, inspired by vintage walking lanterns, the central pendants illuminate through perfectly detailed seed ed glass against the matte black cage silhouette. From the fully custom izable RLM Collection, the 1-Light Outdoor Angle Shade comes together with the Goose Neck Wall Mount to create the modern farmhouse look. Pair with black frame windows for an added touch of elegance. Available through www.globelighting.com
American Roots Lessons and Inspiration from the Designers Reimagining Our Home Gardens by Nick McCullough, Allison McCullough, & Teresa Woodard www.workman.com
In recent years, bold designers have begun championing an American design aesthetic that embraces regional cultures, plants, and growing conditions. In American Roots, Nick Mc Cullough, Allison McCullough, and Teresa Woodard highlight designers and creatives with exceptional home gardens, focused on those who push the boundaries, trial extraordinary plants, embrace a regional ethos, and express their talents in highly personal ways. Covering all the regions of the country, the profiles dive into design influenc es, share the back stories of the gardens and their creators, and include design tips and plant suggestions.
Patina Modern A Guide to Designing Warm, Timeless Interiors by Chris Mitchell & Pilar Guzmán www.workman.com
Chris Mitchell and Pilar Guzmán are design obsessives who both want the same thing: rooms that are spare yet warm, layered yet clean, current yet timeless. Rooms that never forget the real
humans—with all their needs, hopes, emotions, aspirations, and even spills—who live in these spaces. Over the course of six ever more ambitious home reno vations, they’ve cracked the code on how to achieve this.
Terrain: The Houseplant Book
An Insider's Guide to Cultivating and Collecting the Most SoughtAfter Specimens by Melissa Lowrie www.workman.com
Terrain’s plant experts travel the world in search of the most unusual and interesting house plants. In this inspiring and practical guide, they share their favorite specimens: exotic and eclectic ferns, like the skeleton fork, a primitive (and unfussy) predecessor to the family; new aroids to feed that monstera obsession; and adventurous trail ing plants like dischidia, which is found cascading from tree branches in its native Thailand; plus succulents and cacti, indoor trees, the best low-care plants, and “rule breakers” like bamboo muhly grass that can make an unexpected move indoors. Along the way, Terrain introduc es their favorite independent growers—passionate plant lovers who are creating new hybrids and bringing back old-school specimens to the market.
CONDO REIMAGINED
The remodel started with the kitchen, where the couple like to cook every day. Custom cabinetry by Hammer & Hand and Precision Custom Cabinets has a sleek integrated handle, and is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Rushing River. Appliances like the Sub-Zero Classic refrigerator/freezer, Blue Star range, and Sub-Zero wine storage are from Eastbank Contractor Appliances. The homeowners’ existing dining table and chairs are illuminated by the Huxley small pendant by Park Studio LA.
AFTER LIVING IN THEIR SOUTHWEST PORTLAND CONDO FOR ABOUT A DECADE, Eric Karl and Ana Quinones had developed a process for putting things away in the kitchen. “Our cabinets were like a jigsaw puzzle where only two people in the world knew how to access things,” says Eric. The couple love to cook together – as far as cuisine goes, “We’re all over the map,” says Eric – but their existing island space was scant and the cabinets maxed out, even with their carefully calibrated approach. “After ten years, some things started to break down and the design was a bit stale,” says Eric. “We just really wanted to freshen the space and make it more enjoyable for us to be in.”
The couple appreciated much about their home, including the high ceilings, views of the city, and abundance of natural light flowing in from floor-to-ceiling windows. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, both Eric and Ana –he’s in tech and she’s a professor of public health – began working from home regularly, which they still do a lot of today. Spending so much more time there led them to think about potential improvements, like creating a more functional kitchen and swapping out the dark and worn cherry finishes that weren’t doing much to spread the natural light around. They reached out to Portland interiors firm Casework and contractor Hammer & Hand for an overhaul. “We looked at a lot of portfolios online, and we fell in love with Casey’s take on design,” says Eric. “She had a modern, fresh aesthetic, but it isn’t cold and impersonal.”
The ensuing remodel revamped most of the home, from the defunct kitchen to the two bathrooms and primary bedroom, eeking out more function, as well as a whole new look. “We work really hard to make sure we understand our client’s functional needs,” says interior designer and Casework founder Casey Keasler. “It’s great if it’s beautiful, but if it’s not functional and the countertop stains on the first day, then what’s the point? It has to work with how you live your life.”
To that end, the team started with the couple’s favorite spot, the kitchen, where Keasler and her team inventoried the contents of every cupboard so they’d know exactly how much storage was needed. “We have photos of every single cabinet open, to see what’s inside,” says Keasler. “We talk about drawers and what goes in each drawer, and have them walk us through a typical day, or when they’re cooking a big meal.”
Now, floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry wraps two walls, with additional storage capacity in the central island, along the wall of the dining room, and in a standalone custom sideboard. Appliances like a Sub-Zero Classic refrigerator and freezer, and an eight-burner Blue Star range are up to the task of the couple’s endeavors, while an additional Sub-Zero wine fridge allows them to store bottles for entertaining. “I never have an overloaded fridge anymore,” says Eric.
As for the design dictum guiding the home’s new look, Keasler’s process is equally personalized.
“In the beginning, we always set some keywords for a project to get guidance,” says Keasler. “Purposeful, clean, and cultivated were our three keywords here, and they were interested in natural materials, a warm vibe, but to have a very clean, contemporary feel to it.”
Dolomite stone covers the counter and backsplash. “The stone is beautiful and incredibly durable in our experience, and has really exceeded our expectations,” says Eric. “That was something that we were a bit worried about: we didn’t want to have to walk around the condo with a little cleaning rag all day.” Floors and walls are much lighter than before, thanks to Engineered White Oak flooring by California Classics, from Classique Floors & Tile, and fresh paint, Benjamin Moore’s Wedding Veil.
THIS PAGE Fry admires the craft of the cabinetmakers and stone installers: Both “did a nice job grain matching and following the grains through all of the pieces to make it look flawless,” says Fry. Plain-sawn walnut was used for the standalone sideboard and island base, both fabricated by Precision Custom Cabinets. OPPOSITE The fluted hood surround is composed of plaster sourced at Portland store Brush & Trowel. The island pendant is the TR Bulb Suspension Frame in Black, from Menu.
The lighter palette is grounded with white oak flooring installed throughout the main rooms and bedrooms, complemented by the subtle green of the kitchen cabinetry, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Rushing River. Walnut elements, like the island base and custom sideboard, accent the main room, as does the dramatic Dolomite slab covering the counters and backsplash. A fluted plaster hood surround is a bespoke touch that adds texture. The bathrooms maintain consistency with the kitchen, each featuring a custom walnut vanity with Dolomite counter. In the primary bathroom, the stone covers the tub surround and forms a ledge above the tile backsplash. In the primary bedroom, the lighter palette was reversed, with the room ensconced in the inky hue of Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray. “We painted the ceiling as well, in order to create dramatic contrast. The condo is light and open throughout, then you come into the bedroom, and it’s almost like a cocoon,” says Keasler. Casework’s attention to detail was matched by Hammer & Hand, whether the contractor was navigating the challenges of remodeling in a shared building to minimize disruptions to the neighbors, or fulfilling the design vision by working with excellent subcontractors. “Casework is fantastic and has an incredible perspective,” says project manager Daryll Fry. “I’ve worked with Hammer & Hand a number of times,” adds Keasler. “Daryll is very detail oriented and thoughtful. We really like working with him.”
Since the project wrapped in May of 2022, Eric and Ana are relishing their home, whether relaxing in their new bedroom “cocoon,” or experimenting with various recipes at the island, and hosting friends. “It just feels a little more peaceful and calmer being in the home,” says Eric, who notes that even the cat is happier. “Our cat absolutely loves the heated floors in the bathroom. She spends most of her day lounging on them.”
PROJECT
THIS PAGE The primary bathroom combines porcelain Heska floor tile, from Emser Tile, a custom walnut and dolomite vanity, and a tub with a dolomite surround. Fireclay tile forms the backsplash, with walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Wedding Veil. OPPOSITE TOP LEFT The guest bath also features a custom vanity in walnut and dolomite, with a Rejuvenation mirror, Ann Sacks floor tile, and sconce from Worley’s Lighting. OPPOSITE BOTTOM LEFT A coat of Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray promotes relaxation in the bedroom.
KURT HARMON GREW UP GOING TO HIS GRANDPARENTS’ HOUSE ON GREEN LAKE and would visit the park from an early age, for family gatherings and to watch Fourth of July fireworks. “I learned to kayak and canoe on Green Lake,” says Kurt. He and husband Joe Yanity bought the family house in October 2018, but thirty years as a rental had taken its toll. So, they decided to build anew, tapping architect Ryan Stephenson of Stephenson Design Collective and Alchemy Building Company for the job.
Balancing the views – into the home, and out to the lake – was key to the new design. “You might love where you’re at, but you want some separation from it at the same time,” says Stephenson. “You want to feel like you can sit in the front yard without being on display.”
To that end, Stephenson sunk the lowest level of the home a bit below grade, and located the bedrooms there, with the primary suite in the rear. It has its own secluded courtyard, which was ideal for the couple, who both work in medicine and might sleep nontraditional hours. “We used to live in downtown Seattle, on the 34th floor of a condo building,” says Joe. “We had so much light and glass that we were done with the view in the bedroom.” Out front, a concrete and steel perimeter fence with a steel gate for the entry provides additional privacy to the bottom floor.
With the layout flipped, the main living spaces occupy the middle floor, with glass doors pocketing out of sight to open to the balcony facing the lake. “We liked Ryan’s vision and his creativity,” says Joe. “He goes big. We tell him we want a view, and the next thing you know, our entire South window opens all the way up.”
