After months of deliberation and dozens of drive-by trips, a young couple decided to follow their hearts. They stopped the car and fastened a note to the mailbox of the old farmhouse. “We’re looking for a place to raise a family,” the note said. “Would you be interested in selling?” The owners, a retired couple […]
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Melanie Dressel and Windy Bluff
Melanie Dressel was a banker and the CEO of Columbia Bank. She knew values. She knew the value of small towns like Colville, Washington, where she grew up; and the value of her husband, Bob, and their family. She knew the value of collaboration with work colleagues and employees. And the value of giving back […]
Adventurous Waterfront Remodel
In contemplating retirement, Kevin and Cheri McCorkle considered options: buy a recreational vehicle and hit the road, maybe tackle more exotic travel or simply remodel their home of 15 years. They chose the remodel. Little did they know that they were embarking on a two-and-a-half-year trip in every sense of the word. Retirement and relaxation […]
The Art of the Deck — Make Your Outdoor Living Last
After surviving last winter, who isn’t contemplating how to get more summer out of the months ahead? According to Doug Woodside of Decks and Patio Covers in Kingston, it’s simple — create an outdoor living space. He says clients call him years after having one installed and report it’s added months of outdoor activities. Want […]
Bremerton City Nursery — A Destination for Urban, Organic Gardening
The Bremerton City Nursery has been part of Bremerton for more than six decades, thanks to two local families. Today, it brands itself as an urban city nursery, and it sells almost exclusively organic products. The Berger family founded the nursery in the early 1950s, originally naming it Berger’s Garden Center. While raising four sons, […]
Design Trends in 2019 — Advice from the Experts
Every year, we gather our panel of design experts to discuss what are some of the hottest design trends. In 2019, expect to see more high-performing fabrics, natural-looking finishes, natural materials like wood, and more recycled and upcycled choices for the environmentally conscious. Colors range from bold to the more casual grays and blues. And, […]
Holiday Appetizer Soiree
Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, Trudy Northover recalls her parents always hosting get-togethers for friends and family. Christmas was a massive celebration at their home. “Tech has taken so much away (web, email, etc.),” Northover says. “It’s such a gloomy time of year, so our appetizer party is a wonderful time to host […]
Barbara and Jim Rogers — Once Upon a Time…
Their love story began when Barbara and Jim Rogers met in a church youth group in Santa Barbara, California, while Barbara was in high school and Jim in college. Eventually young love blossomed into engagement and a wedding 54 years ago. In 1977, Weyerhaeuser transferred Jim Rogers to its headquarters in Federal Way. The couple […]
How One of the World’s Greenest Homes Came to Be
Walking into Heron Hall on Bainbridge Island is like ambling into a laboratory of building sustainability. Almost everything you eye, touch or feel in this lovely 3,000-square-foot experimental home of Jason and Tracy McLennan is salvaged, reused or repurposed. Take the front entrance. The massive, hand-carved door is from Afghanistan and is more than 50 […]
