Houzz Tour: Turning the Tide for a Pacific Northwest Island Home
A renovation of a 1980s home on Whidbey Island celebrates water views, color and eclectic style
At the time this vacation home on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound was built, parachute pants and leg warmers were all the rage. While clothing styles have evolved since the early 1980s (thankfully), the home hadn’t. A major two-year renovation brought this waterfront retreat up to snuff on its exterior and gave it a completely new layout on the first floor to maximize ocean views and natural light.
Paquette installed reclaimed oak flooring, seen here in the entry, throughout the home. Crisp white walls enhance the natural light even on cloudy days and let the colorful furnishings and accessories stand out.
He also custom-designed the driftwood console table seen here. While the piece adds natural warmth, its gnarled shape also softens the sharp angles of the walls.
Wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
He also custom-designed the driftwood console table seen here. While the piece adds natural warmth, its gnarled shape also softens the sharp angles of the walls.
Wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
In fact, Paquette says the angles of the walls proved a challenging aspect of the redesign. But creating a more open floor plan allowed the intersecting planes and diagonals to become secondary features rather than dictate the layout.
Paquette had the living room ceiling raised a few inches. He had the beams and angled steel, seen at the right, painted the same white as the walls for continuity. The fireplace has a slim steel mantel, which Paquette says was chosen for its simplicity and relationship to the window design. The floating stair treads are reclaimed oak, the same as the floor.
Elegantly casual, the furnishings focus on comfort and texture — with leather, wovens and a chunky area rug. The blues, browns and golds reference the coastal landscape outside.
Ottoman: custom design upholstered in leather by Moore & Giles; gold lounge chair: Dillon, Lawson-Fenning, upholstered in Romo fabric
Paquette had the living room ceiling raised a few inches. He had the beams and angled steel, seen at the right, painted the same white as the walls for continuity. The fireplace has a slim steel mantel, which Paquette says was chosen for its simplicity and relationship to the window design. The floating stair treads are reclaimed oak, the same as the floor.
Elegantly casual, the furnishings focus on comfort and texture — with leather, wovens and a chunky area rug. The blues, browns and golds reference the coastal landscape outside.
Ottoman: custom design upholstered in leather by Moore & Giles; gold lounge chair: Dillon, Lawson-Fenning, upholstered in Romo fabric
In one corner of the living room, a reading area with leather barrel chairs creates a tranquil spot for curling up with a book.
Saddle leather round chairs: Garza Marfa; photograph behind chair on left: Megumi Shauna Arai
Saddle leather round chairs: Garza Marfa; photograph behind chair on left: Megumi Shauna Arai
The living room opens to the dining and kitchen areas, the layouts of which were completely changed. A large island provides ample workspace at one end and casual seating at the other. The sliding barn door on the far right leads to a pantry.
A custom blue paint on the lower cabinets matches the blue of the oven, seen in the previous image. The uppers, however, are white. “It’s a big kitchen, so having an all-white kitchen next to the rest of the color would have been off-balance,” Paquette says. Wrought iron light fixtures offer contrast as well as a subtle coastal look.
Cabinetry: custom, Gemkow Construction; white cabinet paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; countertop: Calacatta Gold, Pental; island counter chairs: Lee Industries; pendant lights: Hubbardton Forge
Cabinetry: custom, Gemkow Construction; white cabinet paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; countertop: Calacatta Gold, Pental; island counter chairs: Lee Industries; pendant lights: Hubbardton Forge
A new custom dining table mixes things up with two chair types: a modern take on a wingback at the table ends and six casual leather chairs.
Fernando chair: Jayson Home; pendant lights over dining table: Rejuvenation
Fernando chair: Jayson Home; pendant lights over dining table: Rejuvenation
Off the kitchen, a powder room sports a mesmerizing wallpaper with a malachite pattern. Paquette finished the ceiling in a gold lacquer. He jokes that it was a smelly process “but totally worth it.”
Malachite wallpaper: Cole & Son; mirror: Design Within Reach; sconces: Visual Comfort
Malachite wallpaper: Cole & Son; mirror: Design Within Reach; sconces: Visual Comfort
A den off the entry features access to the deck, which winds around about 60 percent of the home. Like elsewhere in the house, Paquette sprinkled in furnishings made of natural materials, like the wood stool made of reclaimed teak seen here.
Sectional: custom; wood side table: Tirto Furniture
Sectional: custom; wood side table: Tirto Furniture
Upstairs, the master bedroom is bathed in a palette of deep blues and grays. Paquette custom-designed the velvet headboard and nightstand.
Sconce: Visual Comfort; artwork: Jeremy Miranda
Sconce: Visual Comfort; artwork: Jeremy Miranda
In a corner of the bedroom, a built-in seat overlooks the water. Abstract patterns on the throw pillows hint at water ripples, and the fabric on the chair suggests a stylized wood grain pattern.
Bruno wing chair: Cisco Home, upholstered in Groundworks fabric; wood table: Tirto Furniture
Bruno wing chair: Cisco Home, upholstered in Groundworks fabric; wood table: Tirto Furniture
A skylight brings natural sunlight into the master bathroom, making it cheery and bright, like the rest of the home. Marble hexagonal tiles complement the marble countertops.
Mirror: Restoration Hardware; floor tile: Pental
Mirror: Restoration Hardware; floor tile: Pental
Across the hall from the master bedroom, this guest bedroom is rooted in simplicity but not without a touch of luxury. Instead of conventional fabric, a gold Hermès blanket serves as upholstery for the custom headboard.
Nightstand: Room & Board; floor lamp: Restoration Hardware
Nightstand: Room & Board; floor lamp: Restoration Hardware
Previously a wide-open attic on the third floor, the kids’ space has five bunk beds just to the left of this sitting area.
The colorful area was one of the homeowners’ requests and what Paquette describes as “unabashed fun for everyone.” The design leans toward the wild side, combining a bold custom chevron area rug, palm-patterned wallpaper and candy-hued pouf seating blocks.
General contractor: Gemkow Construction
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The colorful area was one of the homeowners’ requests and what Paquette describes as “unabashed fun for everyone.” The design leans toward the wild side, combining a bold custom chevron area rug, palm-patterned wallpaper and candy-hued pouf seating blocks.
General contractor: Gemkow Construction
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 Seattle couple and their young kids
Location: Whidbey Island, Washington
Size: 3,127 square feet (290.5 square meters); four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designers: Brian Paquette (interior designer) and Martin Henry Kaplan (architect)
The home sits in an idyllic waterfront location, but its choppy layout didn’t maximize the gorgeous views outside. It was in need of functional updates like new windows and doors, and the time was also right to make interior improvements to create a better visual connection with the water.
Interior designer Brian Paquette helped turn the tide, altering the main floor layout and changing the finishes.