The top floor hosts a family room with a wraparound terrace and green roof, its elevated perch putting it out of eyeline of park-goers while still offering up a great view of the water and treetops. “There’s levels of privacy throughout the house and levels of connecting, or disconnecting, to what’s out front,” says Stephenson.
Designed by architect Ryan Stephenson and constructed by Travis Gaylord of Alchemy Building Company, this project is “not your standard box with white siding,” says Gaylord. The façade combines Mutual Materials Slim Brick with Marvin Ultra windows from Cherry Creek Windows & Doors. THIS PAGE In the entry, a Bocci pendant illuminates the walnut floor and stair screen. The glass Marvin door is also from Cherry Creek Windows & Doors.
CITY INTERSECT
AS A LAKE SURROUNDED BY GREEN SPACE, GREEN LAKE IS ONE OF SEATTLE’S MOST BELOVED PARKS. STEPHENSON DESIGN COLLECTIVE AND ALCHEMY BUILDING COMPANY JOIN TOGETHER TO CREATE A MODERN HOME ON ITS EDGE, BALANCING PRIVACY WITH POROSITY, AND CELEBRATING THE UNIQUE VIEWS OF NATURE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
written by MELISSA DALTON photography by ANDREW POGUEStepping back the third floor enabled Stephenson to incorporate a Crystalite skylight from Cherry Creek Windows & Doors into the kitchen, flooding the room with natural light. A clear cedar ceiling further grounds the space, as does the Leicht cabinetry with Metea and Japanese Pine finishes, paired with a Pental Terreno backsplash and counters. The floors are stained and sealed concrete. Integrated appliances from Gaggenau, Fisher Paykel, and Thermador keep visual clutter to a minimum.
Such a configuration made it possible to ensure that the three-story house doesn’t loom over pedestrians in the street. Each level of the façade is stepped back as the building ascends, with the steel railings creating further porosity, all the way up to the roofline, which is unexpectedly staggered. “It’s a standard gable pitch, but I broke it up to give a bit of modulation,” says Stephenson. “If I brought that entire mass up uninterrupted, you would feel the weight of this three-story house. But by pushing against those vertical planes, you start to break up the heavy mass.”
Regarding the interior, the couple had gathered a yellow legal pad of notes over the years, taking stock of what they liked, and didn’t like, in all the places that they’ve lived. For instance, after owning a Ravenna Craftsman with “tiny closets and tiny rooms,” says Kurt, the couple knew they wanted an open floorplan for their main rooms that flowed easily to the outdoor spaces.
Concrete floors and sleek, flat-front kitchen cabinetry are paired with timeless materials, like clear cedar at the ceilings, walnut stair screen and floors in the entry, a quartz slab in the kitchen, and marble-effect porcelain tile in the primary bath. Everything has a place, from the counter appliances tucked in the pantry to the hidden powder room door, so there’s no visual clutter. “If you start to clutter it, you immediately are unhappy,” says Kurt. “It’s not fussy looking, or overly ornate. People arrive to the house and it feels welcoming, not stark.”
Although construction primarily took place during the pandemic, architect, builder, and clients developed a good rapport and communicated well throughout, resulting in a house that everyone is proud of upon completion. “We all got the house that we wanted,” says Kurt. “Even during the stressful times, each of us allowed us to be who we are, and we respected each other. We knew that they were the experts, and Ryan and Travis very artfully guided us through the process and kept us on track.”
OPPOSITE, UPPER LEFT+ABOVE In the primary bathroom, porcelain tile called Marvel Stone Bardiglio wraps the walls. Leicht cabinetry forms the vanity, and the faucets are Brizo Vettis. The concrete floors have radiant heat. OPPOSITE, UPPER RIGHT A glimpse into the secluded courtyard, for the couple and their dogs to enjoy away from the busy street. OPPOSITE, BELOW The third-floor terrace has outdoor kitchen components. The green roof melds into the park view, and steel work is by Gagnon Steel.
ABOVE A Thermador wine column is unobtrusive in the sleek kitchen cabinetry from Leicht. The powder room door is accessed around the corner. TOP RIGHT Alchemy Building Company built the custom wine system tucked under the stairs on the bottom floor. The walnut slats come down to a glass door, and the bottles are backlit for artful display. BOTTOM RIGHT The pantry door is glimpsed through the kitchen, so as to be out of sight from the main room, yet still convenient to the cook.
PROJECT SOURCES
CONTRACTOR
Alchemy Building Company LLC alchemybldg.com
ARCHITECT
Stephenson Design Collective stephensoncollective.com
SELECT EXTERIOR MATERIALS
Mutual Materials mutualmaterials.com
WINDOWS & DOORS
Cherry Creek Windows & Doors cherrycreekwindows.com
Can you trace your interest in architectural design back to a particular influence?
As a kid, wanting a structure or space to house myself or what ever toy I was playing with and spending time to create it was heavily influential in my path. It gave me the opportunity to understand what worked and what didn’t, and hopefully why. I was lucky to realize at some later point that this could lead to a life and career that I love.
During your studies at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture of Auburn University you spent time working with Rural Studio®, an off-campus design-build program that coupled research on sustainable and healthful rural living; how did this experience impact your approach to residential design?
I think it became the foundation of my approach. We quickly learned that we had to become immersed in the community and client to completely understand the problem and opportunity or it would fail. These weren’t weekly studio pin-ups inspired by your favorite firm. You lived it as the community did, and it humbled you. Every line on paper had to be deliberate and defendable because there were realized consequences. I learned to understand that what I did had the potential to be permanent and have a positive, or negative effect on a com munity. I take that same mindset into every project that comes through the door.
Outside of architecture, what are you currently interested in and how is it influencing your design thinking?
I have enjoyed spending extended amounts of time in the mountains with my wife and boys. I believe it is important to ful ly experience the natural world before you attempt to add to it.
Many of Stephenson Design Collective’s award-winning residences focus on balance through the creation of space and light. How does your firm approach creating spaces with functional beauty within the natural environment?
The structure of a home should lightly fill in the spaces around the process of living. The less you think about a home as you are moving through, the better. The same can be said for its surrounding environment. The home is secondary to the beau ty of the place.
What’s next on the boards?
Location and experienced-based homes. The understanding and requirements of a home have recently changed for the better and people have placed a greater importance on their experienced environment.
Best travel destination for inspiration?
A trip to Iceland was more influential than I expected as it was mostly just the natural landscape. You experience an environ ment that has come from geological violence but is still some how a place of incredible beauty. Then to observe how people have learned to live with that natural violence is amazing.
What is your favorite space in your own home and why?
The kitchen is the easy answer, but honestly, the living room. If I am here, its probably the end of a day and my wife and I are taking a minute to relax. I designed a living room in my home that has views into multiple exterior spaces, so there is a feeling of balance and connection in this area of the home, with a ton of natural light.
What’s on your radar?
Residential architecture coming out of Australia. The limited urban space and unique rural environment seem to be inspiring some really great work.
THIS PAGE The multi-paned entry door with beveled glass by Little Pigs Distributing replaced a solid wood door to bring in light. Benjamin Moore Super White brightens home. Krieg retrofitted the Altura cabinet’s back to receive mail through the slot. OPPOSITE Gone are odd rooflines and choppy exterior with conflicting styles, unified by a Colonial New England style, specific proportions, tall rectangular windows, stained shingles and a whole new third floor.
HISTORIC TRANSLATION
written by DONNA PIZZI photography by HARIS KENJARSTUDIO AM ARCHITECTS TEAMED WITH BENDER WASENMILLER CUSTOM BUILDERS TO TRANSFORM THIS OFT-REMODELED 1904 SEATTLE HOME INTO A JEWEL OF A FAMILY HOME WITH BETTER FLOW, FABULOUS KITCHEN, CONGRUENT ROOFLINE, COHESIVE EXTERIOR, AND A FULL THIRD STORY.
THIS PAGE Luce Di Luna stone slot drained sink with dual Waterworks faucets. Pocket door opens onto master vestibule with shoe cabinet’s leaded glass echoing historic exterior. RIGHT Dramatic Navy-blue pendants by The Urban Electric Co. spotlight Calacatta island. Custom corbel detail on range hood. Miele speed oven. Polished nickel Water Street Brass cabinet knobs from Chown Hardware. Driscoll Robbins Fine Carpets vintage rug reiterates Thos. Moser orange hued chair backs.
By widening the entrance to the newly created butler’s pantry, which includes a True under-counter wine storage and Dacor wine station whose glass doors continue the leaded glass theme, Studio AM Architects also opens easy access to formerly closed-off kitchen. Light dances off the jewel-toned Benjamin Moore Evening Sky. Walnut dining table and fabric and leather chairs are Holly Hunt. Chandelier John Pomp from Trammell-Gagné at the Seattle Design Center. Existing but refinished 2.5" hardwood dining room floors custom stained.
FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, in the owners of this 1904 Seattle home waited while their newborn twins became toddlers before approaching residential designer Mike Troyer of Studio AM Architects about a persistent leak in their attic skylight. What he found was a cramped west-facing guest bedroom with the proverbial bowl of water collecting the drip, drip, drip from the skylight. Thanks to Troyer’s vision, coupled with that of partner interior designer Danielle Krieg, the repair soon blos somed into a full-blown remodel that would address all the shortcomings of previous remuddles. Not only would they restructure the attic into a spacious third story re plete with dual offices, a family TV room, and larger guest room with an east facing view of Lake Washington, but they also unified the exterior’s conflicting architectural styles into a single, clean-lined Colonial New England façade that reflects one home owner’s New England roots. “We found a way to combine the exterior design,” says the New Englander, “without relying on dormers which some neighbors have done.” The result features light gray stained shingles, tall rectangular windows, as well as the new third-floor Juliette balcony, leaded windows, and historic medallion. “We wanted to get as much light into the very dark house as possible,” says Troyer, “so we took everything off the exterior, including a very large front porch that came out of stone walls at the top of the stairs, and added a decorative awning over the door.”
