Chronicles from a Well Lived House...
PORTLAND: DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY & PDX STYLE
SPOTLIGHT ON THE NORTHWEST:
INTERIOR DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY
I wanted to share the work of Portland local MAX HUMPHREY. His contemporary style is whimsical, vibrant and regional in the sense that I recognize Portland’s STYLE, inevitably influenced by our unique local resources and small businesses. I have always been drawn to the space featured below: the use of red, graphic art, refreshed vintage and retro accessories. It is well balanced in an assymetrical way and just fun.
Portland loves bohemian touches which you find in his use of colorful middle eastern rugs and textiles. There are some great resources here for Turkish kilims, rugs, and poufs at places like WILD SHAMAN and KUSH RUGS .
.Given our close proximity to the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Mountains, the forest/outdoor/woodland themes are also prominent in the use of vintage art, topography maps, army cots, wood stoves, etc. Great vintage finds can be found at URBANITE and MONTICELLO MARKETPLACE.
Eclectic mix of fabrics and colors. No rules as far as styles. He stages a lot of his room shots with whimsical props like bicycles, leopard shoes and kids’ sneakers as well as spirits, vintage objects, lots of books and potted plants.
Crafts have always been strong in Portland, as evidenced by the volume of vintage crafts at estate sales, and it is making its way into retail outlets like THE CRAFT BAR, ASSEMBLY and COLLAGE, just in my little corner of SE Portland. The winters are long in the Northwest.
I enjoy the rich mix of texture and colors in his choice of textiles, retro lamps, the plants, the Pendleton plaids, and vintage, mid century and more contemporary cleaned lined pieces.
Some of the images shown here are also on the CITY HOME website, featuring their products. I’m going to guess many of these items come from places like
NEWS FROM THE STUDIO:
I’m going to a conference in a couple weeks (https://www.altitudesummit.com/) and wanted to have some fresh business cards and marketing materials.
My assistant and I have switched out the pillows on this countless times, but alas, I actually put this version in the MOO cart today and bought it! Hoping to give prospective customers a sense of the offerings available via STUDIO TULLIA. I am always on the hunt for one of a kind, vintage textiles as well as an evolving assortment of designer textiles. I love to help curate specific looks and collections, whatever your project.
NEW POSTCARD
We also freshened up my business card. The logo we already had, but I wanted something new for Spring. We used a remnant fabric that I had and incorporated that into the design.
NEW BUSINESS CARD
The fabric is called “Bavier” au “Esprit de France” design by Greeff. Greef was bought out by SCHUMACHER awhile back and still reproduces a lot of their patterns. I found a bolt of this in my grandmother’s basement when I was a design student. It belonged to my great uncle who was also a designer in NYC in the 40’s and 50’s. He was an inspiration to me even though I never met him. My grandmother shared his journals, letters and fabrics with me, which I still treasure. I reupholstered a large wing chair in this fabric like 20 years ago in what is now my son’s favorite chair. It is pretty worn to shreds, but I am glad it was loved and enjoyed for so many years in our home.
LEGACY MODERN POP-UP at URBANITE
If you live in Portland you might know about URBANITE, a warehouse and curated designers’ collective, always chock full of interesting finds.
One of my partners, LEGACY MODERN, has a pop-up shop there right now. Go check it out if you haven’t been before. Owner Mike Albino has a great eye for quality Danish Mid Century Modern and Industrial Furniture. He also supports the talents of many local artists as you’ll see in the ceramics, glassware, lighting, prints, paintings and STUDIO TULLIA soft goods!
LATEST PRODUCTS FROM STUDIO TULLIA
My neighbor is an antiques dealer and she has great estate sales very Summer. I got this there and I believe it was intended to be a very lovely hand towel. I pieced some cotton to the sides to make it into a very large euro sham. I am a sucker for embroidery work, and this is a fine example. You know many hours went into this.
(PLEASE NOTE: This above piece is SOLD, going to a fine home in Portland)
I always have random pieces left over when I use Josef Frank’s CITRUS GARDEN from Schumacher. I use it to make all kinds of things including random sized accent pillows, which have become quite popular.
I was thrilled to come across this fabric below by SISTER PARISH DESIGN. I was drawn to it at the MILL END STORE in Portland and was so thrilled to read in the selvage that it was from Sister Parish.
Per the website…Resembling an American quilt, Campobello is a print that symbolizes Sister Parish’s love for American Craft and most specifically quilting. Parish Hadley worked with quilters from Selma Alabama in the late 1960s to develop patchwork quilted yard goods and also collaborated with the Freedom Quilting Bee from 1967 to 1969, bringing old-fashioned quilts to high end publications. The primitive tree border along the side enhances the sophistication of Campobello.
Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt were married at Mr. & Mrs. Henry Parish’s house in New York City. Campobello was their country house in Canada.
Here is the grand dame herself. I love this quote from her as it very much resonates with my approach to design:
“Some think a decorator should change a house… I try to give permanence to a house to bring out the experiences, the memories, the feelings that make it a home.”
Here is a picture of her great granddaughter below, Eliza Crater, who is the creative director of the Sister Parish Studio and has carried on the family tradition with her own personal style, along with her mother. I can see the resemblance for sure. She is shown here in their family home, where her grandmother now lives, which once was Sister Parish’s. And look what’s on the walls!
Here’s a recap of some of PORTLAND’s great resources:
As always, thanks for reading along.
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