Painted in traditional Scandinavian colors of red, white and blue, the two-story, craftsman building on Poulsbo’s main street is known by longtime residents as the Nilsen-Sonju house. Norwegian settler Einar Nilsen built the house in 1908, renting the upper rooms as apartments before selling to the Sonju family in 1919. Subsequently, the building had multiple […]
People & Places
West Sound has an incredible number of talented artists, interesting people, fascinating places and popular destinations. We love to share their stories with our readers. These articles are only a sample of what we have in West Sound Magazine each issue — subscribe to the print version to see all of what we have to offer!
Posted inPeople & Places
Custom Rustic Birdhouses
Meet Luis Gonzalo Pablo Pablo. Luis is a multi-talented and creative gardener — from his stunning rose bushes to his large variety of vegetables, he has a “green thumb.” Luis was raised in Wenatchee and moved to Kitsap 19 years ago. In his spare time, he gathers materials, repurposes wood, old chairs, and harvests old […]
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Shopping at Dolly Mama Boutique
“It’s home décor, apparel and gift, and it’s just really carefully curated brands that I absolutely love,” says owner and founder Michelle Kammer. “I try to buy as much product that I can that’s made in the U.S.A. I like to add in a few local brands and designers, things that are made in Washington […]
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Leaving a Charitable Legacy
Individuals in the Kitsap area are thinking about the future of their assets. Of course, many will leave their wealth to their children. However, another wonderful way to leave assets to future generations is through charitable giving. According to Carol Kowalski, a member of the Leave 10 Community Outreach Committee, much of Kitsap County includes […]
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Charitable Art
Confucius once said, “If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.” Charity is the gift that keeps on giving, and there are many ways to give generously. Dr. Paul McCullough has recently donated $500,000 in artwork to the Kitsap Community Foundation. “The Kitsap […]
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An Architect’s Perspective on Bidding and Ensuring the Lowest Possible Construction Costs
During the design process, I am often asked how to ensure the lowest construction cost of a project. Whether the owner has set a maximum construction cost budget or not, it’s necessary during the preliminary design stages of the project to develop a construction cost estimate. We provide construction cost estimates based on local average […]
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Pier Six Press — Creating a Community through Letterpress Cards
With the creation of new technology, many antique skills have disappeared. One of these is the art of letterpress. Karen Sawyer, the owner and operator of Pier Six Press, says that letterpress “is the old style of printing — that’s how all printing used to be.” Everything is manual. The printer sets out physical type […]
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Silverdale Goodwill
Never thought I’d use the words “over the top.” It had been ages since I was at the Silverdale Goodwill, the one across from Costco. Months prior, I noticed a lack of vintage decorative enamelware pots and pans, so I was taken aback when I looked down and saw this oddball with a miss-matched, taped-on […]
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A Successful Artist Inspires Others
Kate Larsson became a professional artist just two years after retiring from her career as a marketing executive for Xerox Corp. Supporting herself as an artist for the past 24 years, she has a lot to say about being successful in the art world. “It takes discipline, endurance and the willingness to think outside the […]