Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Custom Furnishings Abound in a Historic Seattle House
A 1908 home in the city’s Fremont neighborhood gets designer details and a bright interior face-lift
When a couple with great taste start a family, the resulting state of their home can easily leave them feeling design-deficient. Sleek lines and gorgeous fabrics are quickly replaced by soft corners and surfaces that are easy to wipe down. But for a young professional couple with two little ones in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, the idea of giving up on great design simply wasn’t going to fly.
Enter interior designer Heidi Caillier, who was hired to help the couple pull together the spaces on the ground floor of their home. “Initially they just wanted to brighten up those rooms and make them more polished,” Caillier says. “Later we added additional phases to the project and tackled the master bedroom upstairs.”
Enter interior designer Heidi Caillier, who was hired to help the couple pull together the spaces on the ground floor of their home. “Initially they just wanted to brighten up those rooms and make them more polished,” Caillier says. “Later we added additional phases to the project and tackled the master bedroom upstairs.”
A long gray sofa — one of the few items the owners had in place before bringing Caillier onboard — anchors a living room designed for entertaining. While the children don’t spend a ton of time in this room, they were a consideration in all phases of the design process.
“We used tight prints to hide stains. We put zipper covers on the cushions so they could be taken off and cleaned,” Caillier says. “We just tried to think ahead about what would make life easier.”
Chairs: vintage, reupholstered in Mountain Wave fabric by Templeton; Slim cocktail table: Room & Board; side table: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; rug: Cost Plus World Market; window treatments: custom-made in silver Linen Casual fabric by Casamance; pillow fabrics: Calton Hill in Grape by Casamance, Bandama in vintage indigo by Jennifer Shorto and Gordon Stripe in Fig by Chris Barrett; Lotus table lamp: Jamie Young
“We used tight prints to hide stains. We put zipper covers on the cushions so they could be taken off and cleaned,” Caillier says. “We just tried to think ahead about what would make life easier.”
Chairs: vintage, reupholstered in Mountain Wave fabric by Templeton; Slim cocktail table: Room & Board; side table: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; rug: Cost Plus World Market; window treatments: custom-made in silver Linen Casual fabric by Casamance; pillow fabrics: Calton Hill in Grape by Casamance, Bandama in vintage indigo by Jennifer Shorto and Gordon Stripe in Fig by Chris Barrett; Lotus table lamp: Jamie Young
The layout of the kitchen didn’t change, but all the elements got a major face-lift. Caillier extended the cabinetry to provide extra storage and visually elongate the space. She replaced wood countertops with stone, repainted cabinets and installed new plumbing fixtures and lighting.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Simply White (upper cabinets) and Gravel Gray (lower cabinets); bin pulls and ball knobs in unlacquered brass: Rejuvenation; vintage Moroccan rug: Pink Rug; flush-mount light: Alabax large in black: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply; Roman shade fabric: Uroko in Ink, Zak+Fox; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Simply White (upper cabinets) and Gravel Gray (lower cabinets); bin pulls and ball knobs in unlacquered brass: Rejuvenation; vintage Moroccan rug: Pink Rug; flush-mount light: Alabax large in black: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply; Roman shade fabric: Uroko in Ink, Zak+Fox; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
Above the kitchen island, a pair of pendant lights provides a subtle transition from the kitchen to the dining area.
Pendant lights: Workstead
Pendant lights: Workstead
The couple’s art collection, consisting of various vintage pieces, family heirlooms and Etsy finds, creates a dynamic backdrop for a simple, sophisticated dining area.
Oval Tulip dining table and Wishbone chairs in black: Rove Concepts
Oval Tulip dining table and Wishbone chairs in black: Rove Concepts
“The clients had some great art, and it was a lot of fun to piece it together to create a gallery wall,” Caillier says.
A large mirror and an art piece from the homeowners’ collection hang above a custom sectional in the kid-friendly family room.
“This is a room where they hang out and play, so we really made sure that surfaces were durable, and we chose a rug that would hide just about any stain,” Caillier says. “I really love working with families who have kids. It’s a fun challenge to figure out how to make that look great. I like using prints, but keeping it minimal at the same time, so that it feels young and fresh.”
Sectional and leather-topped coffee table: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; rug: vintage Moroccan; Spirit wall hanging and Himo art object: Julie Thevenot; Roman shade fabric: Diamond Buti in light blue: Walter G; pillow fabrics: Taj in onyx/ash and Fez in blue/blue by Peter Dunham Textiles, Dash Dot by Walter G and other Walter G fabrics (now discontinued); Drum table (no longer available) and Modernist table lamp: West Elm
“This is a room where they hang out and play, so we really made sure that surfaces were durable, and we chose a rug that would hide just about any stain,” Caillier says. “I really love working with families who have kids. It’s a fun challenge to figure out how to make that look great. I like using prints, but keeping it minimal at the same time, so that it feels young and fresh.”
Sectional and leather-topped coffee table: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; rug: vintage Moroccan; Spirit wall hanging and Himo art object: Julie Thevenot; Roman shade fabric: Diamond Buti in light blue: Walter G; pillow fabrics: Taj in onyx/ash and Fez in blue/blue by Peter Dunham Textiles, Dash Dot by Walter G and other Walter G fabrics (now discontinued); Drum table (no longer available) and Modernist table lamp: West Elm
Upstairs, the couple wanted to create a master bedroom that would be in contrast to many of the other spaces, a kid-free retreat where they could relax. They wanted to use light colors.
A large rug defines the space and frames the bed. Both pieces were custom-designed by Caillier. Over the bed, Roman shades help to break up the heavy wood tones of the window casings.
Grove nightstands: Room & Board; lamps: Arteriors (no longer available); Roman shade fabric: Kravet
A large rug defines the space and frames the bed. Both pieces were custom-designed by Caillier. Over the bed, Roman shades help to break up the heavy wood tones of the window casings.
Grove nightstands: Room & Board; lamps: Arteriors (no longer available); Roman shade fabric: Kravet
A chaise in the corner adds a playful twist.
Chaise: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; chaise fabric: Tulu in indigo by Zak+Fox; pillow on left: Disc Interiors, Smith & Noble; striped pillow fabric: Comoé by Jennifer Shorto; Issac plug-in sconce: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply; framed print: 70’s Punk by Jennifer Ament
Chaise: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; chaise fabric: Tulu in indigo by Zak+Fox; pillow on left: Disc Interiors, Smith & Noble; striped pillow fabric: Comoé by Jennifer Shorto; Issac plug-in sconce: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply; framed print: 70’s Punk by Jennifer Ament
Throughout the home, there’s a feeling that every piece was made just for the spot that it rests in — and, in many instances, that is indeed the case.
Dresser: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; framed photograph: Megumi Arai; lamp: Noguchi
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Dresser: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; framed photograph: Megumi Arai; lamp: Noguchi
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Fremont neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 2,800 square feet (260.1 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Heidi Caillier Design
The 1908 home is endowed with features that give it a competitive advantage when it comes to aesthetics — things like original casings, moldings and banisters and stunning wood flooring. “Thankfully, the homeowners wanted to keep all of that intact,” Caillier says.
In the entry, a custom console, designed by Caillier, sets a precedent for what one will see throughout the home. Many of the pieces were custom-designed.
Console and bench: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; bench fabric: Pazuru Mulberry, Zak+Fox; vintage Moroccan rug: Pink Rug; lamp: Bodega, Arteriors Home; art: TRNK-NYC