My Houzz: Soothing Blues and Organic Style in a 1912 Fixer-Upper
His carpentry skills and her eye for design help a Pacific Northwest couple redo their home on a budget
Alexandra Crafton
June 13, 2017
Houzz Contributor: Specializing in interior photography and lifestyle journalism, Alexandra loves getting to know the people and stories behind the houses she shoots.
Houzz Contributor: Specializing in interior photography and lifestyle journalism,... More
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lindy and Travis Dodge; their 6-month-old twin daughters, Hazel and Norah; and their cats, Babycat, Olive and El Gato
Location: Tacoma, Washington
Size: 2,794 square feet (259.6 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1912
One of the biggest design challenges Lindy and Travis Dodge faced with their fixer-upper was the open floor plan. “My living room opens up to so many other rooms: the entryway, the dining room and a reading study,” Lindy says. “I’ve had to kind of design all rooms as one so that they flowed together.”
What she found she needed was more furniture. “I was spreading what I had through three rooms. We decided to add a second sofa facing the existing one to create a closed living room, and create a small sitting room in the study by adding a leather coffee table and two thrift store chairs I reupholstered in linen. This allowed separate rooms within one large room,” she says.
Lindy made the sofa throw pillow and the gray striped ottoman.
Rug: Safavieh; plants and flowers: Satori Boutique; plant basket: Ross; picture frames: Ikea
Who lives here: Lindy and Travis Dodge; their 6-month-old twin daughters, Hazel and Norah; and their cats, Babycat, Olive and El Gato
Location: Tacoma, Washington
Size: 2,794 square feet (259.6 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1912
One of the biggest design challenges Lindy and Travis Dodge faced with their fixer-upper was the open floor plan. “My living room opens up to so many other rooms: the entryway, the dining room and a reading study,” Lindy says. “I’ve had to kind of design all rooms as one so that they flowed together.”
What she found she needed was more furniture. “I was spreading what I had through three rooms. We decided to add a second sofa facing the existing one to create a closed living room, and create a small sitting room in the study by adding a leather coffee table and two thrift store chairs I reupholstered in linen. This allowed separate rooms within one large room,” she says.
Lindy made the sofa throw pillow and the gray striped ottoman.
Rug: Safavieh; plants and flowers: Satori Boutique; plant basket: Ross; picture frames: Ikea
Before Photo
BEFORE: The couple designed and renovated their home in two phases. “Right away [we] got to work on the main living floor downstairs,” Lindy says. “The first goal was to get it livable for move-in. My husband slept on a cot in the dining room while scraping all the old floors, popcorn ceilings and demo-ing the kitchen at nights after work. He’d work all night long. My job was to paint. I painted every single nook and cranny of this home. We officially moved in when we had the hardwood floors laid and the rooms painted.”
Travis thoroughly enjoyed completely reconfiguring and designing the house. “I’m not exaggerating when I say his hands built this home,” Lindy says. “The structure was there, but every inch of it needed love, and he was the one to give it.”
Travis thoroughly enjoyed completely reconfiguring and designing the house. “I’m not exaggerating when I say his hands built this home,” Lindy says. “The structure was there, but every inch of it needed love, and he was the one to give it.”
Lindy, pictured with Norah, owns Thimble & Cloth. Travis, pictured with Hazel, works as a product manager at Ply Gem, and also works at Tackoma, which sells minimalist wall organizers. Hanging on the wall behind them is a vintage indigo tapestry handwoven by artisans in Mali.
Lindy describes the couple’s design process as trial and error. “We’ve been here almost three years now and, goodness, the rooms and design have changed dramatically as I hone my skills and pinpoint my aesthetic,” she says.
Lindy describes the couple’s design process as trial and error. “We’ve been here almost three years now and, goodness, the rooms and design have changed dramatically as I hone my skills and pinpoint my aesthetic,” she says.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The house before move-in was a complete disaster with “animal-peed carpet, fake dropped ceilings, plaster holes and a dark, dungeony kitchen,” Lindy says. The couple looked past all of that. Travis handled most of the renovations, saving them money in labor costs. They were also able to borrow many tools from Travis’ father, who owns a construction company.
