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Holiday Home Tour 2022

December 2, 2022
Dining Room and banquette decorated for the holidays
Photography: Zee Wendell Styling: Clouz Houz

Holiday Home Tour 2022

It’s our third Christmas in our Fall Creek house, and this one feels more special than ever …

We’ve invested so much into this little home of ours, and it’s feeling more and more like us each year. I love how it’s coming together, and I especially love decorating it for the holidays. There’s something beautiful about setting the tone for another year of memories to be made. In just a couple of weeks, we will be a full house again with all kids home, meaning lots of laughter, activity and festivity!

As you might know, I love to create a cozy and comforting vibe in every space I design, and that couldn’t be more true than for our own home. With three kids, two dogs and lots of teenagers coming and going, I want everyone to feel welcome and at ease. For the holidays, I like to infuse traditional and vintage pieces with lots of greenery, candlelight and soft textures. And, of course, there are plenty of throw blankets to curl up with! Over the years, I’ve found that I use less and less of the quote/unquote holiday décor that I have collected (that said, I’ll never give up my nutcracker collection!). I’ve learned that what I love to use most for decorating is greenery and other things from nature. Throughout the holiday season, you’ll find me at places like Trader Joe’s selecting the most recent variety of holiday greens, berries and magnolia. I’ll be infusing these stems with really, really good faux garlands, and this year — a faux tree! Never did I think I would ever use a faux tree, but there is something refreshing about not having to worry about it drying out or falling over!! To say it has saved my marriage to Derrick may be an exaggeration, but seriously, it’s nice to know the tree will last throughout the entire season! ? Living room decked for the holidays with textures and greenery I love to add some whimsy and a bit of the unexpected to every space I can … Our dairy cow, “Milkshake,” has done that for the many homes we’ve lived in throughout the years. I found her at a favorite store in Portland years ago, and knew I had to have her. The kids have loved having her in our homes … she is a conversation starter for sure! Milkshake lived at Design Bar here in Bend for the last couple of years, and when I left I knew I needed her to come with me. Some may say I’m crazy for such a display, but we adore her. And, for those of you who are wondering, she was a dairy cow who lived on a farm and died of natural causes. In fact, the farmer who owned her thought his cows were so beautiful he went into business as a taxidermist and began selling them to preserve their beauty! She is pretty gorgeous, isn’t she? I mean, look at those lashes!? The kitchen is the hub (and the heart) of the home … And in our house, this couldn’t be any more true since it’s in the center of our main floor! We love gathering around the big island while cooking, mixing cocktails and catching up with family and friends. This year, I kept things super simple and used a large vintage crock filled with fresh greens, and one single large hurricane with mini pinecones and candle for holiday accents. I use pinecones all the time — they extend beyond the holidays and through the winter — which in my opinion is a huge win! Vintage holiday decor in this small space for festive cocktails We hope you have fun decorating your home and preparing for the most magical time of the year. Can’t wait to share more tips and favorites for making your home feel welcoming and festive. Cheers to you this holiday season!
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This breakfast nook is a perfect example of why I believe a good design plan can actually help you spend smarter, not more.

We intentionally paired a more affordable lacquer dining table with timeless wicker dining chairs and a statement light fixture. By saving in one area, we were able to invest where it mattered most. The end result still feels layered, custom, and collected because every decision was made with the bigger picture in mind.

That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring a designer. People assume we’re here to encourage a bigger budget.

Honestly, we’re here to educate you where to save so you can spend on the things that matter the most.

Knowing where to invest, where to save, and how those decisions work together is what keeps a project feeling intentional—and helps avoid expensive mistakes later.

I think a lot of people assume they need to wait until they have more money, or the entire house figured out before getting started. But I’ve found the opposite is often true. One thoughtful plan for one room creates momentum for everything that follows.

If you’ve been putting off a room because you don’t know where to begin (or you’re worried about making the wrong decisions), we’d love to help.

Comment “PLAN” and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation so we can kick your project off on the right foot.

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This breakfast nook is a perfect example of why I believe a good design plan can actually help you spend smarter, not more. We intentionally paired a more affordable lacquer dining table with timeless wicker dining chairs and a statement light fixture. By saving in one area, we were able to invest where it mattered most. The end result still feels layered, custom, and collected because every decision was made with the bigger picture in mind. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring a designer. People assume we’re here to encourage a bigger budget. Honestly, we’re here to educate you where to save so you can spend on the things that matter the most. Knowing where to invest, where to save, and how those decisions work together is what keeps a project feeling intentional—and helps avoid expensive mistakes later. I think a lot of people assume they need to wait until they have more money, or the entire house figured out before getting started. But I’ve found the opposite is often true. One thoughtful plan for one room creates momentum for everything that follows. If you’ve been putting off a room because you don’t know where to begin (or you’re worried about making the wrong decisions), we’d love to help. Comment “PLAN” and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation so we can kick your project off on the right foot.