With the removal of a 12' covered swim spa, Troyer was able to extend the once closed off kitchen into a light-filled family gathering place, now easily accessed through a new jewel box style butler’s pantry carved out of a former pantry tucked beneath the entry staircase. “My dream was to have a sit-in island,” says the other homeowner, “but when the space didn’t work out, we created a dining nook that was better than I could ever imagine, without the clutter of island chairs, and friends able to talk to us as we work at the island.” A bank of windows enrobes the room giving the home owners multiple views out to their children playing in the yard. A custom built-in banquette pairs with a customized Elm tabletop on a Holly Hunt base as an homage to the trees found in the neighborhood. Thos. Moser chairs whose arched backs add a splash of orange red hue to the black and white palette mimic the gooseneck dual Waterworks faucets. Krieg led the homeowners in an exhaustive local search for the perfect marble slab that ended with a two-day trip to San Francisco’s various marble dealers. “At the very last place we visited, in the very last aisle,” they recall, “was the white, tiny veined Calacatta we envisioned, which Danielle went to immediately and announced, ‘Ta Dah! We found it!’”
Bender Wasenmiller was equally as dedicated to delivering its “A” game during the 18-month long project. “Working with any big structure over 100 years old that has gone through multiple remodels,” notes Wasenmiller, “requires going in surgically to deal with the elements that existed initially.” Case in point was the central chimney that went through four floors, which Wasenmiller’s team had to dismantle by hand and rebuild with all new brick, including creating the additional depth necessary to make the fireplace wood burning. “The homeowners were very passionate about the
home,” adds Wasenmiller, “wanting to honor its age, and historical neighborhood. To that end, some of the millwork profiles and panel details that are not readily available off the shelf had to be created with custom runs that match profiles from 100 years ago.” The homeowners say the quality of work Bender Wasenmiller does is exceptional. “We recommend them and their high-quality subs all the time.”
Troyer and Krieg designed the smaller-in-scale primary bath with the same attention to detail. “We made one large slot drained Luce Di Luna stone sink with dual Waterworks plumbing fixtures and mirrors, rather than each individual sink having a single fixture,” says Krieg. The mirrors rest on the sink with a customized bracket that holds them in place, while an open-faced cabinet stores towels below. The slab shower features trench drains on either side with its glass door running straight across into the shower.
The homeowners were delighted to find Krieg and Troyer so open to incorporating their ideas into their design. “It was an amazing working relationship,” says the hobbyist photographer homeowner who loves photographing their home’s interiors. “Once the solid wood entry door was replaced with a glass paneled one, light now flows throughout the main floor,” she says. New wide case openings between the living and dining room create a much-needed circular flow. Fears that all the care they put into their home would make it feel like a museum are unfounded. “In stead, it’s a safe place,” they say. “It just feels like home the minute you walk in.”
THIS
PROJECT SOURCES
CONTRACTOR
Bender Wasenmiller Custom Builders benderwasenmiller.com
ARCHITECT+INTERIOR DESIGN
Studio AM Architecture & Interiors studioamarchitects.com
PAINT
Benjamin Moore benjaminmoore.com
SELECT FURNISHINGS
Seattle Design Center seattledesigncenter.com
A 1920s photo revealed the current prop erty sits on two lots, with an adjacent home apparently razed and lot purchased so this porch could be added to the south side. During trip to San Francisco, homeowners sat in the Sutherland showroom and chose the Perennial indoor-outdoor fabrics for each. Pops of blues, blacks, and orange pair with black indoor-outdoor mohair Ottoman. Orange pillows from Susan Mills at the Seattle Design Center.
THIS PAGE Chavette Chandelier from Lulu and Georgia. HM Duke Design banquette with Tonic Living stripe fabric. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace paint reflects Rove Concepts table. OPPOSITE Brass Rejuvenation sconces and hardware accent custom Superior Cab inets in Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. Wolf range, Carrara marble countertops, back splash. Rohl plumbing. Found Home Shop rug.
written by DONNA PIZZI photography by CARINA SKROBECKITIMELESS TUDOR
SEATTLE INTERIOR DESIGNER EMILY RUFF OF COHESIVELY CURATED INTERIORS WORKED HAND-IN-GLOVE WITH RUSLAN OPANASEVYCH OF COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION & REMODEL TO TRANSFORM A PREVIOUSLY REMODELED BUT AWKWARD KITCHEN IN THIS CLASSIC 1926 SEATTLE HOME OVERLOOKING LAKE WASHINGTON INTO AN ELEGANT, LIGHT-FILLED GATHERING PLACE THAT NO ONE WANTS TO LEAVE.AFTER THE PREVIOUS HOMEOWNERS SPENT 30 YEARS raising their family in this 1926 Tudor style home in Seattle, Shannon Clark and her husband purchased it in January 2021, to create their own memories at a time when Shannon was pregnant with their first born. The home, which overlooks Lake Washington, was light filled everywhere but the kitchen, which had undergone an early 1990s re model. “The kitchen was the darkest place in the house and lacked the warmth of the rest of the home,” says Shannon. A jutting peninsula forked in two directions with a low-slung seating area one way and the cooktop and adjacent cabinets in the other. Seattle interior designer Emily Ruff of Cohesively Curated Interiors, who segued into design from corporate work which required great attention to detail and ex cellent organizational skills, recommended they gut the entire kitchen, a task which Ruslan Opanasevych and his crew at Complete Construction & Remodel took on with great aplomb. By eliminating the overabundance of cabinetry that was blocking the light, adding a window near the breakfast nook, and replacing a single door with a pair of French doors opening onto the expansive backyard, light began to flood the space. “The goal was to make the home feel new but keep things classic, so the design didn’t feel out of place in a near 100 -year-old-home,” says Ruff.
Perhaps the most arduous task Complete Construction & Remodel faced was re moving the awkward post and beam that dominated the former kitchen remod el and installing a 900 pound 20' steel beam that helped reorient the space to accommodate a more welcoming feel. “Structurally, it was very intense,” recalls Opanasevych. “In addition to having to support the exterior wall when we took out the support beam, we had to assemble the new steel beam on site and then heft it up two flights of stairs.”
Originally, Shannon thought she wanted blue cabinetry, but realized that in twoyears’ time she might hate blue cabinets. “I wanted to create something that was timeless, warm, and inviting. Emily was so good at creating a space that makes peo ple feel like they’re ‘at home.’” Additionally, after removing the wall-to-wall carpet upstairs, they discovered the original white oak flooring that hadn’t been exposed in over 30 years. That led to replacing the wider planked red oak floors used in the 90s kitchen remodel with thinner planked white oak flooring oriented in the same direction as the original.
“My biggest focus,” says Ruff, “was to keep the same footprint but improve the flow from the three different doorways leading into the space.” Working with Shannon’s European and British inspiration photos, and paying heed to her husband’s passion for coffee, Ruff designed a coffee bar with handmade tiles, floating wood shelves, and room for a 170 lb. espresso machine waiting to be installed. “Because the beautiful handmade clay tiles are imperfect,” adds Opanasevych, “we had to cut them using a laser, then scroll through the pieces that would enable us to install the shelves perfectly on top of them.” A pair of striking brass pendants draw the eye to the large Carrara marble topped island designed to accommodate the handsome bar stools Shannon brought from their Washington, DC home. “If we had used chrome or nickel lighting,” says Shannon, “it would have created a much cooler feel to the room. I chose brass for the warmth they create.” Vertically rounded reeded cabi nets complete the triumvirate of island, coffee bar, and cabinets, the latter adding a unique texture to the space.
A pair of impressive Visual Comfort brass pendants add character to overall design and task lighting to the Carrara marble island countertop. Arteriors leather bar stools tuck beneath countertop. Coffee bar features Carrara marble backsplash crowned with high gloss handmade tiles. Floating wood shelves echo unseen wood end portion of adjacent island. Brass Rohl plumbing ties to Rejuvenation sconces. Sub-Zero beverage refrigerator.
PROJECT SOURCES
CONTRACTOR
Complete Construction & Remodel constructremodel.com
INTERIOR DESIGN
Cohesively Curated Interiors cohesivelycurated.com
SELECT PAINT
Benjamin Moore benjaminmoore.com
OPPOSITE Shannon requested handy cubby shelves for her perfumes, candles, and fresh flowers. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace walls with BM Shadow Gray cabinetry. Walk-in shower features Zia tile and Waterworks fixtures with glass door fabricated by Northwest Shower Door. Carrara Marble flooring from The Tile Shop. Heir Looms Vintage Rug. ABOVE LEFT Signature Hardware tub warmed by handmade Zia tile and Waterworks Brass plumbing. The Light Factory chandelier draws eye toward view. ABOVE RIGHT Son’s bathroom reiterates Carrara marble countertops with nickel Kohler plumbing. Rounded Rejuvenation vanity mirror and sconces.