“My job was the interior design and his was the manual labor,” Lindy says. “He grew up working on his dad’s construction crew. I call him the one-man construction crew.”
“My job was the interior design and his was the manual labor,” Lindy says. “He grew up working on his dad’s construction crew. I call him the one-man construction crew.”
AFTER: Lindy’s interior design process has been, in her words, “a slow and collected process.” “We’ve never established a decorating budget because I usually just bring furniture home from thrift stores and reupholster them when I come across them. The only piece that really had me dreaming about it was my new gray sofa. I had my eye on that piece for over a year and made design decisions based off of that sofa before I even owned it.”
Moroccan leather pouf: Overstock; Astoria Austria fabric sofa: Overstock
Moroccan leather pouf: Overstock; Astoria Austria fabric sofa: Overstock
Lindy’s primary palette in decorating the home includes blues, whites, stripes, wood, leather and linen. This reading nook directly behind the living room is a favorite family area. “We love all the space that was meant for gathering and reflecting,” she says.
Lindy used linen to reupholster this pair of armchairs she got at a thrift store.
Healy Saddle Brown leather tufted ottoman: Overstock; knit blanket: Simply White, Lane & Mae; houseplants and fresh flowers: Satori Boutique; trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore; rug and white ceramic garden stool: Overstock; brass and marble Jayson floor lamp: World Market
Lindy used linen to reupholster this pair of armchairs she got at a thrift store.
Healy Saddle Brown leather tufted ottoman: Overstock; knit blanket: Simply White, Lane & Mae; houseplants and fresh flowers: Satori Boutique; trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore; rug and white ceramic garden stool: Overstock; brass and marble Jayson floor lamp: World Market
“A mix of styles is what feels like home to me rather than subscribing to one [style] and sticking with it,” Lindy says. “I like to choose natural furnishings. What I mean by that is, pieces with an organic, raw vibe: linen, wood, leather. Then I build upon that vibe with accessories, using global textiles and textures, all in the same easy, neutral color palette with blues and stripes thrown in here and there.”
The linen sofa seen here was a secondhand orange vinyl couch Lindy bought for $10 and reupholstered in linen. She also made the accent pillows.
Striped throw: Pehr Designs
The linen sofa seen here was a secondhand orange vinyl couch Lindy bought for $10 and reupholstered in linen. She also made the accent pillows.
Striped throw: Pehr Designs
“It’s hard to remember what life was like before our twin babes,” Lindy says. “To speak on the energy of the home now, we spend the day singing, dancing, learning, resting and creating in this home with these babies. This home has always been a creative space for me.” Lindy is seen here with Hazel on her lap and Norah playing on the floor.
“Before the babies, I was working from home on my textile business, Thimble & Cloth — always creating, always designing,” Lindy says. “This house gives me a lovely backdrop to pursue those creative endeavors, especially because those endeavors include interior design. So, for a time, the actual home was my work.”
Travis made the coffee table from a tree that he and his father milled years ago while building a sauna for a client.
“Before the babies, I was working from home on my textile business, Thimble & Cloth — always creating, always designing,” Lindy says. “This house gives me a lovely backdrop to pursue those creative endeavors, especially because those endeavors include interior design. So, for a time, the actual home was my work.”
Travis made the coffee table from a tree that he and his father milled years ago while building a sauna for a client.
The entryway has a place for people to sit and take off shoes and coats. The vintage theater seats came from Stewart Middle School down the street.
Roman shades: Overstock
Roman shades: Overstock
Bookshelves face the theater seats.
Safavieh Paradise Gardens ceramic garden stool in Cream: Overstock
Safavieh Paradise Gardens ceramic garden stool in Cream: Overstock
Travis built the family’s dining table, and the six vintage Danish chairs were found on Craigslist for $16 each. Below the window is a bench that offers more seating when the couple entertain. The striped table runner is a Turkish towel.
