I hope through my writing it’s apparent I truly love my apartment. It’s by far the most aesthetically special home I’ve ever lived in. However, with old special apartments come some “special” quirks. For me, it’s the fact that the first thing you see when you walk into my home is my toilet. Granted, it’s a really cool toilet but still, that’s not what I want my guests or myself to see upon arrival. And you’d think it’d be pretty convenient if you needed to rush to the bathroom as soon as you got home but not exactly. My front door needs the deadbolt to stay shut. So if I were to run straight to the bathroom and sit down before locking the front door, there’s a very high chance that my front door would slowly open, exposing me to the building. Like I said, special. But here’s what I’m actually going to talk about today. Before you enter the bathroom from the hallway entrance, there’s a pass-through wide closet that is lacking any kind of “design” and is simply a boring storage space (FYI this is my secondary closet which I’m super grateful for). I think when they were making this single-family home into apartments they had to make interesting choices and this small space/closet was one of them. It’s part dress/occasional clothing closet, part linen closet, part toilet paper storage, part large household necessities storage, etc. And it’s all visible all of the time! So while I love the idea of designing all closets/storage spaces to be really beautiful, it’s almost always been at the bottom of my priority list. Areas like living rooms and kitchens are first:) But my dad was recently in town so I may have accidentally roped him into making my closet situation muuuuuuch better. Let me show you how.
Here is the view from my front door. It’s not horrible but I don’t love it. Likely the door into the bathroom will always need to be open because that’s only one of two dim sources of natural light in the main hallway. At least the tile is awesome!
Here is the view from the inside of my bathroom. It needs some personality, right??
For fun, here’s a better view of the clothes and the storage above. The fact that the only board game I own is Monopoly will forever be a mystery.
But it’s this area here that both bummed me out the most and where I felt had the most potential. You see, I use my drying rack and step ladder (hello, 5’3 3/4″) all of the time. I need easy access to them and there just isn’t anywhere else in the apartment that works as well. I also had a handful of power tools and workout accessories shoved under my clothes on the other side. It has worked out fine but I hate that they are annoying to access and look messy.
So my original thought was to ask my dad to build some kind of built-in sliding door thing. But with all of the crazy mouldings and wildly uneven walls he wasn’t as enthusiastic about the project (aka it was a hard no). That original conversation probably happened 1 year ago if not longer. But while he was in town for work this past week, I mentioned how I hated looking at my drying rack and tried to see if maybe he had softened to my original idea. He had not but also assured me it was going to look bad trying to work with the mouldings. FINE, DAD. Instead, we came up with a plan together that was going to look great and was much much easier.
The Design Plan
New Storage Plans
TADA! It’s a little shelving unit with a cute curtain to hide everything I don’t want to look at daily but still need to access almost daily.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I hadn’t thought about a curtain but I’m annoying and always want to harder to do option. But once I let that go, I was pumped about this plan and knew I wouldn’t need much more help once my dad left. So as you can see there’s a top self that will likely hold art since I want it to look styled since it’s so visible to the front door. Then behind the curtain, the first self is for my small workout accessories and small laundry tools like my steamer and fabric shaver. Lastly, on the bottom shelf, are my power tools. The shelf is much wider than the tools are so I’m not worried about them falling off. Oh and of course, there’s enough room for the larger items below. But wait there’s more:)
This little closet is getting A BIG makeover. Think color and pattern but all done by hand. Painting a pattern has been something I’ve been really wanting to do in this apartment. Watching people like Carmeon Hamilton, Liz Kamarul, and of course, Hopie Stockman Hill has really inspired me. When I was little I wanted to be a painter and a Shamu trainer (back before I knew everything we know now) so that little painter is still in me (or I at least hope so). I want to bust out some brushes, turn on some music, and go for it. I mean what’s the worst that could happen? I have to paint over it because it looks like trash?? I’m willing to take the risk. It’s time I put my time and money where my mouth is. This is the biggest reason for my one-month deadline. I have a *big* tendency to overthink well, everything, and since this doesn’t require any lead times or collaboration negotiations, I’m going to do my best to release it all and have fun, the only thing making me wait is me.