To accommodate the addition of a soaking tub in the upstairs primary bathroom and a newly oriented shower, Complete Construction & Remodel demolished a massive wall that hid a horizontally oriented shower from view, as well as a half-wall that partially obscured the toilet tucked alongside dual sink vanities. Replacing the bathroom carpeting with Carrara marble was a remarkable improvement. The new shower features Zia tile and unlac quered brass hardware. “There was no bathtub at all, just a medicine cabinet where the bathtub now is,” recalls Shannon. “We wanted to change it so that when you open the door, you see the tub, chandelier, and Lake Washington, the most beautiful view from any bathroom I’ve ever owned.” There was one moment of panic, however, when the tile surrounding the tub had not yet been grouted. “I thought it was too much tile,” says Shannon, “but Emily assured me it was fine.” Once grouted, Shannon discovered the pinkish orange tiles shine like jewels in the late afternoon sun. “I really had to trust her and now it’s my favorite part of the whole bathroom.” Likewise, Opanasevych had his own worries regarding the installation of the plumbing at a time when the supply chain was broken, and he had to remove the flooring to bring in the water lines. “The tub filler is located in the center of the niche, but we had to install it without having the hardware on site,” he says. Happily, all went well, which, given that Shannon was pregnant, and the work had to be done before she gave birth, was miraculous. “She was great and very patient,” he says. Shannon felt the same and was equally as impressed by Opanasevych’s work ethic amidst various pressures. Working with Emily Ruff who designed the kitchen, three baths, the dining room and Shannon’s office, says Shannon, was amazing. “What I loved about Emily was she didn’t push her design on me. Additionally, when you work with designers, they are usually very creative at their job, but not always great at managing all the moving pieces. Emily was a magician when it came to doing both. I also wish I could write as cordially as she does to vendors!”
EXECUTIVE CHEF ANNIE CUGGINO WHO HAS BEEN AT THE HELM OF Q RESTAURANT & BAR SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2016, HAS ARTFULLY GUIDED ITS EXQUISITE DINING EXPERIENCE TO #1 ON TRIPADVISOR, AFTER BEING VOTED #1 BY THE PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL IN 2021.
QRESTAURANT & BAR
written by DONNA PIZZI photography by JOHN VALLSEXECUTIVE CHEF ANNIE CUGGINO, known for peppering her dishes with the finest local produce farmers have to offer, has excelled at navigating the ever-changing waters of the restaurant business for over two decades. Not in just one successful Portland restaurant, but two. The New York native transformed the Veritable Quandry (VQ) from casual bar to dining haven, turning out delectable dishes from a kitchen she describes as so tiny you felt trapped. “For anyone who worked with me,” she says of her 22-yeartenure there, “that was the most challenging job they ever had. You had to design your menu to suit the number of burners and size of refrigeration to create the best you could with what you had.” When Multnomah County announced the popular restaurant had to vacate, Cuggino felt her talented team “wasn’t done yet!” In the end, after owning VQ for 45 years, owner Dennis King agreed to sell the restaurant to Multnomah County, which promptly razed the iconic brick building to build its high-rise Courthouse.
ABOVE Executive Chef Annie Cuggino at work in her open kitchen enjoys engaging with her guests about the fine elements of her cuisine. RIGHT Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops feature Oregon grown lamb served with jalapeño, peach, and Cipollini onion jam.
Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops
In 2016, long-time regular guests, Mazen and Katherine Hariri, who had had their first date at VQ 20 years ago, stepped up to help Cuggino, whom they hadn’t met but whose food they loved, to realize her vision by opening another restaurant just a few blocks away in a new building at 828 SW 2nd Avenue and SW Taylor. Delighted and flattered by their desire to create a family-run restaurant with her at the helm, Cuggino called on her years of culinary experience to collaborate with both Andee Hess (Ava Gene) of Osmose Design and the Hariris on the restaurant’s design. By enlarging and modernizing the whole restaurant, kitchen included, Q Restaurant & Bar has become an airy, fresh space, delighting guests. The bar’s panoramic windows open onto outdoor seating in fine weather. Magical house cocktails including the “Vesper-ish” James Bondage, are prepared at the expansive bar, giving guests a front row seat on the entertainment. Enthusiasts will appreciate the Q’s curated wine list. Non-alcoholic cocktails like Fresca del Dia offer refreshment. At the center of it all are Cuggino’s uniquely delicious and creative farm-to-table culinary delights, to which her long-time Executive Sous Chef, Victor Martinez, regularly adds authentic Mexican dishes.
One of Q Restaurant’s key features is its chef’s counter that enables guests to chat with the chefs as they prepare meals before them. Cuggino says the idea was derived from her experience of working as a 19-year-old with Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans before his famous TV days. “I worked at this big concrete chef’s counter he designed that sat 5-6 diners who could chat with the chef. I could see how Lagasse enjoyed standing there, looking out at his entire restaurant. So, when we were designing the restaurant from scratch, I knew I wanted to have a chef’s counter so guests could enjoy the interaction. It’s also nice for us to look out at the diners enjoying themselves. It does something for the morale!” Guests from nearby hotels often enjoy the setting, returning sometimes nightly to try the extraordinary dishes. As one
TripAdvisor reviewer put it, “We enjoyed our seat at the Chef's counter from beginning to end! Watching the ballet, skill, and non-verbal communication of the entire team was better than any show on Broadway.”
Necessity, says Cuggino, who received her culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, is the mother of invention, especially in the culinary world. She recently created a delectably spicy recipe for Grilled Spanish Octopus that features delicate tentacles awash in smokey chile adobo, lime pickled onions and fresh berries for under $20. The results are both visually and mouthwateringly extraordinary. When French Bouche de Lucay cheese was not available to toast before adding it to a favorite apple and pear salad, she experimented by making a Crottin Frico on a thin crostini and warming it in the oven before placing it on the salad.
LEFT The very popular Q Burger with bacon, house pickles, white cheddar, remoulade, and hand cut fries. ABOVE LEFT A variety of house and non-alcoholic cocktails, including the 2022 award-winning Curried Bloody Mary. UPPER RIGHT The “Q” logo welcomes guests on SW 2nd Avenue. UPPER BOTTOM A full bar is illuminated by panoramic windows and sliding doors that open wide when needed.
In looking for something different, she says, sometimes even better ideas come up. “When we think of a dish, we think of temperature and textures,” she says. Even her desserts have different textures and temperatures, often sprinkled with nuts or pepitas to add interest. “Whether it’s savory or sweet, it more interesting if it’s not homogenous!”
Cuggino works differently today with her beloved local farmers than in the past. “We no longer call and ask if they have a given product. Instead, they call us with a list they have. It’s more like the European style and makes more sense. It’s up to us to do something with whatever is available. The limitation is often an inspiration that teaches us what’s in season and is at its best.” When deliveries are slowed, she’ll scour local farmers markets to get products like Kiyokawa Family Orchards pears and apples
for such recipes as Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Kiyokawa Orchard Apple Salad, Crispy Duck Confit, or Kiyokawa Apple & Pear Crisp. Cuggino has worked with Stacey Givens, owner of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen on a one-acre North Portland plot for 15 years, enjoying adding among other things her exquisitely flavorful baby radishes and baby carrots with their tops to various recipes. All of the above enables Cuggino’s team at Q Restaurant & Bar to deliver the very finest food, libations and excellent service that have made them #1.
Q Restaurant & Bar is in Portland at 828 SW 2nd Avenue, corner of SW 2nd Ave. and Taylor. It is open Tuesday-Friday 11:30-9:00 for lunch and dinner, and Saturday 5-9. They are closed Sunday and Monday. www.q-portland.com (503)850-8915.
Olives and Fried Chickpeas
CANNOLI WITH BING CHERRY SAUCE
Makes enough for a big party
CANNOLI DOUGH
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup shortening 2 yolks 3/4 cup marsala wine
RICOTTA FILLING
1 lb. ricotta cheese
GRILLED RACK OF LAMB CHOPS
Serves 4
I highly recommend seeking out Oregon grown lamb if possible.
LAMB
2 ½ – 3 pound rack of lamb
Trim the racks of excess fat., leaving a thin layer or more if desired.
Cut racks between the rib bones into 8 chops. Season the chops generously with sea salt, fresh ly ground black pepper and sprinkle with a few fresh thyme springs.
Grill lamb chops over a medium high heat to create a nicely charred crust.
Cook to desired doneness, I recommend a nice medium rare center.
Serve with the warm jalapeño, peach and Cipollini on ion jam and a few crisp fresh assertive greens. I suggest a mix of radicchio, frisée and arugula.
JALAPEÑO PEACH CIPOLLINI ONION JAM
Mix together and set aside 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 ounce pectin
In a small pot combine
1 quart peeled fresh peaches sliced thickly 1-2 fresh jalapeño seeded and sliced thinly
1 cup peeled Cipollini sliced thickly 1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Bring to a simmer
Cook 3 minutes
Whisk in pectin mixture
Cook another 3 minutes
Remove from heat
Can be served warm or cold.
OLIVES AND FRIED CHICKPEAS
1 quart of your favorite olives with pits (one of my favorite combinations includes castalvatrano, kalamata, niciose and Moroccan oil cured)
1 orange both the juice and the julienned rind
1 teaspoon red Chile flakes or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary sprigs
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fried chickpeas
FRIED CHICKPEAS
Use fully cooked chickpeas (canned chickpeas will be an acceptable substitute)
Deep fry the chickpeas at 350 degrees until crispy. 2-4 minutes. Drain well before tossing with the olives.
COMBINE IN BOWL
When ready to serve, Warm the olives with their juices briefly in a sauté pan and toss with 2 cups of freshly fried chickpeas right before serving.
1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup shaved dark chocolate zest of 1 orange 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
BING CHERRY SAUCE
1 quart Bing cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup port wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water squeeze of fresh lemon pinch of salt
DOUGH
Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in mixer bowl until well incorporated. Add in shortening and mix in by hand until course and crumbly. Add yolks and marsala, knead by hand until incorporated and mix with dough hook on low for 10 minutes. Chill for at least two hours before rolling.
