A dear friend and repeat client approached us with a fun challenge: turn this very vanilla, Plain Jane home into a spectacular summer retreat. These clients live in Vancouver, Washington for six months out of the year and spend winters in Arizona. While they consider their Scottsdale home their primary residence, they didn’t want to feel like hotel guests when they were here in the Pacific Northwest for work.

Even though there wasn’t much intrinsic character to draw from, the home had solid bones. Because of the two-story high ceiling in the great room, there was a lot of white wall and windows to contend with.

To counteract the simplicity of the space, we decided to go bold and not look back by canvassing the focal wall with an adventurous, deep teal. We committed completely to the color by including the bookcases, fireplace, and media stand.

The goal was to add zest and drama, combining it with offbeat details like the feathers and funky animal heads so when you enter the living space, it is anything but “vanilla.” At the end of the day, it is just paint!

The result is an offbeat, quirky, eclectic mix of treasures that look like they have been collected over a lifetime.

As this is the fifth home completed for this client, it is a wonderful example of how trust goes a long way between client and designer. You always get the best results!