House Tour

Name: Sandi
Location: St. Johns neighborhood, Portland, OR
Square Footage: Just under 1,000
Years Lived in: Three years
Rent or own: Own
Describe your style: Happy Danish Modern

What's your favorite free/found item?
Well, my cat. Decor-wise, fabric my mom and grandma collected over the years.


What's your favorite purchased item?
My Igor Pantuhoff original painting (I'm fickle, next week I'll sure to have a different favorite)

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Time and money, the common plaint. Also, finding contractors that understand modern. I ended up working with guys old enought to have worked on my house when it was built (1964).


Is your design style organic or planned?
Organic. The tone changes as I bring in new stuff.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
My couch. I've set up the rooms and my front and back yard so when I sit there, something interesting is everywhere I look.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
Perhaps. I like to think I've gotten a bit more refined in what I choose to bring in the house. :)

What is your favorite resource or store?
Vintage shops, garage and estate sales, Craigslist and Ebay all share top billing.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Matchy-matchy. No expression of self, just recreated catalog pages.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Certainly the renewal of the love affair with mid-century modern design, although that's a double-edged sword as then you have to compete for the vintage pieces with many more enthusiasts.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Hmm, well my home. It's a basic ranch tract home and while the rooms are open and airy, it's frugally-sized. Having a small place forces you to edit, making the pieces you do use more important.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Space, light and most of all, the animals. My furniture basics have to be hardy and not at all precious.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Color!! Color is a very personal choice and not everyone will love your expression of self. But, if you walk into the room and your spirits lift, then that pink or green or purple wall is absolutely the right decision.

Sandi is a of a mid-century modern preservation group, the Mid-Century Modern League.
Check out their dicussion forum and photo gallery at http://www.mcmleague.org/.