I don’t have any patterns for you to look at yet but I know it’s going to be more abstract. If you know me at all, you know I can’t get enough of a fun, simple shape:) But what I do have are two color palette worlds I’m playing with.
First up is what I’m calling the warm-toned (or “warmer” toned) palette. I love the sophisticated burgundy, cream, and dark mustard paired with the more playful sienna and light pink. Then to add some contrast and bring in the blue tile from the bathroom, we have a beautiful dark blue. I think these will also blend really nicely with the tones in the living room without being too matchy-matchy.
But on the other hand…
I also love the idea of cooling it down a bit with this palette! I have a soft spot for the right mint tone which could find its way into the bathroom for something. But I mean, adding more blues, in general, will lend itself to the bathroom. I just want it to feel like this closet “belongs” to the house and not just the bathroom.
These palettes will likely get tweaked but this is where my head is at:)
The Flush Mount
Decor! While I love an abstract shape, lighting is another love story. They are such great opportunities to do something unexpected and really fun. But of course, if you have a really loud design (like a colorful handpainted pattern) you don’t want the lighting to compete. So here are some of my initial ideas for the flush mount I want to replace.
Ooof! I would LOVE this vintage Murano glass light but my fear is that it might need to drop down too low and hit the door. I could maybe get it rewired but that might push me over my $250 budget. Then look at how fun this white cutie is. It would totally bring in the theme of circles my “bench” has in my living room and since I’ll probably paint the ceiling a color it will really stand out. But that wood light not only brings in that nice warm wood tone, I love the brass detail. Plus I’m from a town called San Juan Capistrano…it could be a sign.
All three of these are bold, simple, and really chic. The “Cylindus” is vintage so it would add instant soul and looks really cool. The angle on the Cruz flush mount is so good! But at 15″ mint be too big. Then that little modern cutie on the right is sweet, modern, and is only $35 on clearance so…
The French Deco light is absolutely a top contender. I just love the shape, the size would totally work, and that brass tone is perfect. The details in the Givoni are really awesome and unexpected! Ugh, I love them all. And then the final one on the right is also a stunner. The base is wide and pretty flat so it would take up more ceiling space in a great way and it’s also just really pretty! I guess we’ll have to see once I create a pattern and design which one of the 9 lights will look best.
Progress (AKA Proof I’ve Started And Keeping Me Accountable)
We started this project at 6:30 at night so hopefully, the neighbors weren’t too mad. Naturally, we headed to Home Depot, and picked out the wood I liked best from their selection. I’m pretty sure it was red oak but I might end up staining it later. Not sure! Then we came home to our workshop (aka my kitchen), measured again, and started cutting.
We troubleshot a couple of ideas but decided that cutting smaller pieces for the sides was going to act perfectly as brackets and make it easier to secure everything together. He even made a cutout for my lightswitch:) Thanks, dad!
The Current State
So here’s where I am right now. Dad’s work is all done which I am sure is a relief to him. Now, I need to take it apart to sand and maybe stain it all. I also need to come up with some kind of moulding piece to put on the front of the top self so I can make room for a curtain to hang down from it and lay flat. Someone forgot to factor that in when cutting the bottom two shelves…
Maximalism is a design style that is all about going big and bold. It's about making a statement with your décor and using furniture and accessories to create a look that is both stylish and impactful. When it comes to choosing the right rug for a maximalist interior, Moroccan rugs are the perfect option.
Moroccan rugs are known for their bold patterns and vibrant colors. They are the perfect way to add a touch of luxury to any space. They are also very versatile and can be used in a variety of different ways to create a variety of different looks.
Here are some of the reasons why Moroccan rugs are ideal for maximalist interiors:
They Add a Touch of Luxury
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They are Versatile
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They are Easy to Care For
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They are Affordable
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They Make a Space Feel More Cohesive
Moroccan rugs can help to make a space feel more cohesive. This is because they often have bold patterns and colors that can tie together different elements in a room. In addition, they can help to define a space and make it feel more cohesive.
