Residential Portfolio

We've updated our Residential Portfolio and have now instituted a self-imposed moratorium on Ink wall colors.  Apparently we're smitten.  Enjoy!

Bocci Studio Tour + Omer Arbel

Photo by Fig

Inform Interiors was kind enough to host Hope and I for the weekend and we had the pleasure of attending several intimate events over our three days in BC.  Although I've found it nearly impossible to rank my favorite, I'd have to say that our time with Omer Arbel and touring the Bocci office and production facilities was the most inspirational and mind shifting in terms of shaping Fig Studio for future success.  As many of you may know I never set out to be an entrepreneur or business owner. I just wanted to design my heart out and work my creative muscles until I became old and gray, still creating from my rocking chair on a porch somewhere.  What I learned during my short time with Omer, is that design is inherently entrepreneurial and that there is no reason to fight the business side of your creative endeavors.  Approach ideas with openness and see where they take you.  You don't have to take traditional routes in Interior Design or what your professional practice publications tell you.  Why not play with materials, shapes, and construction and decide it's function later?

Bocci 28 Series as displayed at IDS West and 14 Series at Vancouver's Inform Interiors Showroom  Photos by Fig

I'm lucky enough to have recently specified Bocci's 14 Series pendant fixtures on a current project on the Columbia Gorge in White Salmon, Washington.  When grouped, the ethereal quality of these lights allows volumes of space to be turned into an artistic focus.  The above right photo demonstrates a few different combinations of the 14 series while the photo at the top of this post takes the concept a few steps further and envelopes a 5-story stairwell at the Bocci offices.

White Salmon Residence. Architect: Giulietti/Schouten.  Interior Design: Fig Studio Rendering by Tim Schouten

Bocci's creative process and Omer Arbel's design philosophy really got me thinking about the path Fig Studio will take in the future.  How can we turn our love for good design into an accessible product for our clients and collaborators. How do we weave our tapestry of ideas?  Fig is still an infant, and we have the chance to really shape where we go and what we become.  I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to meet visionaries like Omer, Brent Comber, and Ross Lovegrove at events like IDS West.  My goal for the next year is to seek out as much information as I can, continue to experiment with new ideas, and allow myself the freedom to try. 

Oh yeah, specifying amazing light fixtures is pretty cool.  I think I'll do some of that too.

IDS West + Vancouver BC

 Photo by Fig

I'm recovering from a near-perfect long weekend in Vancouver BC, which included a recharging trip to IDS West trade show and auxiliary events hosted by Inform.  My friend and fellow interior designer Hope Telford and I met the whirlwind trip head-on and enjoyed nearly every second of our time in chilly BC.  We spent a fair amount of time exploring product booths in the Convention Center and we definitely spent some time drooling over design details in the building itself.  The multi-layered end-grain wall paneling somehow seemed quintessentially Vancouver.  The structure was built during preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics and has lived on as a beautiful resource for this growing city.

Photos by Fig

Trade shows are the perfect opportunity to recharge your design batteries, hone your editing skills, and meet new and interesting products in the world of interiors.  With Dwell on Design last Spring, IDS West, and my upcoming trip to the Milan Furniture fair, I'm focused on what's new and fresh in my industry and can pass these ideas on to my clients.  Knowing how to distill all of what we see into our design library and knowing what to toss aside is a great exercise in editing.  Let's face it, not all trends are worth following and may not be the right fit for every client.  Good designers know where to direct their focus and know what to leave back at the show.  I'll be sharing my favorite finds from IDS this week and may throw in a few from Dwell on Design last Spring.  Until then-  Fig. 

Custom Media Solution

My morning began with coordinating the installation of a storage piece Fig Studio designed for our West Haven clients.  Not only is the piece itself beautiful, but it really does wonders for the room it inhabits.  Their dark media wall instantly became lighter, sleeker, and a more sophisticated space for all of those necessary but unsightly media components.  The client's previous storage solution is an absolutely beautiful example of mid-century furniture, but it did not fit the look and feel of the new room Fig is busy creating for their family or the client's desire to move away from mid-century influence.

The new cabinet, constructed of solid Fir and Fir veneer, better suites the interior Fig's creating for this young family

 It was my first experience working with Kai Fuhrmann of Master Furniture Makers in Portland.  He'd previously built a few pieces for my client's dining space and the finished products really did speak for themselves--  fine craftsmanship, absolute stability, and precise connection. 