Rolling: roll using pasta roller, dusting with flour to keep from tearing. Roll to the #2 setting on pasta roller. Then cut into 3 inch circles. Wrap around cannoli rings and fry submerged until brown and crispy. Cool.
FOR THE FILLING
Mix ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, shaved choc olate and cinnamon on high for 1 minute. Put filling in a pastry bag and pipe the filling into the cannoli shell.
Dust with a little powdered sugar. Serve with fresh bing cherry sauce and roasted pistachios.
FOR THE FRESH BING CHERRY SAUCE
Wash and pit 1 quart of bing cherries
Put in a small pot with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup port wine Bring to a simmer.
Thicken mixture with a small amount of slurry (1 table spoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Cook briefly. 1 minute.
Finish with a big squeeze of fresh lemon and a small pinch of salt.
May be used as a warm sauce or served chilled.
Cannoli with Bing Cherry Sauce
ROOM TO GROW
COUNTRY LIVING THAT IS SOPHISTICATED, LIVABLE, AND PRIVATE COMES OF AGE ON THIS PASTORAL LANDSCAPE. A COMPLETE LANDSCAPING OVERHAUL COMPLEMENTS THE ADJACENT HOME AND HOMEOWNERS’ OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE.
COLBY SEIBOLD OF GRO WAS
INITIALLY
HIRED BY THE HOMEOWNERS OF THIS 15-ACRE MULTIGENERATIONAL PROPERTY to rework an existing covered patio. The interior of the home had been remodeled, and the adjacent landscaping wasn’t congruous. The view included dying birch trees, unkept boxwoods, and a dry, uninviting lawn.
“The homeowners wanted a space that could grow with them, allowing the kids and grandkids to take advantage of the outdoor living for many years to come. They had a pool at their previous home and really loved it. Slowly the plan began evolving beyond just the patio,” said Seibold.
Seibold managed all aspects of the project including excavation, framing, plumbing, masonry, gas work, finish carpentry, hardscaping, irrigation, low voltage work, and plants from the GRO nursery. In this case, slightly boggy land required an integrated bioswale and drainage system as well. With what amounted to a blank canvas, Seibold, in collaboration with the homeowners, created an outdoor oasis with year-round livability. He restructured the landscape through an artful mix of ele vations, native plants, landscape lighting, and natural materials.
It’s amazing how much goes underground to create the serene experience above,” said Seibold. “In this case, it included plumbing, gas, and electric for features like three sheer decent waterfalls, three bubblers, and an outdoor fire pit. There is even an eight speaker sound system with two subwoofers strategically placed around the landscape.”
GRO expanded the covered patio into a four-season outdoor living room including motorized privacy screens, heaters, pool, gathering areas, and visually compelling landscaping and hardscapes. A wealth of seating options include the outdoor dining area, surrounding the firepit, and lounge chairs for ultimate relaxation. Black basalt accents feature prominently throughout Seibold’s design, including atop the custom firepit from Lisac’s Fireplaces & Stoves, the fireplace hearth, and the countertop of the outdoor kitchen.
The homeowners now benefit from multiple spaces to relax and entertain. Landscape lighting provides a magical ambiance. “The depth and char acter that lighting can bring to a landscape at night cannot be overstated,” said Seibold. “Without lighting, you can only enjoy your outdoor spaces during the day – when most people aren’t home.” The low-voltage lighting can be controlled and programmed remotely including light-sensitive options to adjust with the sunrise and sunset.
To increase privacy, the area beyond the pool deck was raised to form a natural barrier and styled with a retaining wall. Planters are positioned along cut-outs to soften both the view as well as all the hardscape, and to add additional height. Natural rock is featured throughout. At the pool’s deep end, inset stones offer an organic jumping-off zone more aesthetically pleasing than a plastic slide.
The new landscaping is lush but low maintenance, with thoughtful plants and a built-in drip system. “We like to bring in native plants to a project, including a good mix of color with variegated greens and flowering plants,” says Seibold. In this case, he included Karl Foerster grasses, Weeping Sequoias, Red Thyme and Blue Star creeping ground covers, dwarf roses, and Alaskan Cedars. “The clumping grasses add height and are relaxing as they peacefully sway in the breeze.” The bushes and bordering trees will fill in over time, continuing to grow - right along with the family.
PROJECT SOURCES
LANDSCAPE DESIGN + CONTRACTOR: GRO, wearegro.com FIREPIT: Lisac’s Fireplaces & Stoves, lisacsfireplaces.com
EYE ON DESIGN
CASUAL + LAVISH From Roche Bobois, the Caractère corner composition sectional and sofa feature adjustable backrests with two different heights, offering support for sitting up or lounging. Upholstered in a new blue jean fabric, it brings relaxed vibe with cool, contemporary style. Center to the room are the eye-catching Coin cocktail and end tables, which are deliberately unbalanced to evoke the idea of rolling. Available through Roche Bobois, www.roche-bobois.comPAINT
(below right) From Arteriors, the Rinny Entry table is an elegant welcome into any home with its marble top and drapery-inspired base. arteriorshome.com 1
Conch Shell 052 benjaminmoore.com 7
1) From Brink & Campman, the Lola features a catchy geometric pattern in hand tufted pure new wool. Available through smgcollective.com 2) Artful, bold, and eye-catching, the Catalyst by Modern Forms is crafted from artisan-blown glass art, through globelighting.com 3) Suzanne Kasler: Edited Style profiles Suzanne’s most recent work, featuring elegant and serene interiors, powells.com 4) Modern European inspiration and plush curves come together in the Deandra Tete A Tete Chase from Four Hands, through hippdx.com 5) From Arteriors, the handmade Paloma Vase is inspired from Ancient Roman Pottery, arteriorshome.com 6) The P1153 MH Sand/Blush from Loloi is the perfect accent for sofas or beds, hippdx.com
7) Pompidou vases pair 70s inspired patterns with a muted, moody toned palette. Through jonathanadler.com
(above) With its wood composition and classical design, the Paris Paneme dresser is a timeless addition to the bedroom. roche-bobois.com
Modern Design Made for Living
1) Woven from wool and bamboo silk, the Retro Trace rug in White Chocolate brings contrast with its black lines against neutral and gold tones, through tufenkian.com 2) A touch of tas sel brings delightful detail in Loloi’s Pmh1153 Mocha/Plum pillow, through hippdx.com 3) The Pluto Candleholders from Arteriors marries sculpture and functionality, available through arteriorshome.com 4) Set a chic, industrial tone with the Plano Chandelier from Arteriors, through globelighting.com 5) The Proxima Mirror from Arteriors features a sandblasted mango wood frame, bringing refinement to any space, through arteriorshome.com 6) Eye-catching at every curve, the Liam Sectional in Surrey Olive is inspired by sleek Italian design. Four Hands, available through hippdx.com 7) The Analia Tray from Made Goods has a sunset edge carved from beige marble, through madegoods.com
on design
From Natuzzi Italia, the Briq bed is at the center of transforming a bedroom into a luxurious and restful oasis. Handmade with Italian craftsmanship, it features a generous padded headboard that can be wrapped in fabric or leather upholstery. It also incorporates function with its storage capabilities, accessed by two opening positions. Available through Hip, www.hippdx.com
Ethnicraft’s N701 sofa, designed by Jacques Deneef, oozes relaxation and style with its plush features and ability to combine different modules, sizes, and colors for maximal character and design customization. Paired with Barrow poufs in Copper, these easy-to-style items add additional seating in rich colored hues. The Tray coffee table brings versatility with its ability to serve as a coffee table and adopt different trays to create ultimate personalization. Available through SMG Collective, www.smgcollective.com
1) Green fabrics add a touch of lush nature to the indoors. Clockwise from top left: Katsura in Emerald by Thibaut, Ombre Velvet in Green by Anna French, Wanderlust Tea Story in Teal Velvet by Kravet, and Mulberry Tree in Green by Thibaut. Available through thibautdesign.com & kravet.com 2) The Aerin Hampton Large Chandelier from Visual Comfort features leaf-shaped metal pieces blooming outward in plaster white finish, available through globelighting.com 3) From Hickory White, the Colza Sideboard evokes glamour with its champagne bronze finished base, through hickorywhite.com 4) From Saba Italia, the New York sofa has metropolitan allure heightened by the hexagonal shape of the frame resting on slim steel rod feet for a soft and contemporary feel, available through sabaitalia.com
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AL FRESCO DINING From Four Hands, the industrial concrete Otero Outdoor Dining Table boasts a smooth top and textured raw edge. Contrast materials with the Maude Outdoor Dining Chairs, made of allweather wicker weave; these hourglass shaped chairs are a fresh take on this classic design. Plastered concrete Pressler planters complete the modern look with its minimalist aesthetic. Through www.hippdx.com
COMING HOME
written by EMILY ZAHNISER photography by JOHN GRANENTRANSFORMING A MATURE LOT ON MERCER ISLAND INTO A NORTHWEST CONTEMPORARY HOME FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE WAS A HARMONIOUS COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOMEOWNER, DESIGNER, ARCHITECT, AND BUILDER. ESCHEWING TRADITION, THESE WORLD TRAVELERS KNEW PRECISELY WHAT THEY WANTED – AND DIDN’T WANT –RESULTING IN A DYNAMIC, ELEGANT, AND CASUALLY WELCOMING HOME.
OPPOSITE The home’s exterior is decidedly modern, including Hardi Panel and Trim Lap siding painted in a sleek Charcoal and Black Ink from Benjamin Moore. The custom door by Pivot Door Company is reached via an elevated walkway. THIS PAGE Inside, contem porary, but warm, modern shapes are finished with traditional fabrics and materials like the lush green velvet on these Redford House chairs upholstered in Donghia Fabrics.