They are Easy to Find
Moroccan rugs are relatively easy to find. They are often sold in home decor stores, department stores, and even online.
Conclusion
Moroccan rugs are ideal for maximalist interiors for several reasons. They are colorful and vibrant, making them a great way to add personality to a space. They are also durable and easy to care for, which is ideal for busy households. Moroccan rugs are a great way to inject some life into a room and can be used to create a variety of different looks. Whether you want a bold and daring space or a more subdued and relaxed atmosphere, Moroccan rugs are a great way to achieve it.
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In my attempt to learn the ins and outs of the entire renovation process (and pass it on to you), I recently did a deep dive into how we can get the most energy-efficient HVAC and water heating system. Learning all the new technology was a beast. It hurt my brain, and I was frankly pretty frustrated with myself for not easily grasping exactly how heat pumps can work for both the heat/AC and water. (Turns out there are two different types of heat pumps – we’ll break it down below).
Gas furnaces are easy to understand, and electric heaters, I get. But these heat pumps are a little more complex. Their genius lies in being SUPER efficient and if you are renovating right now, you REALLY need to keep reading. I wish I had known all of this when we renovated the Mountain House, so this time around I’m doing it RIGHT. To better understand Heat Pump technology, we had meetings and calls with Rheem experts and Electrify Now (an energy-efficient nonprofit in PDX) as well as with our local contractors. I took all the notes and even recorded the meetings in hopes of distilling them down for you in a way that would help us all become experts. And y’all, I FINALLY GET IT. So today, for those of you who are renovating or really just like to learn about HVAC and water heating, I’m breaking down all the dos and don’ts that I learned.
DO: Choose Electric (Like A Heat Pump) Over Traditional Gas. Here’s Why:
Well, as homeowners who have the privilege to renovate, Heat Pumps are simply a better way for our earth, our home, and our wallets.
1. We are trying to reduce our dependence on natural gas as a fossil fuel energy resource and we live in Oregon, which is quickly changing its energy reliance over to green energy — solar and wind. Because we want to reduce our carbon footprint, this is a good switch to make while renovating.
2. Rheem heat pumps will save you money long term by reducing your energy bill. They are just much more energy efficient because they use heat energy from the air (which I’ll explain below).
3. Simply put, the variable-speed heat pump system and Hybrid electric heat pump water heater I selected (which I go into later) will give you a better, more comfortable home. So for those of you wary about anything too new/green, or if you just don’t want to spend the extra bit up front, understand this: Heat Pumps will not only save you money long term but you’ll like being in your house more. A Variable-speed heat pump will efficiently adapt to your air needs and help lower humidity while Hybrid Electric Heat Pump water heaters cool and dehumidify the surrounding air without producing nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. Pretty awesome.
Natural gas is inexpensive, I know, and I’m not saying that if you have a perfectly good gas furnace or water heater you should scrap it (because that is so wasteful in itself), but IF you are installing a new system, seriously think about getting the better, newer, more energy-efficient product. It’s like the range debate — don’t throw away your old gas range, but if you are getting a new one, think about induction.
DO: Opt for Rheem’s Products And Their Smart/Advanced Technology
Yes, this is a sponsored post, but I sought them out and pitched to THEM after researching, asking around, and consistently being told that Rheem’s heat pumps, smart technology, and products are the best in the business.
1. They’ve been making these heat pumps for years, and they have a solid product that isn’t new to the market. Moving forward, this will be the product builders will use because of the high efficiency and smart technology.
2. With regards to heating and cooling, Rheem’s system recommendation is way more accurate because they use a software calledDesign Star (lol), which bases the heat load off windows, layout, and humidity. Most basic HVAC contractors just do a basic square foot calculation (every 500 square feet requires 12,000 BTUs).