Wood blinds: Overstock
Wood blinds: Overstock
This work bench repurposed as a buffet was found on the property. “It was filthy and easily overlooked as junk, but I convinced my husband to pressure-wash it and it turned out beautiful,” Lindy says. “Most everything in this home is secondhand and refreshed, built or reupholstered by us.” The piece is now used to hold extra dishes. Above it is an opening into the kitchen. Babycat enjoys relaxing on top of it.
Before Photo
BEFORE: Travis and Lindy tackled their kitchen remodel with the idea that they’d revisit it a little later to upgrade things like cabinets and countertops. “We weren’t planning on touching the kitchen until we saved up the necessary money for a full gut and remodel, but as we renovated the main living spaces around the kitchen, it highlighted the horrendous state of the existing kitchen,” Lindy says. “We knew we had to do something to get by until the big kitchen remodel.”
AFTER: The couple removed the dark upper cabinets, painted the walls and ceiling white and added subway tile to the walls. The tile was left over from a project Travis’ father had worked on. “This is our temporary solution, but we are still really happy with it and will continue to use it as is,” Lindy says.
Travis designed and installed the faux-coffered ceiling detail.
Travis designed and installed the faux-coffered ceiling detail.
Travis also made the built-in seating for the adjacent breakfast nook. The white pedestal table is a thrift store find.
“I have always loved classic traditional design, but I am pulled toward modern as well,” Lindy says. “You have to learn how to use both styles to work together with the pieces you choose.”
Pillows: McGee & Co.
“I have always loved classic traditional design, but I am pulled toward modern as well,” Lindy says. “You have to learn how to use both styles to work together with the pieces you choose.”
Pillows: McGee & Co.
After removing the kitchen’s upper cabinets, the couple installed open floating shelves to hold their dinnerware.
“My open shelving was a mess and needed a little refresh,” Lindy says.
Shelving accessories, including cutting boards, cookbooks, pitcher and planters: McGee & Co.
“My open shelving was a mess and needed a little refresh,” Lindy says.
Shelving accessories, including cutting boards, cookbooks, pitcher and planters: McGee & Co.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The dark wood cabinets were still in good shape so the couple repurposed the lower units. They removed the existing flooring and sink.
AFTER: The couple poured the concrete countertops themselves as a DIY project. Lindy made the pendant light using a light kit from Ikea and a basket from Ross. The $30 sink and $60 wood island were both thrift store finds. “The wood island is actually my favorite piece in the home and has a great back story. I found it at the thrift store for $60. And while looking for any indication of age or manufacturer, I found a small brown piece of paper nailed to the underside with just some French words handwritten in pencil.”
They painted the lower cabinets blue, adding new hardware to the drawers and doors.
Cabinet paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball; hardware: Martha Stewart for Home Depot; cutting boards and hand towel: McGee & Co.
Cabinet paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball; hardware: Martha Stewart for Home Depot; cutting boards and hand towel: McGee & Co.
The vintage wood dresser, also found at a thrift shop, provides extra storage. Lindy made the Roman shades.
Before Photo
BEFORE: When the couple did the initial walk-through of the house, they peeled up the edge of the carpet and saw beautiful original soft fir floors. They were excited about refinishing them. “Once we took out all the carpet, we realized that in several main areas of the floor space the hardwood had been painted over with white paint and there was a bad puppy in the house before us, which meant permanent deep staining,” Lindy says. “The floors were unsavable, so we had to allot money in the budget for flooring throughout the entire home that we weren’t expecting.”
AFTER: Next to the stairs is a little nook with a built-in bench and storage for jackets and other items. Lindy made the pillows in the hanging chair, and she also took the framed photograph, in San Diego. The hanging chair was a lucky thrift store find.
Picture frame: Ikea
Picture frame: Ikea
An Ikea pendant that Lindy spray-painted black sits above the staircase. The upstairs is where the family spends most of its time. “We worked so hard on it up until the day my water broke, and one of the last things on the list for the renovation was hanging the doors to the rooms,” Lindy says. “Well, it didn’t happen in time, and now, as we have lived without doors in this upstairs family space, we both agree we prefer it this way. It’s our big open space just for us.”
