Welcome back to Design In Focus, our editor-led digest of local design trends. This month, Homes Editor Mary Jo Bowling guides us through the Pacific Northwest's current design vernacular. Explore the abundance of modernist architecture, and see how designers bring in natural materials to mimic the landscape outside. Plus, get to know the design leaders and artisans whose work embodies the spirit of the region.
Defining Regional Design In The Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is endowed with lush, green forests; awesome mountains; alluring beaches, sounds and lakes. It’s no surprise, then, that designers and architects here are inspired by the colors and textures of nature—including the moody shades found on a rainy day or over a mist-shrouded body of water. Architectural styles run the gamut here, marking the chapters of the region. The lumber barons built grand mansions with classic lines in the Gilded Age, while in the 1960s and 1970s, business execs (think leaders from Boeing, Nike, Starbucks, Microsoft) often favored something more modern. Today, that taste for modernism continues, but generally with a focus on natural materials for a uniquely Pacific Northwest flavor.
This Lake Oswego, Oregon residence now boasts warm and welcoming interiors thanks to designer Max Humphrey.
Indoor-Outdoor Living: A West Coast Right
The West Coast is the birthplace of the concept of indoor-outdoor living, and it shows in this region. The rain allows gardens to flourish, and opportunities for water and mountain views abound. The ideal interior is one that has a direct connection to nature, but also includes shelter to allow residents to be outside when the weather is mild, but drizzly.
Envisioned as an extension of the interiors, the deck of this Seattle abode by Kristi Street Design highlights panoramic skyline views.
Pacific Northwest Architecture + Interior Design In 2025
We recently carried a project by DeForest Architecture, NB Design Group, Lockhart Suver, and Allworth Design that is the epitome of Pacific Northwest design. It is a small, stone-clad cottage perched on a wooded, waterside site in Port Townsend, Washington, that captures the beauty of its location. The retreat is designed around the happy memories of the client, who spent her childhood roaming the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula. Every decision, from the siting of the home to installing the large windows and doors, is made with the idea of allowing the owner to experience nature. Judging from what I’m seeing now, people value homes that evoke and facilitate joy and serenity, and this home illustrates the concept in the most beautiful way.
I had the pleasure of visiting a home featured in our November/December 2024 issue that was remodeled by Studio AM Architecture | Interiors, Kat Lawton Interiors, Gallagher Co. Construction, and Land Morphology. It’s a dwelling set right on Lake Washington in Laurelhurst, one of my favorite Seattle neighborhoods. The location is so Pacific Northwest, complete with muscular water views and a tree-lined shore in the distance. I would defy anyone to stand on the gently curved patio designed to put the viewer right in the landscape and not think about relocating to the region. We closed the article with a photograph of it, and I hope that readers lingered over it and enjoyed it as much as I did.
A Port Townsend vacation cottage by NB Design Group was sited to take advantage of the views of Discovery Bay. It melds historical European influences with Pacific Northwest style.
Natural Materials Make Their Mark
There are so many beautiful uses of wood in the Pacific Northwest, from wall panels to ceiling panels. I’m seeing many “all-wood” environments, and the look is warm and captivating. It makes me want to grab a good book, sink into a chair, and read the afternoon away in one of them. I would also say that designers are celebrating the beauty of natural stone in a wonderful way, allowing it to express itself as artwork in wall installations. Another fun thing is how people are laying tile right now: I’m inspired by single-color tile that’s installed in different and surprising directions, making for a subtle pattern.
I’m seeing a lot of color schemes that make use of wine/claret, oxblood and brick/terracotta. These red-brown hues can read as neutrals, but also add a powerful note of color.
Andy Beers employed wood to set the tone throughout this midcentury Seattle escape. In the living room, drapery in Coraggio’s wool challis provides a soft backdrop for the living room’s Dmitriy & Co sofa.