3. Rheem’s more thoughtful system recommendation process means that no energy is wasted and that the home will be comfortable for years to come. I was EXTREMELY excited about this.
4. One of the biggest selling points for us was the EcoNet® app — you can manage your HVAC and water heating in one place. Plus it can flag leaks, check system health, remind you of maintenance, and WAY more. Other companies don’t have a complete air and water solution, so we were excited that a brand could be a one-stop solution for all the nitty-gritty details.
…Wait, So What Exactly Is An “Electric Heat Pump”?
Here’s the best way I can simplify it for an average homeowner like me: It’s an advanced way to heat and cool both air and water by using the heat energy from the surrounding air and reduced electricity. Heat pumps have been around for decades and are far more energy efficient than other air and water solutions. Heat pump installations are quickly becoming the norm and are even a requirement in new builds in many states. If you want to get into the really nitty-gritty stuff, this is how the process was described to me verbatim:
Essentially, to heat water, the heat pump water heater’s fan pulls in air over its evaporator coils. Because the refrigerant in the evaporator coils absorbs the heat energy from the air, the exhausted air is cool. Then the super-heated refrigerant transfers heat to the water in the tank and returns cool refrigerant back to the evaporator. This all just keeps repeating. To heat and cool air, the heat pump transfers heat from one space to another (similar to the water heater). For example, in the summer a fan pulls indoor air over indoor evaporator coils. The refrigerant in the evaporator coils absorbs heat energy from the indoor air and exhausts cool air. Then the super-heated refrigerant moves to the outdoor coils where heat transfers to the air. Then the cool refrigerant returns to the indoor evaporator where the cycle repeats. I tried to get my mind to understand the science, then realized that I don’t really need to. It’s a better, more advanced, and efficient product, with a ton of advantages, full stop.
Let’s First Talk AC And Heating
DO: Consider a Variable-Speed Heat Pump System for Your HVAC — Keep Reading!!
Traditional standard “single-speed” furnace and HVAC systems can be wasteful, as they are either ON or OFF — they may produce more heat or AC than you need and use way too much energy, plus you aren’t getting precision comfort. A variable-speed system is smarter and more nuanced, fluctuating based on your home’s needs all the time, to the point that you barely notice it’s there because you are simply very comfortable.
A Variable-Speed Heat Pump is like how driving on the freeway is so much more fuel efficient than driving in a city — it’s the starting and stopping, the perpetual ON and OFF of it that wastes so much gas (or in this case, electricity). Once I heard this, I finally understood! A variable-speed heat pump system self-maintains instead of overcorrecting.
Here’s how it works: Rheem’s variable-speed systems are flexible — a little bit of heat will come out if you need a little, and a lot of heat will come out if your house is super cold. Not only does it adjust the temperature on its own, but it also adjusts the amount of airflow — it adjusts to 1/4 of a degree, so your house is the perfect temperature for you, ALL the time.
Rheem systems maintain your desired temperature with as little waste as possible. This tech is getting more and more affordable, because of scientific improvements, but also because of regulation. It’s great to see this proliferate because it’ll mean that it’s an accessible choice for everyone. 🙂 Many states will be moving to require all new construction to have electric heat pumps — it’s like electric cars. It’s coming FAST to mass market, and Rheem has been doing it for years.
DO: Find An HVAC Contractor Who Is Versed In Heat Pumps And Cares About Energy Efficiency
Not every HVAC contractor will suggest this newer technology, because not everyone is educated in it. YET. So make sure that whoever you or your GC is hiring knows how to do this. (Rheem has a “Find a Pro” database to help you.) Many still want to recommend gas furnaces, because that’s what they have installed for decades, and sometimes it is the right choice. Here are some things to think about when hiring:
1. Ask for a “load calculation.” If they just do it based on square footage, it likely isn’t as advanced or as good as you want (especially for a home over 1,500 square feet). Ask to see previous load-calculation work, as this is a good indicator that they are the kind of person who thinks the way you want your HVAC contractor to think.
2. For big projects like ours, look for a contractor who presents multiple options…“a good, better, best” type of scenario, which directly correlates with your budget. If they only offer one, they should be able to thoroughly articulate why they are recommending it over others.
3. Another critical thing to look for is a contractor who is recommending a “zone solution,” and if they are not, ask them to explain how it is going to evenly heat and cool your space throughout the year.
During our research, we came across Rheem and GreenSavers, our HVAC contractor. I had multiple calls with a few energy-efficiency experts in Portland, and they all recommended this company (Hi, Craig! :))
DO: Have Your HVAC System “Zoned”
For those of you ready to nerd out on our HVAC zones, we got you. I actually feel so empowered to know all of this now.
Zones, zones, zones…this is one of the most critical ways to optimize efficiency and comfort. For example, if you have a two-story home with bedrooms on the second floor, you need that space comfortable primarily at night, for sleeping, but not so much during the day. With a zoned system, you can program each zone separately based on how you use the space throughout a 24-hour period. It makes so much sense because you won’t be overheating or cooling rooms when they aren’t being used.
Craig with GreenSavers looked at the layout and unique characteristics of the space and decided four zones would work best for the farmhouse. Each zone has its own thermostat, so they can all be controlled independently of one another for maximum comfort and efficiency, an all-around WIN!
Zone 1: The main living area, including the kitchen, living room, and family room
Zone 2: Upstairs
Zone 3: Primary suite and mudroom
Zone 4: Sunroom
Zones 1 and 2 work off of the same electric heat pump compressor on the side of the house. The electric furnace is in the basement and feeds to the ducts that run under the main floor and up the chimney chase to the second floor. Since the ducts are connected, dampers have been installed so the upstairs and the downstairs can be set to different temperatures throughout the day… AMAZING. Our primary suite and the mudroom are the third zone, controlled by a mini-split installed in the new basement. Since the ducting doesn’t extend long distances, it helps minimize the loss of heat and cooling, making it more efficient…YAY. The sunroom is an addition with A LOT of windows, plus it’s set down from the great room, so Craig from GreenSavers thought we should treat it like its own microclimate, which it will have. On hot, sunny days (yes, we do sometimes have those in Portland) with all the exposure from the skylights and windows, it will likely be hotter than the great room, and in the winter it will be cooler, which is why I will love those radiant-heat floors warming my tootsies while I type away. There is a second mini-split and ducting for the sunroom in the crawl space under the room, and both mini-splits run off of the heat pump compressor on the back of the house. Now a lot of folks hear mini-split and immediately think of the boxes mounted to walls (which they often are), but because we created this plan from scratch, GreenSavers was able to design the system so the mini-splits are BEHIND the walls, not ON the walls…brilliant! Now you might ask, why not do mini-splits for the whole house? They are a fantastic option, though it doesn’t make sense for a space as large as the whole house. But for a situation like this, it is brilliant!
DON’T: Get Your Duct, BTU, And Unit Sizing Wrong
Obviously, rely on your local expert/contractor, but I always feel empowered when I know what I’m talking about. 🙂
So you’re going variable speed — you gotta make sure the sizing is done properly. If it’s too big or too small, you’re going to have problems. You want your BTUs to line up with your needs, neither too high (wasteful) nor too low (inefficient).
With too big of a unit, dehumidification won’t happen — it’ll put too much cool air into the system and then turn off. With too small of a unit, well, your home just won’t be too comfortable everywhere. 🙂
A properly installed system provides a comfy AND healthy environment — we’re shooting for 40% to 60% indoor humidity. This helps prevent allergies, asthma, dust mites, static, and floor warping. Our variable-speed system is designed to maintain the level of humidity, which will protect us AND our investment. 🙂
Get your ducts in a row (sorry) — size and location of ducting are also super important. Now your HVAC contractor should know this, but after our calls about it, I learned this is one of the most common problems. Y’all, get a good contractor who knows their stuff.
