A Lasting Impression - Design Bureau

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A Lasting Impression

Monday, August 25th, 2014

Featured Company: Maison, Inc. - Location: Columbia Gorge, Washington - Project Type: Residence - Project Name: Gorge Project

Photo by David Papazian, papazianphoto.com

By Emma Janzen

How does a designer update a space so that it feels modern, without the risk of eventually looking dated? Maison, Inc. chose to go the eclectic route when tasked with designing an interior space for a residence in Columbia Gorge, Washington.

The client requested a space that would be good for entertaining guests, something “chic and stylish without being ostentatious,” owner and principal Joelle Nesen says.

A blend of interior furnishings sourced from vintage shops, estate sales, and auctions act as a base for the design. “I think [that having] a lot of great old pieces gives the interior more soul,” Nesen says. “You can feel that every piece isn’t new, but it still looks fresh and sophisticated.”

A mix of patterns in the kitchen, bathrooms, and office is the client’s favorite part of the home, as they keep things visually interesting without any one style overpowering another. The kitchen, which “used to be a jumble of little, tiny, weird dated rooms” now looks “open and magnificent,” Nesen says.

To keep a feeling of cohesion through the home, Nesen selected a chiseled St. Petersburg stone for many elements instead of using simple sheet rock. “It is the core of the whole project,” Nesen says. The wall runs the length of the entire living room, is repeated in the columns in the master bathroom, and clads the fireplace that “goes all the way from the lower level into the main living room.”

Ultimately, Nesen takes pride in achieving a stylistic mix that creates a comfortable and unique interior space.

Artsy Details

When looking for the finishing touches for the Gorge residence, Joelle Nesen of Maison, Inc. turned to Murdoch Collections and Katayama Framing in Portland. She selected more than 40 potential pieces from their respective collections before delivering them to the client for final approval. Marilyn Murdoch says, “Joelle’s decisive nature and ‘right-on’ eye makes her and her team a dream client.”

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