Design Report
In Pursuit of Leisure
Your second-home is your retreat, your sanctuary, your home away from home—a place where stuffy furniture and high maintenance textiles don’t belong. We spoke with some local designers about trends they are seeing in second-home décor

Whether in a humble cabin on Whidbey Island or a lavish abode on Kauai, the best second-home interiors foster a getaway state of mind.

While all of the designers we spoke with create unique concepts aligned with clients’ desires, one aspect is universal: the wish for easy yet refined spaces for entertaining, gathering and fun.


TABLE Solid teak 5-foot-long trestle table, $1,190 at David Smith & Company, (206) 223-1598. TABLE SETTINGS Tapered olive water glass, $6.95; reversible placemat in green/orange, $7.95; square ceramic dinner plate in crema, $42; small textured glass plate in olive, $5.50; large acacia-wood salad bowl, $103; wood and horn salad servers, $49.95 per set; all at Capers, (206) 932-0371. FLATWARE Stainless, $2.99 per piece at Cost Plus World Market, (425) 453-1310. PAINTING Bare Tree, mixed media by Terri Burris, available to the trade at Third & Wall Art Group, (206) 443-8425. SIDE TABLE Resin-encased seagrass by Oggetti, available to the trade at Michael Folks Showroom, (206) 762-6776. CHAIR Detron Lounge Chair, $1,538, and Detron Ottoman, $701, in resin woven over aluminum with baked-on paint in black walnut and lumbar cushion in Northgate wheat fabric, $122, at Capers, (206) 545-7876. TABLE LAMP Uttermost, $90 at Alexander Lighting, (206) 624-7357. CARPET All-wool pile and vegetable dyes with antique finish, hand-knotted in Afghanistan, $13,995 at Andonian Rugs, (206) 762-0323.

Keep it carefree
Designer Pamela Pearce feels strongly that in second homes, “neither materials nor objects should be too precious.” A vacation home should be a welcoming place where owners and visitors can truly relax.

Natural stone floors, carefree furniture and plenty of storage to keep clutter at a minimum are just a few of the frequently mentioned design elements that minimize fuss. In the spirit of keeping things simple and streamlined, Pearce champions the mudroom as a transition space from outside recreational environments where sand and snow abound.

Let furnishings play double duty
Ease is also achieved through furniture choices. Designers Garrett Kuhlman and Wendy Kennedy of Stanwood’s H2K Design praise the flexibility and style of upholstered teak furniture that can be used

One of Kuhlman and Kennedy’s favorite vacation-home additions is a “great collection of mix-and-match sheets.”
inside or out. The newest colors and textures in outdoor fabrics are “not only practical, but great looking and tough enough to stand up to kids, dogs and wet swimsuits,” Kennedy says.

Mix-and-match to always look right
“If you live on the beach, you’re going to have lots of guests,” Kuhlman says. For vacation-home guest rooms and bedrooms, one of Kuhlman and Kennedy’s favorite additions is a “great collection of mix-and-match sheets … solids, plaids, stripes—different colors that all work together. No matter who does the laundry or makes the bed, it’s never wrong.”

Simplified style also finds its way to the table. “People don’t want multiple sets of stuff,” Kennedy says. Versatile dishes make it easy. Kuhlman suggests white earthenware with a pewter rim. “It’s very earthy and casual, but you can also dress it up with a silver salad plate.”

Save space by going extendable
To suit an ever-changing number of visitors, the experts also specify extendable dining tables, with track lighting and adjustable pendants for a refined yet flexible aesthetic. Designer Doug Rasar likes the space-saving nature of benches at the table in second homes and recommends Seattle’s David Smith & Company for its “clean and contemporary” selection of teak benches that can be “painted to match the wall color.” In Rasar’s own retreat, a fallen maple found a second life as a custom dining-room perch.

Come on In II, acrylic on paper by Lisa Ridgers, available to the trade at Third & Wall Art Group, (206) 443-8425.
Oasis outdoor fabric collection by Sina Pearson, available to the trade through SCS, Inc., (206) 463-6533.

Plan smart to sleep well
Providing everyone with a comfortable place to sleep is paramount when friends and family stay over. Some designers call for extra-deep sofas and window seats that can easily be transformed into a cozy “bed.”

For his client’s Long Beach house, designer Rocky Rochon added bunk rooms. He describes them as a great way to accommodate different combinations of people, from a young couple with kids to a group of teenage boys. He also advocates sleeping quarters that are well removed from common areas—a boon to sleepers and revelers alike.

Let location inspire design
Ultimately, say the designers who shared their insights, it’s about expressing their clients’ personal style and reflecting the attitude of each vacation home’s location.

For a second-home project she designed in Bend, Oregon, Pearce walked the property gathering rocks, lichen, bark and juniper berries. “We tied the color scheme of the house—including custom rugs—to the natural materials,” she says.

Discover new things along the way
Looking for a bit of local flavor and personality? For interesting found objects, Rasar suggests a visit to antique stores and shops en route to your vacation home.

For him, the journey is part of the fun: “Seeing the trumpeter swans in the Skagit Valley … picking up some of those great oysters on Samish Island … it’s the experience of looking for the agate and leaving intensity behind.”
HEADBOARD Mika wicker, $199 at Cost Plus World Market, 10300 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue, (425) 453-1310. BEDDING available through Great Jones Home, 1921 Second Ave., (206) 448-9405. SIDE TABLE Resin-encased seagrass by Oggetti, available to the trade at Michael Folks Showroom, Seattle Design Center, Ste. A-254, (206) 762-6776. HANGING LIGHT Quad cage light, $795 at Great Stuff, 5517 Airport Way S., (206) 931-6208. CURTAIN Jaya, in aqua mélange with removable wooden rings, $59.98 at Cost Plus World Market, 10300 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue, (425) 453-1310.

RESOURCES

Garrett Kuhlman and Wendy Kennedy, ASID
H2K Design, P.O. Box 1270, 10031 SR 532, Suite B, Stanwood, (360) 939-2085

Pamela Pearce, ASID
Pamela Pearce Design, LLC, 4432 Bonneybrae Dr., Bellevue, (425) 688-8784

Rocky Rochon
Rocky Rochon Design, 941 11th Ave. E., (206) 682-8848,

Doug Rasar
Doug Rasar Interior Design, 9400 Vineyard Crest, Bellevue, (425) 450-9911