DON’T: Get A Dated System — New Smart Tech Is Here
While we only renovated a few years ago, up at the mountain house our contractor wasn’t versed or interested in energy efficiency, and we now have a dated system. The smart technology is awesome and has been around for years, so you aren’t getting the first version. As I wrote above, Rheem has the EcoNet Thermostat, which can be controlled from an app, and it has all of your HVAC and water information together. You can see your usage, your temperature, has easy voice control, and you get important equipment alerts that are sent directly to your phone or email.
Oh, and you even have remote access via the EcoNet App and on top of all that, the scheduling is simple with one-touch energy savings. “One-touch energy savings” means that you can save energy by adjusting your thermostat with one touch on the screen. This also means you can schedule your temperature settings ahead of time – for example: 74 during the day. 69 at night. Love how easy and efficient it is.
DO: Be Thoughtful About Vent Placement (+ Make Sure There’s Enough)
Do evenly space the vents throughout a room and house. This is common sense, but can be easily overlooked.
Do place vents under windows — you’ll be blanketing the heat loss/gain with warm or cool air, and it’ll circulate through the room better.
Don’t put a vent or return under where you think potential furniture will be. We put one big return under our kitchen island because it has legs and everyone agreed it was fine. But essentially, walk your house and imagine where furniture and rugs will be, then try really hard to avoid putting any vents or returns under them.
Do make sure that if you are replacing your flooring, you order wood vents to match, so you can install them to be flush. I’ve made this mistake three times now (not on this house!) and had to put in aftermarket vents, which is fine, but less pretty.
Do put your returns where you’ll be able to easily change the filter (should that be your system). At the mountain house, one of ours is 16′ off the floor (in the loft) and requires a terrifying ladder scenario.
Do place your thermostat in the middle of a room (they can’t be hidden in a closet, as much as we all want them to be).
While we haven’t lived here yet, we are going to do a follow-up post to show you how it works six months in. I just feel so grateful and taken care of, knowing that we have an excellent system and product that can meet our needs year-round and for a LONG, LONG TIME. Lastly…
DO: Mix and Match If It Meets Your Needs
It may not be tenable for you to go all-in on electric right now, but you can still mix and match. Rheem also offers gas furnaces, which may make sense for you depending on kW rates, gas rates, etc. We went all-electric because we’re trying to reduce gas dependency in this house, but if you live in a climate where you’d feel more comfortable having a gas backup for emergencies, you can still work with Rheem to find a solution that works for you.
Now Some Info About Heat Pumps And Water
DO: Consider Going With A Hybrid Electric Heat Pump for Water, Too
This is the same thinking as the HVAC — to reduce electricity or gas consumption and to be more energy efficient. With a standard gas water heater, you’re getting about 50 cents of heat for every $1 you spend on gas. Standard electric water heaters are more energy efficient than gas water heaters – usually, you’re getting between 90 and 98 cents of hot water for every $1 you put in. (As an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about carbon monoxide or venting exhaust out of the house when you’re dealing with an electric water heater.)
Then, you have hybrid electric heat pumps – that’s what we’re getting – which are the most energy-efficient water heaters on the market. (And like the standard electric water heater, there’s no need for venting out combustion gasses.) We ended up opting for two 80-gallon hybrid electric heat pumps, which are INCREDIBLY efficient – we’ll be getting about $4 of hot water for every $1 we’re spending on electricity. Consult with your local plumbing contractor to find the optimal heat pump water heater for your household.
As an added bonus, this hybrid electric heat pump model can effectively act as a small air conditioner. A lot of people in hotter, more southern climates will install these in the garage, which will cool down the space – it basically sucks out the hot air, uses that air to heat your water, and blows out cool air. (Again – these heat pumps are kind of like an AC in reverse.) The two hybrid models we chose will save us nearly $1,000 per year combined in water-heating costs (compared to two 80-gallon standard electric water heaters), and lots of states offer BIG additional rebates to accelerate the adoption of these more high-tech solutions. We believe these will pay for themselves in less than two years, which is amazing.
Final Thoughts
DO: Save Money Long-Term
I really wanted some hard data on how much a hybrid electric heat pump water heater and variable-speed heat pump system cost and how much it will save you, so we did some digging. (Keep in mind costs and rebates are super dependent on your region, your contractor, and your usage, but this may be a helpful baseline.)
For Water: Although the Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater we opted for costs more upfront, homeowners may save up to $315 per year on 40 and 50-gallon models or up to $491 per year on the 80-gallon water heater. With rebates available up to $1,000 and an average HPWH (that stands for “Heat Pump Water Heater, btw) rebate of $500, the hybrid electric heat pump water heater pays for itself in 2 years or less.
For Air: This is awesome. The Variable Speed Heat Pump provides cooling efficiencies up to 54% higher and heating efficiencies up to 58% higher than typical heat pump designs. On top of that, you can expect to save more than $7k in lifetime savings (based on DOE calculation for estimated national operating costs for a 3-ton 10 SEER vs 20 SEER, 6.8 HSPF vs 13 HSPF, and a 15-year life expectancy). I know that last part is a lot of info you might not understand yet but here’s more info to help! Also for even more help with saving money, you can check out their rebate center for both air and water:)
We are so excited and feel so empowered (ha) knowing more about the ins and outs of HVAC, water heating and energy savings. Again, a lot of this might be specific to your house (you’ll need to be sized by a local contractor to fit your air and water needs) but if you are nervous about getting a heat pump because you haven’t had one before, you’ll come to find it’s the most energy-efficient option on the market.
Today’s post is for people like me who really want to nerd out on “design processes,” specifically in the landscape design realm. We are just so lucky that we are working with Cali (Studio Campo), a reader who reached out when I posted about needing to hire someone. She was just starting her firm, Studio Campo, after years working at larger firms. Now, a year and a half later, she is slammed with awesome projects. However, at the time she was looking for a big, fun project to showcase her creativity/talent for a residential property. Her family has a winery near Newberg (Shout out to Left Coast!) and aesthetically and vibe-wise we were an instant match (you’ll see why today). For those of you scratching your head because you thought we were partnering up with Yardzen, you are right – it’s both (and that’s not it). Basically, Yardzen reached out really early on to partner on the design and execution of the farm, wanting to show people how they can do a variety of styles (we’ve LOVED working with them). They would design (not execute) for social/pr/photography trade. Great! But the property is large and we loved Cali too (who we met at the same time) so we divided up the areas so that Yardzen just does that south side (which you’ve seen the progress of) and Studio Campo designs the rest (and weighed in on the kitchen patio, being local), while both projects are being executed by a third company, our landscape contractor (who is also a designer). So does this mean we have three different design teams for the landscape? Yes. Is it complicated or a “too many cooks in the kitchen” situation? I mean, not really because we love all of them for different reasons (but sure, it could have been more streamlined). We chose to do it this way because Cali (designer) doesn’t have a crew to execute (and she lives half-time in Colorado and was pregnant with her first baby during Covid so we knew that traveling back and forth would diminish once the baby was born). So we asked around and found an awesome landscape contractor (Dan’l, who I’ll link up when we get closer to finishing the project) who came highly recommended to us and is filled with a whole different set of experiences and expertise. But Dan’l was too busy at the time (a year and a half ago) to design the project, so we figured we’d work on the design with Cali and when Dan’l’s team could do it (after most of the exterior of the house was complete) his team would execute. Cali would oversee the design, Dan’l (contractor) would execute both Yardzen’s plan for the south of the house (kitchen patio) and Cali’s plan for the rest of the house as well as bring in his wealth of design experience. Cali would send through presentations, like the one you are about to see, that are SO WONDERFUL that even if there is overlap and even if we are paying more in design fees to both companies to execute, we feel really lucky to have so many pros involved. So what you are seeing today is from Studio Campo (Cali) not Yardzen or Dan’l’s company. *And yes, we feel incredibly grateful to have this help and be in the position to hire experts on this.