Read More Design In Focus Regional Roundups
Top Designers In The PNW
There are many talented design pros in the Pacific Northwest. I could look at the work of these experts all day long and learn a lot doing it:
Andy Beers (Ore Studios)
Tim Pfieffer (Hoedemaker Pfieffer)
James and Whitney Maehara (NB Design Group)
Suzie Lucas and David Lucas (Lucas)
Brian Paquette (Brian Paquette Interiors)
Charlie Hellstern (Charlie Hellstern Interior Design)
Lisa Staton (Lisa Staton Interior Design)
Susan Marinello (Susan Marinello Interiors)
Jennifer Hoey Smith (Suede Studio)
Jessica Helgerson (Jessica Helgerson Interior Design)
Sara Gray (Grayhaus Interiors)
Read exclusive interviews from top designers in our LinkedIn newsletter.
Talented Artisans + Craftspeople
One of the lovely things about the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of artisans and craftspeople. Anything that’s handmade is prized, and many interiors have wonderful bespoke wood, metal or glass pieces. Seattle-based Mayer Designs Inc. (MDI) recently brought their attention to craft and detail to woodworking. And Aleph Geddis continues to impress with his imaginative figurines. (See: his hand-carved wooden sculptures that range from handheld models to more monumental totem-like forms.)
In the remodel of a San Juan Island dwelling, Andy Beers and Laura Cariaso of Ore Studios set out to strengthen the abode's connection to the outdoors. In the living room, sofas (Cobb at right, Sofia at left) frame the original fireplace. Architect Philip Burkhardt specified new Marvin windows and doors to connect the interiors with the site.
Aleph Geddis crafts an intriguing cast of characters inspired by his travels.
This spring, Mayer Designs Inc. (MDI) opened an in-house woodshop alongside the launch of their furniture line, the MDI Store.
Editor's Picks
Seattle Must-Dos
I really enjoy Susan Wheeler Home, a wonderful antiques showroom. From fancy French chandeliers, to gorgeous architectural artifacts, to quirkly industrial items, there’s always a good find here.
Founded in 1908, The Arctic Club is far from new, but it is an enduring pleasure. It was formed by city luminaries who struck it rich in the Klondike Gold Rush. Today, the old clubhouse building is a hotel, and the lobby Polar Bar is a can’t-miss. The walls are adorned with memorabilia and artifacts from the original members, and the long bar and clubby armchairs are vintage perfection. Time travel may not be possible, but sipping a drink here is a close second.
Memorable Tip From The Trade
I was interviewing Lisa Staton recently, and she shared with me that she prioritizes in-person experiences and makes it a point to get herself and her staff out of the studio and into brick-and-mortar showrooms and stores. (See an exclusive interview from Lisa and other top designers in our LinkedIn newsletter.) She says that doing this allows her and the designers who work for her to “break the algorithm” established by online sourcing, and select original and unconventional materials and objects. Not only does the practice allow for discovery, it supports local businesses.
Explore a Washington abode designed by Staton that channels old-world European charm.
This coastal retreat by Lisa Staton leans into Scandinavian in style, with low-profile furnishings chosen to preserve the living room's views.
A Sneak Peek Of LUXE's Fall Lineup
This fall, we have an amazing trio of homes in book. One Seattle home displays powerful architecture by Studio AM Architecture | Interiors. Another Emerald City dwelling by Linework Architecture shows a warm modernism and has glass walls that slide open to connect with the beautiful garden by Alchemie. The third feature tells the amazing tale of how designers at Maxwell Gray Interior Design turned tragedy into a stunning new home.
Glass sconces by Visual Comfort & Co. flank the Dynamic Fenestration front door of this NB Design Group project. Western red cedar paneling is stained Sherwin-Williams’ Iron Ore. The landscape architecture was completed by Allworth Design.
About The Author
Like many of the people she covers, Mary Jo Bowling has had a passion for interior design and architecture from a young age. She grew up to become a design writer and editor and a serial remodeler. Mary Jo has written about beautiful homes around the country for magazines like Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens, San Francisco and California Home + Design; as well as websites such as Houzz and Curbed. For the last several years, she’s focused on homes in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest in her role as homes editor for LUXE Interiors + Design. She lives in the Bay Area with her family where she just finished restoring a 106-year-old farmhouse and is busy remodeling a condo constructed in 1978.
