In a long-awaited home renovation, designer Jasmine Galle helps a couple find compatible solutions | