I spent most of the year 2020 scrolling Zillow. We had sold our house in Chicago and were feeling desperate to get out of our apartment building and into a home. With the pandemic, we changed a lot of our plans, including accelerating our family planning. The urge to settle in and make actual roots in Seattle after sooo many years of renting got REAL.
We spent every weekend driving around neighborhoods, my belly growing, John growing, and wondering if I’d get that tingly *this is it* feeling. It was thrilling and exhausting.
We finally found our place and have been renovating for the last year. It’s a work in progress but it’s ours. And now, after having gone through that, I’m tracing a line backwards in my life: interiors and homes have always been significant to me.
As a little kid my mom and I would visit open houses, mentally arranging furniture and imagining the possibilities. I played with dolls but stopped after extensively setting up their homes with found objects. The Sims happened and I could be found in the basement doggedly designing and cheat-coding so I could afford the *best* wallpaper (IYKYK). Preparing for my future home began in my teens when I’d collect vintage Pyrex and antique secretary desks. A table I snagged from @crateandbarrel became the first item that moved in with my (now) husband.
It’s always been there. And now I’m welcoming homes and spaces into my work more than ever. Shooting interiors brings me a joy I can’t explain. Our spaces are so important. Think about some of your best memories, are they attached to a home?
I have so much to say on this and will continue to explore and share with you. Thank you for coming along with me!
Photos for @thedigs.co (who just shared a big and exciting update yesterday!)
interiors
Colorful and Cheeky AirBnB in Cle Elum | Seattle Interiors Photographer
When I’m looking for a quick and easy getaway from the gray rainy Seattle weather, I’m always up for the beautiful drive across Snoqualmie Pass and over to Eastern Washington. Cle Elum and the surrounding area is the perfect stone’s throw for a weekend trip. With a beautiful lake and mountains leading slowly to desert, it’s a visual wonderland and always helps me hit reset. That’s why I jump at any opportunity to work with The Digs Co., a real estate and vacation rental company that has the BEST hosted and co-hosted sites across the pass. I met Chelsea, the founder, years back and we stayed in touch as our businesses grew and evolved. I first stayed at her first rental, Roslyn Digs, when I was expecting my first son. I’ll never forget how I enjoyed those peaceful mornings and shooting the brand new space with a cup of coffee in hand.
Fast forward almost four years (and now with a second baby!) I’d been following their progress with this super cute spot. Chelsea’s design sense is so spot on and you can tell the theme of this was FUN. I love all the pops of color in the house, from the emerald green velvet chairs to the neon pink hand hook in the bathroom, to the retro comic tile in the shower. The art in this space is so fun and playful, and as soon as you step outside you’re enveloped by towering pines and a whisper-quiet roaming yard space. I’m setting my sights on a little solo refresh retreat there soon.
Enjoy Shin Digs, and book it here!