THIS PAGE While the overall aesthetic is modern, Stroud saturated the living spaces with rich textures and luxury finishes. Chairs and sofa are custom Lee Upholstery. The rug is a custom piece from Stanton Carpets. The eye-catching Ortal fireplace is lined in a stone-look large format tile by United Tile from Contract Furnishings Mart laid vertically. Select ready-built furniture in gold and glass from Restoration Hardware.
THE RING FAMILY HAD SPENT THE BETTER PART OF 12 YEARS LIVING INTERNATIONALLY, rotating from London, Melbourne, and Hong Kong. They knew they needed a change when it was time to return permanently to Seattle.
“We found ourselves in different housing situations,” said Heather Ring. “A duplex, a high-rise, a regular apartment, and a mews house. We learned what things were and weren’t important to us as a family.”
A tear-down property on Mercer Island fit the bill. They would have the opportunity to start from scratch and build a home that was the perfect fit. The Rings had worked with designer Tammara Stroud previously and brought her on immediately. “Tammara is so creative and easy to work with,” says Ring. “She was the center of our dream team, including McCullough Architects and JayMarc Homes.”
The Rings’ top priority was to create a warm, friendly, and family-focused home. “They wanted a place where no family member or guest of any age would feel uncomfortable,” designer Tammara Stroud said. “A place where every square inch had purpose and function and where they could maximize enjoyment of the natural surroundings, mature trees, Lake Washington, and Mt. Rainier views.”
The aesthetic goal was to let nature be the guide when selecting colors, finishes, and textures. Form would follow function while also leaving room to express the youthful and vibrant character of the Rings’ lifestyle. “Housing design is more contemporary in the three places we lived overseas. We found it easier to clean, less cluttered, and more peaceful,” said Ring.
The home is uniquely positioned with the street-level entrance directly to the top floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide ample natural light and highlight the panoramic views. Built-in, automatic blinds from Lutron allow the Rings to easily adjust for light and heat without disrupting the clean lines. It’s one of many home efficiency features, including solar panels, on-demand water, and charge points for electric vehicles.
White oak doors and other natural wood trims and finishes add warmth to the minimalist aesthetic. The vaulted wood ceilings extend in a seemingly unbroken line from the interior to the exterior valance. Large sliders from Andersen completely open the kitchen to the outdoor space, pocketing neatly out of site into the walls. Rustic French European Oak wide plank flooring by West Valley Hardwood Flooring from Contract Furnishings Mart lays the foundation for the indoor-outdoor sensibility of the home.
The thoroughly modern kitchen includes internationally inspired details like the induction stove and the built-in water filter tap. “We were forced into this type of cooktop in Australia, but we grew to appreciate it,” said Ring. “It’s cleaner, more efficient, heats up faster, and you have more control of temperatures.”
OPPOSITE AND LEFT In the kitchen, white gloss upper cabinets and an opaque white glass tile backsplash from Contract Furnishings Mart are bright and modern. An extra-large island for casual family dining features elegant but durable Pental Quartz countertops and an additional prep sink.
ABOVE A pass-through butler’s pantry connects the kitchen to the dining room. Nicknamed “grand central,” this area acts as the administrative center of the home, including electronic charging stations and a pull-out printer. Custom artwork from Julie Devine keeps with the nature theme but also acts as a liaison between a variety of artwork the family collected during their travels.
PROJECT SOURCES
CONTRACTOR
JayMarc Homes jaymarchomes.com
ARCHITECT
McCullough Architects mccullougharchitects.com
INTERIOR DESIGN
Tammara Stroud Interior Design tammarastroud.com
SELECT PAINT
Benjamin Moore benjaminmoore.com
SELECT FURNISHINGS
Seattle Design Center seattledesigncenter.com
FLOORING & SELECT TILE
Contract Furnishings Mart cfmfloors.com
LEFT + BELOW Custom cabinets in family and entertainment room are complementary to the white cabinets upstairs. The children’s rooms accommodate special interests and collections with built-in storage and display fixtures. BOTTOM The gym’s hardwood flooring is from Fitness Flooring. The fitness space comes equipped with bright orange monkey bars, a climbing rope, and a water fountain. One side of the gym is covered in the original exterior wood siding reclaimed from the prior home. OPPOSITE The main bedroom is coolly sophisticated, with a painted ceiling of “Stiffkey Blue” by Farrow and Ball reflective of the original artwork by Corrie Lavelle and the lake views beyond. Casamance custom drape fabric sourced from Kelly Forslund Inc. at the Seattle Design Center softens light in the sun-drenched space.
The kitchen cabinets are a mix of rift oak and Blanco Gloss white from Bellmont Cabinets. “This pairing of warm and cool tones, along with contemporary fabrications and natural materials, is the foundation of warm modernism,” says Stroud. “We chose rich mossy greens, creams, and caramel hues throughout the upper floor for the color palette. We then layered in textures like boucle, leather, and velvet fabrics. Nothing feels too formulaic.”
Standout artisan touches include a custom Lindsey Adelman chandelier in the dining room with handblown glass; a Kirk Alberts custom circular dining table with a matching Lazy Susan for meals in the round like the Rings enjoyed in Hong Kong; and a custom Halo Chandelier in the great room by Ron Dier from Kelly Forslund Inc. at the Seattle Design Center, featuring a translucent Selenite surround.
The lower level of the home is where the Rings’ playful personality thrives – including one of the property’s most unique features – a 500-squarefoot movement gym. Heather Ring is a personal trainer and health coach, so the gym is essential to her practice. But it’s also become an integral part of family life. “As a family, we got into movement and yoga in Hong Kong. This space gets constant use by all of us,” Heather said.
The cozy family room and kids’ rooms on this level have all been styled with custom built-ins, pops of whimsical color, and welcoming places to linger and relax.
“Our experience working with Tammara and Phil at McCullough Architects on this home was fantastic,” said Ring. “They came with so many ideas we wouldn’t have thought of to make this home special. Phil is an amazing creative. He visualizes things that others can’t even imagine.”
In keeping with the international theme, McCullough recommended exploring the Japanese tradition of welcoming your guests on a stone. At the front entrance, half a honed boulder is embedded at street level. It’s the perfect introduction to a home full of natural warmth and global experiences.
THIS
PAGE Bender Wasenmiller’s three-story design glows from floor-toceiling Sierra Pacific bedroom windows with unobstructed views. Pleated hornbeam trees define one of four terraced gardens, bluestone pavers and Tolfino Blue K2 stone walls. RIGHT Vintage Eastern China shutters on floating staircase landing. Visual Comfort chandelier. Rhinehart Metalwork railings.LONG-TIME RESIDENTS OF THIS WELL-ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY ON THE SHORES OF LAKE WASHINGTON CHOSE SEATTLE ARCHITECT PAUL MOON OF PAUL MOON DESIGN TO CREATE A RELAXED, CONTEMPORARY HOME WORTHY OF ITS SURROUNDINGS, WHILE MOON RELIED ON BENDER WASENMILLER CUSTOM BUILDERS OF BELLEVUE TO BRING HIS VISION FULLY AND EXPERTLY TO LIFE.
MODERN FIT
written by DONNA PIZZI photography by JOHN GRANENWHEN ALL ATTEMPTS TO REDESIGN AN EXISTING, LARGE FOUR-STORY 1910 HOME on a narrow, steep lot on the shores of Lake Washington became more costly than designing a new contemporary home with terraced gardens leading to the lakeside setting, architect Paul Moon of Paul Moon Design was the perfect fit for the job. The homeowners, who had lived in the neighborhood for 18 years, chose Moon after seeing his work on a neighbor’s home. “Paul was so easy to talk to,” says the homeowner, “we liked him instantly.” Their only proviso was to create something unpretentious, quiet, and comfortable. Moon, who noted that the original home failed to create spaces that related to the water, began his design with the roofline inspired by the late architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, adding a totally modern twist. “To create a clean, bright, uniquely modern roof,” says Moon, “I chose a Florida concrete roof tile then tied it to a clean-lined stucco body. Siding would have been too busy and taken away from the strong form.” Thin, near-commercial profiled black aluminum clad windows and doors with wood interiors continue the unique twist. “We love the nice, big heavy roof Paul created for us,” says the homeowner. “It looks so good alongside the adjoining stately houses.”
Although the 2-storied front of the house is located several feet below sidewalk level just as the previous home was to avoid any site problems, Moon creates drama using a curtain wall of windows. “A floating staircase moving like an escalator to upstairs glows at night like a lantern through the windows,” says Moon, who grounds the white walls with an oak rustic grade wood flooring reiterated in the staircase’s open wood treads. In the full 3-storied back, a series of indoor/outdoor spaces overlook Lake Washington across Moon’s own terraced landscape design. Bender’s team was given the choice of either bringing in materials on barges or building from the water up. They chose the latter, beginning with the grading of the former perilously steep lawn into the series of terraced outdoor rooms for which Moon found bluestone paving rather than use concrete. The homeowners discovered the vertical stone used on the staircase walls at
K2 Stone, a Seattle company, that sourced it from Tolfino, British Columbia, which matched the bluestone perfectly. “Paul,” says Steve Bender, “is one of the few architects who has a total vision of what the landscape architecture will be.” Moon attributes this to a childhood surrounded by unique plants that his Colombian-born mother tried to keep alive. “I was a gardener first,” he says, “and as my projects got bigger, I didn’t want anyone else doing the landscape design.”
Moon’s insistence on quality control, which creates a certain type of collaborative process with contractors delights Bender Wasenmiller’s team. “Paul designs very clean homes without a lot of millwork to hide details,” says Bender. “It’s subtle, less forgiving, and tougher to execute. Nevertheless, our team admires him because he puts time into the initial design and specifications and although things change a bit during construction, we know early on what we are being asked to do.”