Kai installs his handiwork  |  Details designed by Fig and executed by Master Furniture Makers

 Fig collaborates with a number of craftspeople in the Portland area-  from custom upholstery design, casework, tables...you name it.  When we design a piece, we take our drawings to the best person for the job and finely tune each detail until it's time to build.  We often find that a custom solution is the most detailed, affordable, and time conscious solution for our projects.  Check out some of our previous custom work here.

Exploring Portland's Bitar Mansion

If the iconic peacock entry motif doesn't impress you, I don't know what will.  I recently had the pleasure of touring the 12,000 sq. ft. Bitar Mansion with Giulietti/Schouten Architects on sunny afternoon in SE Portland.  The mansion is up for sale and is in desperate need of some care.  This place rivals (if not surpasses) the Pittock Mansion in the West Hills and really deserves to be purchased by someone who can appreciate the architecture and original details of this historical register-worthy gem. 

The listing agent, Tommy Jedrzejczyk,  gave us an incredibly detailed tour of each beautiful room.  Thoughtful details such as hidden operable window screens, secret storage nooks, and custom plasterwork are found throughout the home.  Beautifully patterned floors are solid and in nearly perfect condition-- I don't think I heard a squeak from a single board. 

My favorite room in the home had to be the solarium with center-situated fountain.  I could imagine sipping the day away in a luxurious chaise lounge and tending to my plants in style.  

Though the custom bathroom tile isn't necessarily my taste, I can't deny it's impressive color.  Check out that pink (original) throne and custom-glazed men's shaving sink.

This home definitely had it's moment in the sun, and now it's time for someone to breath new life into the property.  The sad reality is that there is no longer a functional kitchen, the landscaping is all but destroyed, the basement-level ballroom and speakeasy bar needs total restoration, and the exterior needs some extra TLC.  However, listed at $1.6 it's a steal for anyone who appreciates this level of historical detail.  Elenore Roosevelt, concert pianist Van Cliburn, and a laundry list of Portland celebrities have all been guests on the property--- who will you invite for tea?

Dave Giulietti and his team have some excellent ideas for restoring the property to it's proper splendor.  With a little heart, this property could once again be the jewel of Laurelhurst.

Out and About: Rolling Huts

Continuing our tradition of surprise travel, Jeff and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary a few weekends back in the beautiful Methow (met-how) Valley, Washington.  After running myself ragged trying to work full-time, move from our condo to a little cottage in Portland's Sabin neighborhood, and take on a few DIY projects, I managed to catch a nasty bug right before we left town.  If you remember last years epic anniversary trip to a rural fire lookout, you might recall that I was struck with food poisoning just before departure.  Here's to a healthy July 2012.

 Jeff and I made a pact to alternate planning a surprise celebratory trip each July.  Last year's fire lookout + Crater Lake Lodge combo was tough to beat, but I think I managed to pull off a grand surprise.  We're both architecture geeks (and Jeff is just one test away from being awarded official Architect status!) so I decided to make our trip both design and adventure friendly.  Sunset Magazine had an integral hand in my scheme, enticing me with their December 2010 feature on peaceful winter getaways.  I knew the Rolling Huts would make for the perfect surprise trip, even during the summer months. 

A night in the Rolling Huts is like upscale camping, complete with a Danish-designed woodburning fireplace and an epic view, both night and day.  I don't think I've seen so many stars in my life.  We lucked out with incredible weather, friendly hut neighbors, and many wildlife sightings.  We spent a lot of time wandering,  hanging at Twisp's natural market, eating Cinnamon Twips, and even managed an 18 mile (what seemed ALL uphill) mountain bike ride.

We really couldn't have asked for a better weekend (with the exception of the super cough I developed) and would recommend the trip to anyone interested in getting away for a few days.  If you go, be sure to grab a meal at the Wesola Polana Diner adjacent to the huts.  Their tapas can't be beat.  It's true, we had tapas while camping and didn't feel the least bit guilty.

Sisters Country

Sisters Coffee- The Pearl

We had the pleasure of coordinating and supervising the final installation for Sisters Coffee yesterday evening: a 9 by 16 foot map of the Oregon Territory, complete with a couple of very special Where's Waldo elements.  Graphic design expertise compliments of Meagan Geer Designs (the very talented lady who also designed Fig Studio's new logo).  High style, high impact!

I have a lot of great things to share with you all, but alas, no time to do it.  In addition to all the great projects going on right now, I'm in the process of moving and getting ready for a wedding anniversary road trip.  Not enough hours in the day, and not enough coffee in the pot! 


Stay tuned for more-
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