My Houzz: Eclectic Style Shines in a Victorian Rental
http://www.decor-ideas.org 02/25/2015 00:14 Decor Ideas
“Eclectic, story-telling, warm and forever cool,” is how Abbey Cwiek-Garrett describes her rental located on the ground floor of a 1903 Victorian home in Seattle’s North Queen Anne neighborhood. Abbey, an interior designer, and her husband Todd Garrett, an architect turned part-owner of Hilliard’s Beer, deftly wove midcentury furniture, soft textures, vibrant colors and family heirlooms in with the existing architectural details. What could have been a cluttered mishmash of styles and knickknacks is instead an inviting and intimate space that shows off the couple’s thoughtful, thrifty design sense.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Todd Garrett and Abbey Cwiek-Garrett, and their cat Mimi
Location: Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 1,700 square feet (158 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus an office and sunroom
Year built: 1903
The living room sets the design style for most of the home with a blend of modern and affordable furniture pieces in mostly whites and warm neutrals, accented with family gifts, artwork and travel finds. Iconic midcentury pieces like the replica Eames Lounge Chair and Bertoia Diamond Lounge Chairs flank a cedar chest from Todd’s grandparents. All the chairs were unexpected finds in a Tacoma antique store on a lunch break.
Softening the space are a colorful striped throw purchased on their honeymoon in Tulum, Mexico, and a blue patchwork quilt made by Abbey’s grandmother. “She made one for each grandchild in our favorite color, and she finished them all just before she passed away,” Abbey says.
Living room rug: CB2 (discontinued); couch: Ikea; curtains: Sheer Diamond Curtain, West Elm
Photos of family can be found on almost every surface throughout the home. “I’ve always loved having lots of framed photographs around me, and it seems like no one does that anymore,” Abbey says. “I’ve made it a point to print and get film developed and put them up for everyone to see.”
Replica Bertoia Diamond Lounge Chairs: thrift store finds, similar can be found here
The entry is the brightest room in the house and one of Abbey’s favorite spaces. It’s peppered with wedding photos, plants in brightly colored pots and artwork from their travels. “I love succulents,” Abbey says.
Stools: Benjamin Stools, Ikea (discontinued)
Todd found the screen-printed “Create and Hustle” poster at a local art sale a few years ago. “He thought it summed up both of our creative spirits, appreciation of beautiful objects and drive to make things,” Abbey says.
This little dining set was saved from the couple’s wedding centerpieces — tiny dioramas that paid tribute to Abbey’s obsession with all things mini.
Both Abbey and Todd often work from home so they needed a dedicated office space. A desk sits in front of large bay windows that keep the workspace bright and cheerful. Abbey recently added an area rug, found at a local thrift shop, to keep their cat Mimi warm on the original thin-plank oak flooring.
Shelving: Hancock Bookcase, CB2; bookshelves: Expedit, Ikea; desk chair: Hampton Modern
To Abbey, the white-tiered shelves in the office and dining room are the elements that allow for the curated, eclectic look of the house. “We love the idea of our home being a museum of our travels, across the globe and closer to home, but one where you’re allowed to touch everything,” she says. In the office, a vintage radio Todd inherited sits below a small but proud gallery of Hilliard’s chevron cans and a Red Dala horse from Sweden, another heirloom from Abbey’s grandmother.
“My goal is to have items on our shelves that make people curious enough to ask about the story behind them,” says Abbey.
“We both love to entertain, so we tend to enjoy this apartment the most when we have visitors and we can stay in, relax, cook, have a BBQ or watch WSU games,” says Abbey, a diehard Washington State Cougar. With its location between the kitchen and the living room, the dining room tends to be the center of activity when the house is full of company. The dining table is a combination of 1950s hairpin legs found on Craigslist with a maple veneer ApplePly top Todd fabricated as a temporary solution. Its simplicity suits the space, and it also cleans up well after Thanksgiving dinners.
Chairs: Azzo Plastic Side Chairs, Baxton Studio
Another white shelving unit in the dining room holds thoughtfully stacked matte white china inherited from Todd’s family, a delicate teacup and small tin Norwegian Viking ship from Abbey’s grandmother and a pair of simple wooden candleholders from West Elm. “I love them so much,” Abbey says. “I notice them every day, even though we only use them with company.”
Bowl: Heath Ceramics; candleholders: Wooden Tripod Antler Candleholder, West Elm (discontinued)
Todd and Abbey have talented siblings and friends who have given them art pieces they love to display. The large charcoal drawing in the dining room was a favorite piece of Abbey’s at her sister Hannah Cwiek’s first big gallery show. A smaller mixed-media work by her sister also sits in a niche in the living room (the only remnant of what once was a fireplace). The charcoal figure drawing in the office area is by Todd’s sister.
The textured ship hull photograph by Wyn Bielaska in the living room was given to Abbey after she helped him obtain a commission for one of his pieces in a window installation project.
Abbey’s rock and gem collection, collected by her grandmother and given to Abbey throughout childhood, is displayed in a printer’s drawer, an homage to Todd’s grandfather, a former newspaperman. It’s a thoughtful and clever display for both sentimental pieces. The vintage handkerchiefs draped across the top are also from Abbey’s grandmother.
Antique printer drawer: Etsy
The kitchen is surrounded by the sun porch, dining room and master bedroom and tends to be dark. However, it is one of the most social spaces in the house. Todd and Abbey love to cook together, and they’ve filled the small space with thrown pottery made by Todd’s grandmother and more original artwork by friends and Abbey.
The low-cost black-and-white vinyl tile installed by their landlord, a former interior designer, brightens the space and gives it a retro, informal feel.
Vinyl floor tile: Armstrong, Home Depot
This summer, the couple plans to convert the guest bedroom into a nursery for their first child, due in September. Though not yet sure what the concept will be — “I’m not a fan of themes,” says Abbey — the framed furniture drawings found at the Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen will definitely stay.
One of Todd and Abbey’s favorite attributes of the rental is its prominent street front entry and porch. Though the house is split into five different rental units, Abbey says, “it feels like we have our own house and privacy.”
Doormat: Coir Doormat – Anchor, West Elm
Abbey and Todd visited Abbey’s family near Falun, Sweden, last winter and were introduced to the Swedish tradition of fika, a pause in the day. Fika is typically spent cozied up with family and friends, sharing beverages and snacks, often in warm candlelight on dark Scandinavian winter days. A friend described their home as “the embodiment of fika,” and Abbey says, “I think it sums up our most valued pastime, which is making a point to have a relaxing sit-down with loved ones to catch up, laugh, share a meal, and connect.”
Salt and pepper shakers: Fish, Jonathan Adler (discontinued); porcelain candleholder: West Elm
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