I painted this Modern Pacific Northwest mural in Everett, WA for a young couple who had recently bought their first house. When I first arrived for an initial home visit, they had a rug, couch, and TV set, but little else. They wanted my help in thinking about how to layout their main floor.

The first thing we did was look at what they already had, and think about the style that they were drawn to. They love modern style furniture with a midcentury vibe. They also had a really pretty rug with lots of blues and grays and yellows. After looking around the space, we talked about how important it is to paint the walls. Unless white is a design choice, I always encourage my clients to choose a color and paint the entire space one color. I have seen many people break up a space with color, and that can be done effectively, but for this house, with a living room, kitchen and dining space all connected – one color made the most sense to make the space flow. After looking over some paint samples I brought, we decided on a light grey/blue color. I met them at Home Depot a couple weeks later, and they selected a paint color, which I think looks really clean and fresh. Moving the whole space from white to a light grey/blue makes the home feel more lived in and helps to tie all of their furniture pieces together.

Next, we looked at how to zone the rooms so they could get the most out of the space. We talked about getting a lowboy/credenza and creating a gallery wall above it, a dining table and chairs, and then we talked about how to use the back end of the dining room, where the fireplace is, to create a cozy reading nook. I suggested they look for round shapes to complement the archway in their kitchen. They loved all my suggestions, so I went home and got to work! I sent them an interior design package – with a mood board and room layout. I also sent them a purchase sheet, a list of furniture options, so they could make some decisions and fill the space! They bought a dining table and chairs – and the space started to take shape.

Next, we went back and forth on some mural ideas and options. in the end, we landed on a wallpaper swatch they really liked, but we decided to enlarge it and use the colors from the mood board. The asked if I could incorporate a bird of some kind. I also wanted to incorporate an element that is purposeful and meaningful, so after some thought and research, I asked if they’d be interested in the Nightingale. One of my clients practices the Bahai faith, and the Nightingale represents “the bringer of truth”. They loved it! So…we scheduled a day and the mural was ready to become a reality. Watch the 26sec video below to see how I got this mural going!

I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment below…tell me what you like, what you’d do different, what ideas do you have?