My Houzz: A Couple’s Tastes Harmonize in a Northwest Farmhouse

Professionally, Caleb and Karli Ingersoll wear many hats. Together they own The Bartlett, a music venue and cafe in Spokane, Washington, and play in a band, the Cathedral Pearls. Karli is also a talented graphic designer and singer-songwriter while Caleb stays busy as a sound engineer, producer and drummer. So even though their home includes an office for Karli and a studio for Caleb’s engineering and music production projects, it is first and foremost a place in which to relax and reconnect at the end of the day.

The couple bought the bright farmhouse after having lived in it for a year as newlywed renters, excited to move from an apartment into a home that had practice space for their musical projects. “We knew when we bought it that we probably wouldn’t live here forever, but the convenience of purchasing a house we already lived in and the price were too good to pass up,” Karli says.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Caleb and Karli Ingersoll
Location: Spokane, Washington
Size: 1,600 square feet (149 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Year built: 1903

Because the previous owners had already taken care of most of the major remodeling and updating that the house needed, the Ingersolls have been able to hone in on adding their own aesthetic while making small cosmetic changes, such as painting this navy accent wall in the dining room.


“Our aesthetic is mostly a collision of our personalities,” Karli says. “I love texture, color, story and personality. Caleb loves minimalism, simplicity, functionality and organization.”


Karli’s visual arts background has a strong bearing on the decorative vignettes that can be found throughout the house. “My connection to music and art informs a lot of what I pick out,” she says.


The couple enjoy collecting midcentury vintage pieces, appreciating the warmth each one brings into their home. “We only have about three pieces in our house that we bought from a regular retail store,” says Karli. “Everything else was thrifted or bought at a little shop down the street that we love, called Tossed and Found.” Both the geese print and copper pendant are from the shop.


Despite their busy schedules, the couple have made time for a few budget-conscious DIY projects around the house, such as a pipe-shelf entertainment center in their living room. “We try to build and assemble what we can,” Karli says. “We probably spend about $1,000 a year on projects for inside and outside.”

See how to make your own industrial-style shelving unit


One of the three pieces in the house that the couple purchased new is the Corona sofa in the living room, bought at Macy’s (now discontinued). Over the years, it has served them well as an anchor in the room.


Because most of the expensive updates in the kitchen had been done before they bought the house, the couple just gave it a fresh coat of paint and updated the lighting, which they found at West Elm.


They’ve also hung some of Karli’s graphic design work on the walls, like the poster at left, which is a favorite quote from the song “Ledges,” by Noah Gunderson.


The couple enjoy the airy floor plan of the first level, especially when it comes to entertaining. “With the living room, dining room and kitchen all fairly big and open, it makes for a really mingle-friendly environment,” says Karli.


The industrial-inspired light fixture in the bathroom is another proud DIY project and adds to the home’s eclectic aesthetic.


Upstairs is a guest room, band practice space and a mixing studio for Caleb’s sound engineering and production projects. Until recently this space served as a storage closet. It’s one of the biggest updates that was made to the house.


Karli and Caleb pose for a portrait in their dining room. When they’re not relaxing at home, they’re hanging out in their music venue, The Bartlett, and meeting new musicians and artists.

My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.

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