Edgy-Glam Seattle Home featured in Wall Street Journal | Seattle Interiors Photographer

The Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle is full of gorgeous old craftsman homes, tree-lined streets, and the sweetest little downtown neighborhood. When we first moved to Seattle in 2014, we were completely enchanted with the area and settled in for our first year. Taking long walks around the top perimeter of the hill, we’d take in the stunning views of the Seattle skyline and the Puget Sound, reveling in our decision to relocate to the Pacific Northwest. The area near Kerry Park was our favorite to stroll, so it felt very full circle to photograph a beautiful home in that same neighborhood for Wall Street Journal recently.

Designed by K+L Interiors and contracted by Blue Sound Construction, this edgy-glam Seattle home blends together some of the classic design of the 20th century with some strikes of modernity that give the home such a luxe and modern feel. The black drapery in the primary suite is stunning in contrast to the bright view out the window. The crown jewel of this space is the epic top floor great room which features a large walk-out deck that takes in the Seattle skyline and water to mountain views.

See the full Wall Street Journal article here.

Design: K+L Interiors

Contractor: Blue Sound Construction

Lapis Lane Cabins | Seattle Airbnb Photographer

Heading over to Whidbey Island always feels so exhilarating to me. I have so many great memories, from spending my first Seattle birthday with my husband there many years ago (and screaming 25 and aliiiive! out of the sunroof of the car), to day trips taken with our kids. It’s where our first started walking in a cozy cabin tucked way into the woods. He sat on the stone fireplace hearth and just stood up and walked away! We’ve also taken family from out of town when we really want to impress them with quaintness and views for days.

Needless to say I was thrilled at the opportunity to capture Lapis Lane Cabins in all their Whidbey glory. Also tucked away in a beautiful forest (isn’t everything over there?), this property has three magical structures that have been incredibly and artfully detailed by the owners Elaine and Dimitri. Artists in method and execution, they’ve created a magical experience in both interior and exterior. Elaine is a talented landscape designer and gardener and the grounds are so magical, with moody outdoor bathtubs and showers to hammocks under mature trees. Inside a renovated barn is a window-clad room filled with natural light and reflecting the greenery of the surrounding property. They’ve been Airbnb hosts forever, and have a true passion for hosting.

Photographing these spaces was such a joy. I was free to create in accordance with the feeling of each space. There is a time and a place for bright and crisp images, and there’s also a time to honor the feeling of a space and translate that in a photograph. This latter approach has become my closer calling lately. If a room is close and cozy it should be portrayed that way, allowing for the viewer to really imagine a peaceful afternoon spent reading on a porch rocking chair with a quiet bedroom just behind reach.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful property!

Bathtime Upgrade

After seven years of apartment living in Seattle, one of the things we were most excited about when designing our primary bathroom was including a giant tub. We’re both bath takers and were sorely missing that up to your neck feeling of being submerged in water. It’s so good! We’ve been loving our tub, and now that cooler weather is on the horizon again, I’m ramping up my bathroom situation to create a luxury experience whenever I need it. So, the crusty towels we had for over ten years had to go.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emily Keeney (@emilyannekeeney)

This Spa Rib set from Pact is such a fresh upgrade. They’re lightweight and definitely oversized for a full blanket experience getting out of the tub. I’ve always shied away from lighter towel colors out of fear and preservation, but since these are just for the grownups in our little bathroom oasis I felt ready to take the plunge. (Bath pun intended.)

Pact is pretty cool, too, because they’re a completely carbon neutral company.

You can find your own set of towels right here and take 20% off with code EMILYK20. Happy bath season!

For the Fall Nights Ahead

We’ve been living in our house for about a year and a half now and this was the year that we decided to tackle our yard and garden. Our house is 110 years old, which for Seattle, isn’t uncommon! However, that meant that most of our time and money and effort has gone to renovating the inside (check out our primary bathroom renovation here). This has left the poor garden in the dirt.

With some help from professional landscapers, we’ve been working with our very mature garden to keep the good and cull out the not so good. As a native Midwesterner I never could have believed the trouble that blackberry causes in the PNW!

To get me going, I planned a birthday garden party (anyone else need a deadline to get projects done?). For weeks, I spent nights after the kids’ bedtime driving out to Lowe’s and spreading mulch and weeding and laying pea gravel and installing garden lights and and and — it totally became a different garden. Now we’re focused on a courtyard we have on the side of the house. It’s going to be the perfect place to host bonfires and to sneak out with my husband on chilly nights while the kids sleep upstairs. Swoooon!

Since we’re basically starting with an empty slate I pulled together a mood board. We already have the black bench and the fire chiminea is coming! The rest are roundups (mostly from World Market) that are on our wishlist.

Stay tuned! Can’t wait to show you once we get the rest together.