The homeowners discovered how much they love entertaining in their new home, walking the garden together or having coffee on the deck. “We love our house,” says the homeowner. “My husband uses the Hestan BBQ grill twice a week. From the outdoor rooms, we love watching the UW crew or Dragon Boats rolling by,” says the homeowner. “It’s so beautiful, I can’t believe it.”
During a recent site visit marking the year anniversary of completion, Bender, and his Superintendent Mike Benson who worked tirelessly on the project, encountered a neighbor strolling by. He thanked them for always graciously caring about the neighborhood during construction, when storage space for materials was at a premium and they kindly reduced their job trailer to half its normal size. “The best part,” says Bender, “was that the neighbor said this house looks like it has always been here, which is a testament to Paul’s architectural design.” “Paul,” adds the homeowner, “was wonderful to work with. He had a lot of great ideas to make the home relaxed, quiet, comfortable, and uniquely ours.”
DESPITE ITS LOCATION ON A BUSY ARTERIAL STREET IN THE CLYDE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BELLEVUE, this home is an oasis of calm. “The question was how to create a house that has safe, protective exposure to the busy street, while also feeling very open and private on the inside,” says architect Matt Wittman, who is principal alongside landscape designer Jody Estes at the Seattle-based firm Wittman Estes.
Thanks to the firm’s interdisciplinary approach of seamlessly connecting nature and architecture, their answer to the site’s innate problems was an adroit one: to flank the home’s front and back in private courtyards. “In all of our projects, we often think about landscape principles first,” says Wittman.
Now, entrance from the sidewalk is granted through a black stained cedar fence, itself stepped back from the sidewalk by a softening row of trees and grasses. A concrete path leads through the entry courtyard, where beds of grasses and ornamental trees intertwine with the hardscaping. This first courtyard acts as a buffer between house and street, creates a safe place for children and dogs to play, and marks the first in a series of layers throughout the property. “As you move through the home, there are these various threshold layers,” says Wittman. “This idea goes back to the concept of Yo-Ju.”
Yo-Ju, says the firm, means “secluded living” in Mandarin Chinese, and was the guiding principle for the house’s overall concept, also giving it its name: Yo-Ju Courtyard House. The concept draws on Chinese landscape and courtyard design, as well as Chinese landscape painting techniques, which employ layers to create a feeling of depth. “Historically, these lots had bigger [house] square footages that were more spread out,” says Wittman. But by utilizing such techniques, the design team succeeded in making the home’s interior spaces live much larger.
The clients’ goals were to ensure safe outdoor zones for their three small children, privacy from the busy road, and an interior that balances shared living spaces with more private spots for everyone to retreat – all within 3,460 square feet. Wittman laid out the communal living areas so they wrap around the rear exterior courtyard, then lined two walls in glass doors that peel back from the corner. Thus, standing in the living room offers partial views into the rest of the main floor, through the layers of glass and floating oak casework, as well as into the rear courtyard, with its own layer of landscaping. The eye “doesn’t know something is not that far distance-wise, because the layers give it depth,” says Wittman.
Key to the home’s successful execution was the thoughtful building approach led by DME Construction. “Not only do these details need to work aesthetically, but as the builder, you have to think about how the structure carries these corners that appear to be free floating. How do you get those beams to work with the lighting placement, and so on,” says David Elwell, president of DME. “So that in the finished product, no one thinks about the structural elements that are there.”
Instead, the focus is on the experience of moving through the house. Materials play a big part in blurring the borders between inside and out, and from room to room. Things like the grey oak casework woven throughout, as well as a steel fireplace façade that seems to hover over the windows. Concrete flooring sweeps from inside to an exterior path. Upstairs, the program gets more private, with the bedrooms and an art room placed there, and the continuity of materials ensures it flows effortlessly with the floor below.
All of this speaks to how the home deftly balances opposites, utilizing another ancient Chinese landscape design concept called the “Big Hide.” “That means you’re within an environment with a lot of people and things around you, but you’re secluded within that,” says Wittman. Best of all, as the neighborhood grows up around the house, so too will the courtyard plantings, and the seclusion and serenity that the entire project fosters. “As the buildings all around get bigger and denser, and the street busier, you’re almost hiding in plain sight,” says Wittman. “The gardens make you feel like you’re still in nature.”
CONTACTOR DME Construction dmeconstruction.com
ARCHITECT, INTERIOR DESIGN & LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Wittman Estes wittman-estes.com
PAVERS Mutual Materials mutualmaterials.com
The custom, cast-in-place concrete pavers are a unique feature of this garden’s hardscapes. Formed, poured, and finished onsite, they lay a path to the front door but also step up to define the transition between niche areas of experience. Layered concrete walls obscure the road and driveway from the garden and create the sense of stepping into the house’s living areas while remaining outside. At the front door, modern mirrored orb hanging planters from CB2 add layers and light.
written by EMILY ZAHNISER photography by MIRANDA ESTESOASIS IN THE CITY
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER SCOT ECKLEY COMPOSES PERSONALIZED, OPEN-AIR ROOMS FOR LIVING. HARDSCAPES AND ORGANICS COMBINE ARCHITECTURALLY TO CREATE A PEACEFUL BUT FUNCTIONAL GARDEN SANCTUARY JUST A WALL AWAY FROM THIS BUSY, URBAN SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
Eckley layers plants at eye-level in elevated structural planters built from gunmetal steel. The same metal features a vertical cedar slat detail in the work and meditation room, uplit at night for a welcoming ambiance.
Variated greens and soft plants include Mahonia Soft Caress and Fatsia Japonica. Bright ferns and hostas add a pop of color against the darker materials. The Japanese maple re tained from the original landscape was moved into an oversized planter street side for maximum visual impact. Bamboo is a dynamic part of the plan, adding additional delineation of separate spaces and softening solid and angular walls.
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER SCOT ECKLEY’S CLIENTS WANTED TO RECLAIM
front yard space into private, outdoor living. The modest 507 square feet of available garden was exposed to the bustling urban neighborhood road, had views to the driveway, and encompassed the access route to the front door. The small family wanted to create an urban oasis where they could as comfortably linger outside as they would in any room within the house.
“I approached the design the same way an architect would approach building a custom home,” said Eckley. “What is the family’s lifestyle, and what rooms and functionality do they want? In this case, a living room and an outdoor workspace, connected by an outdoor hallway and an entryway allowing access to the front door.”
Eckley works with the same golden rules venerated by interior designers when considering spacing, furnishings, privacy, and light. “For a small space like this, functionality comes first.” His grounding philosophy is that a garden space becomes an extension of the residence, giving reason and invitation to go outside.
The garden is now contemporary but luxurious, with a layering of colors, heights, and distinct rooms. The eye is encouraged to roam using high-contrast materials like concrete, steel, and cedar, experiencing depth and perspective despite the humble footprint.
From the driveway, entrance is granted via a large custom metal gate by Tetters Metal Fab through the vestibule of overlapping concrete walls. Even if the gate is open, the garden is obscured from view. Once inside, a gathering room with a custom-poured concrete fire fea ture and durable outdoor seating is to the left. The home has traditional outdoor dining on its sun-exposed west side, so this space is what Eckley calls “resort-style dining.” The large lip of the fire feature provides ample room to prop drinks, plates, and feet.
Passing beyond the home’s front door, the cast-in-place concrete pavers lift and separate, stretching to the outdoor workspace. “Conceptually, the idea is to encourage a slowing down to conscious movement as you walk to the deck,” Eckley said. “The homeowner wanted an inviting, comfortable, and calming room. As you walk, you’re obligated to bring awareness to becoming present in the space. It’s a subtle shift in perspective.”
Overall, the homeowners wanted a space inspired by the lush retreats they had seen in Bali. Eckley accomplished that tropical lushness in the temperate environment of the Pacific
Furniture takes on organic forms communing with the natural surroundings, like the West Elm Montauk Chair and the stone-shaped ottoman by Soma Stone. A gunmetal steel wall softened with horizontal cedar slats clarifies the room without feeling boxed in. Affectionately dubbed “Yann’s deck,” the homeowner wanted a private place to work outside, or linger meditatively surrounded by lush greenery.
Northwest with two fundamental techniques. First, he utilized raised planters throughout, bringing green and organic elements comfortably into eye level.
Secondly, he mixed an array of plants that would look attractive and full in the visually arresting hardscapes throughout the change in seasons. “Plants like Japanese Forest Grass that get cut back four months out of the year simply reveal more of the garden’s beautiful base structures,” Eckley says. “This foundation allows for the use of plants that have some seasonality without the garden looking dead during the winter months.”
For this garden, the variety of textures, sizes, and colors happen without flowers, another technique for building in year-round, consistent lushness. Other thoughtful details include artistic landscape lighting with sophisticated and discreet fixtures, a built-in sound system with subwoofer and directional speakers, ceramic accent planters, and a sweet, half-stone water bowl for the resident pup.
“Outdoor lighting is important in creating intimacy and accessibility to a garden space,” said Eckley. “It gives the garden a second life at night.” In addition to the pathway and features lighting, Eckley added an up light across the base of the steel and cedar slate wall in the outdoor work and meditation room. “It bathes that whole area in a warmth from the illuminated edge.”
The result is an integrated extension of the home’s living spaces which just happen to be outside. “Every detail here was carefully considered to play well together,” said Eckley. “It’s a cohesive, multi-functional space that’s beautiful any day of the year.”
PROJECT SOURCES | LANDSCAPE DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION Scot Eckley Inc., scoteckley.com
Can you trace your interest in landscape construction and design back to a particular influence?