When we first started designing our primary suite at the Sixth Street Bungalow, these were the images I kept coming back to. A bathroom that feels collected over time. A bedroom that feels quiet and restorative. Spaces with character, warmth, and a sense of permanence.

I’ve always believed that the best design starts there-not with a specific tile or paint color, but with how you want a space to feel when you walk into it.

The funny thing about renovation is that the vision is usually the easy part. The middle is where the work happens. The demolition. The decisions. The samples spread across every surface. The moments when you’re trying to imagine beautiful spaces while standing in a construction zone. We’re still very much in that season.
Choosing flooring. Finalizing cabinetry details. Adjusting lighting plans. Working through tile layouts.

Making hundreds of small decisions that most people will never notice individually, but together create the feeling we’ve been chasing from the beginning.

I’ve learned through the years that beautiful homes are rarely the result of one dramatic design decision.
They’re built through thoughtful choices, made over and over again.

We’re sharing much more of this renovation journey over on Substack-the sourcing, the design decisions. the changes, the lessons learned, and all the behind-the-scenes moments that don’t always make it to Instagram.

I’d love for you to follow along.

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When we first started designing our primary suite at the Sixth Street Bungalow, these were the images I kept coming back to. A bathroom that feels collected over time. A bedroom that feels quiet and restorative. Spaces with character, warmth, and a sense of permanence. I’ve always believed that the best design starts there-not with a specific tile or paint color, but with how you want a space to feel when you walk into it. The funny thing about renovation is that the vision is usually the easy part. The middle is where the work happens. The demolition. The decisions. The samples spread across every surface. The moments when you’re trying to imagine beautiful spaces while standing in a construction zone. We’re still very much in that season. Choosing flooring. Finalizing cabinetry details. Adjusting lighting plans. Working through tile layouts. Making hundreds of small decisions that most people will never notice individually, but together create the feeling we’ve been chasing from the beginning. I’ve learned through the years that beautiful homes are rarely the result of one dramatic design decision. They’re built through thoughtful choices, made over and over again. We’re sharing much more of this renovation journey over on Substack-the sourcing, the design decisions. the changes, the lessons learned, and all the behind-the-scenes moments that don’t always make it to Instagram. I’d love for you to follow along.

Comment “PIN” and I’ll send over tonight’s Design Board when it goes live. Or find it later in Between the Layers through the link in our bio.

I think people assume designers spend all day choosing furniture. The truth is, we spend a lot more time studying why certain rooms stay with us.

Why one staircase feels timeless.
Why a stripe can completely change the feeling of a room.
Why adding one modern piece to a traditional home suddenly makes everything else fee more interesting.

That’s what this month’s Design Board explores. It’s a peek inside the ideas shaping our work long before they become finished rooms. Some may be having a moment. But I have a feeling they’ll be just as beautiful ten years from now. That’s always the goal.

Fair warning: you may leave wanting to tent a room. I can’t be held responsible.

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Comment “PIN” and I’ll send over tonight’s Design Board when it goes live. Or find it later in Between the Layers through the link in our bio. I think people assume designers spend all day choosing furniture. The truth is, we spend a lot more time studying why certain rooms stay with us. Why one staircase feels timeless. Why a stripe can completely change the feeling of a room. Why adding one modern piece to a traditional home suddenly makes everything else fee more interesting. That’s what this month’s Design Board explores. It’s a peek inside the ideas shaping our work long before they become finished rooms. Some may be having a moment. But I have a feeling they’ll be just as beautiful ten years from now. That’s always the goal. Fair warning: you may leave wanting to tent a room. I can’t be held responsible.

This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding.

I think a lot of people assume they need to wait.
Until they have more time.
More money.
A bigger budget.
The entire house figured out.

But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space.

One room that feels calmer.
More functional.
More beautiful.
More like you.

Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time.

If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website to get started) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.

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Open
This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding. I think a lot of people assume they need to wait. Until they have more time. More money. A bigger budget. The entire house figured out. But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space. One room that feels calmer. More functional. More beautiful. More like you. Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time. If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website to get started) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.
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Bend, OR 97703, US

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(503)422-5682