So when we first hired Cali (who offered a discount in exchange for PR, social media, and photography), she spent a couple of hours walking the property and a week later sent this through. This was before we even lived in Portland but about 1/2 way through the renovation.
Site #1: South Meadow
I know it’s a lot to read, but we LOVED the education and it made us feel like we were in great hands. This area (what she calls the south meadow) I think might be more accurately named the West meadow and is likely where we’d have goats/alpacas and chickens. We aren’t tackling it yet at all (besides we needed to put in that split rail fence and get rid of some invasive hawthorns and Holly first).
She collected all these different species from the farm and took that pretty photo. I’m honestly not sure if this is a normal part of the landscape design process, but it’s just so thoughtful.
Site #2: North Meadow & Entry Road
I’m such a sucker for this stuff. This property is so sentimental to us, obviously, as our home so to see someone think and care so much about it in what felt to be such a personal way made me incredibly happy.
Site #3: House Periphery & Sports Court
The Animals 🙂
While we are holding off on livestock for a bit (spring? summer?), we still really want some livestock (and when Cali did this presentation it was when Brian really wanted a rag-tag gang of the below). A “gentleman’s farm” or a “ranchette”. Basically (and it’s embarrassing to write this), it’s more of the idea of a farm rather than us actually pretending to be a farm. Do I have fantasies of working with a local restaurant and low-income non-profits to provide vegetables? You bet. Might we even partner with an Oregon winery to grow grapes for them in the lower pasture that is totally unused? Maybe. But with animals you “just” have to keep them alive, feed them, etc. I’m happy to report that right now our slower lifestyle would work to do this (we think).
We have shifted away from the miniature donkeys, BTW. We visited an Alpaca farm a year ago and found our “alpaca dude” who proposed that we adopt two alpacas – one lady who is pregnant and one non-pregnant (genders don’t mix I guess). When we were like, “oh we don’t know how to birth an alpaca” he assured us that he would come to us and teach us and our kids how to do it. I know this all sounds so nuts but yes, that does sound pretty darn awesome. Growing up we had goats for blackberry control and a sheep that I absolutely hated (because she would knock me down every day) and we had to take care of them. We still badly want chickens but a lot of people in our neighborhood who have them have a rat problem so when we go to build the coop I’ll definitely ask y’all how to avoid a massive rat infestation:) Anyway, you get it – we want a petting zoo because we are lucky enough to get to have one, and we and the kids will have to pick up poop in the pouring rain six months of the year to keep us all from being too spoiled (Fun Fact: Alpaca poop is worth a lot of money as fertilizer and weed farmers will pay handsomely for it).
The Initial Plans
Concept #1:
So much of this has changed but it’s fun to see where we started.
Concept #2:
I want to jump in real quick and say that I think we might be really annoying clients – I love literally all of the plans that she sent through – some more manicured and formal, others totally loose and wild. We’ve gone back and forth so much because in the winter it can look pretty gross if it’s not taken care of, but Brian and I both love a more “natural” wildflower look – which really only looks good in the summer. It’s so hard to decide when everything is so beautiful in her plans! We also keep using words like “natural” and “organic” but then have decided to put in a plunge pool which isn’t exactly farm-like.
Yes to all of that. I think ultimately we just want it to look like a natural, sweet farm that is grown in and it’s not going to look like that for 5 years (maybe less since it’s Oregon). But we also have and love our sports court and want a plunge pool. We want meandering grass growing into shrubs, no clean edging and yet we want it “low maintenance”, to have it look good year-round and be easy to maintain – which is all contradictory. We are learning a lot (about landscaping and ourselves) and again are just so grateful for all the experts who are helping:) We “knew” what we were getting into, and yet you never really know what you are getting yourself into and maybe that’s best. I have a theory that if we all knew what the true cost of our finished renovation would be before we start that most of us would be like, “oh, hell no” and back out. But once it’s done, added up and paid over time, the pain/budget spread out, accumulating over a year or two you are so grateful that you did it and maybe even secretly happy that you didn’t know what you were truly in for…