I am a landscape designer because I am not a very good swimmer. In college, I wanted a summer job where I could work outside, and I knew I would not pass the lifeguard test. A friend got me a job with the landscape company where he worked. I worked on the construc tion crew. The company designed and installed beautiful residential gardens, so I was exposed to some amazing landscapes throughout Puget Sound. One of the first job sites I worked on was installing the landscape at Paul Allen’s estate on Mercer Island. At the time, I was finishing an English degree at the University of Washington and was interested in studying fashion design. I had started teaching my self how to sew and pattern making. Slowly, plants, stone walls and hardscape design began replacing my fascination with fabric, seams and fashion.
What is your firm’s ideal project?
We love creating spaces for outdoor living — spaces for gathering, lounging, dining, cooking and play. We especially enjoy the challenge of designing and maximizing small or awkward spaces.
Your work is nationally recognized for using materials in new and novel ways and coming up with creative, cost-conscious solutions. Does the ambition of installing or designing a unique, forward-thinking garden mean that the bar is continually raised for you personally?
I have always been driven to find great solutions for our clients in response to the their goals, the site and their budget. Each project is unique, so it makes sense that each design and response is unique.
Your firm often works with and installs gardens designed by notable landscape architects; how does the collaborative process foster innovation?
When I first started SEI in 2000, most of our work was installing gar dens and landscapes designed by some of the Northwest’s top land scape architects and garden designers. I consider working with these designers to install their projects my master’s degree. In the past 10 years, SEI has grown and we now focus on working with clients where we both design and install the landscape. SEI is a great group of landscape architects, landscape designers, project managers, and craftspeople, so now the collaboration takes place among our team, our clients, and building partners.
How do you approach or decide on the overall “feel” of a garden?
This is a blend of numerous factors. The home, the site, the client’s input, the budget, and our perspective and expertise are all part of this. That said, our natural inclination is for designing low mainte nance outdoor spaces with strong hardscape designs that look great all year long.
What’s next on the boards?
We continue to work on spaces for outdoor living and entertaining. We’re currently designing several covered outdoor dining and loung ing spaces. We’re working with a company that specializes in the fabrication and installation of these and are excited by the possibili ties. One of the dining spaces we are working on will include heaters, lighting, a TV and a decked out kitchen.
Favorite travel destination for inspiration?
Anywhere with my wife. She is an interior designer with a background in art history. We are always traveling somewhere new.
What are some of your favorite public or private gardens?
The High Line, The Sound Cylinder (Parc de la Villette), Twin Silo Community Park in Fort Collins and the Baroque and Renaissance gardens of Italy.
Three words that most appropriately sum up your approach to landscape design are… Design for enjoyment.
RESOURCES & INSPIRATION
ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS
AKDO www.akdo.com
ARIZONA TILE www.arizonatile.com
BRIZO www.brizo.com
CLASSIC SASH & DOOR www.classicsash.com
CONTRACT FURNISHINGS MART www.cfmfloors.com
COSENTINO www.cosentino.com
K2 STONE www.k2stone.com
KOHLER www.kohler.com
APPLIANCES & FIREPLACES
BASCO APPLIANCES www.bascoappliances.com
EASTBANK CONTRACTOR APPLIANCES www.eastbankappliance.com ILVE www.ilve.it/en
LISAC’S FIREPLACES & STOVES www.lisacsfireplaces.com
STANDARD TV & APPLIANCE www.standardtvandappliance.com
SUB-ZERO WOLF www.subzero-wolf.com
TRUE RESIDENTIAL www.true-residential.com VIKING www.vikingrange.com
MUTUAL MATERIALS www.mutualmaterials.com
PAPERSTONE www.paperstoneproducts.com
STATEMENTS TILE www.statementstile.com
WESTERN INTERLOCK www.westerninterlock.com
ART & FRAMING SERVICES
BEARD’S FRAMING / FRAME CENTRAL www.pnwframing.com
AUTO DEALERS
LAND ROVER PORTLAND www.landroverportland.com
BOOKS
FLOWERS
KAILLA PLATT FLOWERS www.kaillaplattflowers.com
HOME FURNISHINGS, RUGS & LIGHTING
ARTERIORS www.arteriorshome.com ATIYEH BROS. www.atiyehbros.com BRINK + CAMPMAN www.brinkandcampman.com
CAPITAL LIGHTING www.capitallightingfixture.com
DESIGNERS GUILD www.designersguild.com ÉLITIS www.elitis.fr ETHNICRAFT www.ethnicraft.com
FOUR HANDS www.fourhands.com
GLOBE LIGHTING www.globelighting.com HICKORY WHITE www.hickorywhite.com HIP www.hippdx.com
J GARNER HOME www.jgarnerhome.com JONATHAN ADLER www.jonathanadler.com
ADVERTISER INDEX
Alderbrook Resort & Spa 39
Atiyeh Bros. 94
AURIC Salon 39
BASCO Appliances 15
Beard’s Framing / Frame Central 9
Beaverton Farmers Market 38
Benjamin Moore 95
Classic Sash & Door 31
Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens 18
Don Young & Associates, Inc. 11
Eastbank Contractor Appliances 9
Garrison Hullinger Interior Design 98 Globe Lighting 92
GRO 85
HIP ............................................................. 90
iBuildPdx Company LLC............................. 14
Land Rover Portland BC
Lisac’s Fireplaces & Stoves 33
Mill End Store 37
Mountainwood Homes IBC
Olson & Jones Construction 19
Parr Cabinet Design Center 6 Roche Bobois 4
Skin By Lovely 13
SMG Collective 98
ARCHITECTS,
DESIGNERS & CONTRACTORS
ALCHEMY BUILDING COMPANY LLC www.alchemybldg.com
BENDER WASENMILLER CUSTOM BUILDERS www.benderwasenmiller.com CASEWORK www.casework.it
COHESIVELY CURATED INTERIORS www.cohesivelycurated.com
COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION & REMODEL www.constructremodel.com
DME CONSTRUCTION www.dmeconstruction.com
DON YOUNG & ASSOCIATES, INC. www.dyaconstruction.com
GARRISON HULLINGER INTERIOR DESIGN www.ghid.design
HAMMER & HAND www.hammerandhand.com
IBUILDPDX COMPANY LLC www.ibuildpdx.com
JAYMARC HOMES www.jaymarc.com
MCCULLOUGH ARCHITECTS www.mccullougharchitects.com
MOUNTAINWOOD HOMES www.mountainwoodhomes.com
OLSON & JONES CONSTRUCTION www.olsonandjones.com
PAUL MOON DESIGN www.paulmoondesign.com
STEPHENSON DESIGN COLLECTIVE www.stephensoncollective.com
STUDIO AM ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS www.studioamarchitects.com
TAMMARA STROUD INTERIOR DESIGN www.tammarastroud.com
TELFORD+BROWN STUDIO ARCHITECTURE www.telfordbrownstudio.com
WITTMAN ESTES www.wittman-estes.com
POWELL’S BOOKS www.powells.com
RIZZOLI www.rizzoliusa.com
TIMBER PRESS www.timberpress.com
WORKMAN PUBLISHING www.workman.com
CABINETRY
DURA SUPREME CABINETRY www.durasupreme.com
PARR CABINET DESIGN CENTER www.parrcabinet.com
DINING AND WINERIES
Q RESTAURANT & BAR www.q-portland.com
WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS www.willamettevalleyvineyards.com
FABRIC, PAINT & WALL COVERINGS
BENJAMIN MOORE www.benjaminmoore.com
BRUNCHSCHWIG & FILS www.kravet.com/brunschwig-fils
FABRICUT www.fabricut.com
MILL END STORE www.millendstore.com
THIBAUT www.thibautdesign.com
FARMERS MARKETS & GOURMET GROCERY
BEAVERTON FARMERS MARKET www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com
ZUPAN’S MARKETS www.zupans.com
FASHION
ZELDA’S SHOE BAR www.facebook.com/zeldaspdx
LE JACQUARD FRANCAIS www.le-jacquard-francais.com LOLOI RUGS www.loloirugs.com LOUIS DE POORTERE www.louisdepoortere.be MADE GOODS www.madegoods.com
NATUZZI ITALIA www.natuzzi.us
NEW MOON RUGS www.newmoonrugs.com ROCHE BOBOIS www.roche-bobois.com SABA ITALIA www.sabaitalia.com SEATTLE DESIGN CENTER www.seattledesigncenter.com SMG COLLECTIVE www.smgcollective.com TUFENKIAN ARTISAN CARPETS www.tufenkiancarpets.com
VISUAL COMFORT www.visualcomfort.com
LANDSCAPE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
GRO www.wearegro.com SCOT ECKLEY INC. www.scoteckley.com
OUTDOOR KITCHENS
DANVER STAINLESS OUTDOOR KITCHENS www.danver.com
SALONS & SKIN CARE AURIC SALON www.auricsalon.com SKIN BY LOVELY www.skinbylovely.com
TRAVEL
ALDERBROOK RESORT & SPA www.alderbrookresort.com
Standard TV & Appliance 29
Telford+Brown Studio Architecture 31
Western Interlock 16
Willamette Valley Vineyards 3
Zelda’s Shoe Bar 38
Zupan’s Markets IFC
FEATURED DESIGNERS & ARCHITECTS
RYAN STEPHENSON 55
Stephenson Design Collective www.stephensoncollective.com
SCOT ECKLEY 129 Scot Eckley Inc. www.scoteckley.com
SUBSCRIBE
Online www.PortraitMagazine.com
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Land Rover Portland 10125 SW Washington Square Road Hwy 217 at Greenburg Road Exit 503.230.7700
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