clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Simple decor ideas to steal from a chef’s warm home in Seattle

Equip your interior with neutral essentials made for entertaining

By Stephanie Griffin
Photography by Eirik Johnson

If you buy something from a Curbed link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

A kitchen area with a stove and wooden countertops. There is a rack with hanging pots and pans. On the wall are magnetized wood blocks that are holding multiple knives. There are built-in shelves with books, bottles, and kitchen wares.

This week’s edition of House Calls takes us to Seattle, Washington, where a circa-1907 bungalow in Ballard is home to chef Renee Erickson and her husband Danial Crookston.

The interiors’ all-white palette—to combat Seattle’s long hours of winter darkness—provides light and warmth, while Erickson’s collection of prized possessions, most notably platters from her travels, make the home her own. The result is a cheerful space to cook and entertain.

Taking inspiration from the bright and airy home, we sourced key products—or in a few cases, similar finds—from each room so you can bring the look into your own space.

Living room

In the living room, one of Erickson’s most prized possessions—a Curtis Steiner-painted chalkboard—takes center stage. A West Elm sofa and a MackenzieBryantCo pouf sit under a vintage faux bamboo chandelier.

A living area with a couch, table, cabinet, and chandelier. There is a large chalkboard on the wall along with other works of art. A bucket with firewood sits next to the cabinet.

Kitchen

When they took a wall down in the kitchen, it not only gave them two more inches, which made Erickson’s butcher blocks fit perfectly, “it gave us great texture and more options for storage,” she says. The sunlit space is home to the chef’s collection of knives, stored on a magnetic knife block from Salty Metalworks (the pot rack above the stove is also from the local metalwork shop).

A kitchen area with a stove and wooden countertops. There is a rack with hanging pots and pans. On the wall are magnetized wood blocks that are holding multiple knives. There are built-in shelves with books, bottles, and kitchen wares.

Dining room

In the dining room, a print from local restaurant Canlis and catering platters from Erickson’s collection hang beside a “very old Ikea table, painted and well worn.”

A dining area with a table, chairs, and a wooden cabinet. Hanging on the walls are a guitar, plates, and a poster. There is a vase with flowers and a bowl with tomatoes on the table.

Next Up In Furniture