Some of Lindy’s favorite natural textures, such as jute, linen, leather and wood, can be found in this guest sleeping space. She made the bench and Roman shades. The stool and lamp are thrift store finds and the ceramic art on the wall is a souvenir from Amalfi, Italy.
Striped duvet cover: Nyponros, Ikea
Striped duvet cover: Nyponros, Ikea
The guest bathroom was renovated on a budget. “We received a new tub and toilet from my parents, who happened to be demo-ing their home to rebuild. The vanity I found for $100 at a repurposed building supply store, and the tile was custom cut and laid by my husband,” Lindy says.
“The newly renovated upstairs is absolutely my favorite. It’s my sacred family space,” Lindy says. “We spend most of our time in the master bedroom or in the nursery playing, sewing, reading or sleeping. Most of our living happens in these couple of rooms.”
Lindy made both the wood mobiles and the doll in the crib on the right.
Blush pompom bin: Pehr Designs; gray pompom bin: Pehr Designs; cribs: Sniglar, Ikea; Spotlights pendant: Land of Nod; Textures braided rug: Rugs USA; throw blankets: Pehr Designs; striped tassel blanket: Thimble & Cloth; pillows: McGee & Co.; Tilli house pillow: Rowen & Wren
Lindy made both the wood mobiles and the doll in the crib on the right.
Blush pompom bin: Pehr Designs; gray pompom bin: Pehr Designs; cribs: Sniglar, Ikea; Spotlights pendant: Land of Nod; Textures braided rug: Rugs USA; throw blankets: Pehr Designs; striped tassel blanket: Thimble & Cloth; pillows: McGee & Co.; Tilli house pillow: Rowen & Wren
The guest bedroom and nursery were initially one large room that the couple divided into two rooms.
Pompom knit sweater: Sweet Meadowsweet; picture frame: Framebridge; horse photograph: Society 6; fiddle leaf fig tree: Satori Boutique; rocking horse: hand-me-down; white planter: Home Goods
Pompom knit sweater: Sweet Meadowsweet; picture frame: Framebridge; horse photograph: Society 6; fiddle leaf fig tree: Satori Boutique; rocking horse: hand-me-down; white planter: Home Goods
Lindy made the bed frame and headboard in the master bedroom along with the linen duvet cover. Travis made the wood nightstands. The photograph above the bed was taken by Lindy during a trip to Mexico.
Bedding: Cozy Earth Bedding; lamp: Goodwill; green velvet pillow: McGee & Co.; other throw pillows: Thimble & Cloth; picture frame: Ikea
Bedding: Cozy Earth Bedding; lamp: Goodwill; green velvet pillow: McGee & Co.; other throw pillows: Thimble & Cloth; picture frame: Ikea
This 14-by-16-foot vintage Persian rug in the master bedroom is one of many steals in the home. Lindy bought it for $200 while browsing secondhand shops.
This dresser is also a thrift store find.
“This home is my sanctuary,” Lindy says. “I spend most of my time here, raising our twin babes and working out of this space. It needs to feel good. And together, we’ve created that.” She and Travis are pictured here with Norah on the left and Hazel on the right.
“It’s cool to see my husband’s pride in what he was able to build for his family; that’s special,” Lindy says. “And with such a beautiful structure, it has been really fun to grow in my interior design skills and fill the space with pieces that mean something to our family, things we’ve built, reupholstered with our own hands, things picked up from our many travels and pieces that feel like home.”
See more of this home
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.
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
“It’s cool to see my husband’s pride in what he was able to build for his family; that’s special,” Lindy says. “And with such a beautiful structure, it has been really fun to grow in my interior design skills and fill the space with pieces that mean something to our family, things we’ve built, reupholstered with our own hands, things picked up from our many travels and pieces that feel like home.”
See more of this home
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.
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
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I love how they did this place. I am not a fan of white but the white always had a bold or dramatic color somewhere in it to break it up without being a contrast. Really well done and the work they put into reclaiming furniture is impressive. What a good team!
they are both very talented, this house is just wonderful
What a great place. Every room is so well thought out. I love the color blue.
Best wishes to the beautiful family, with great taste.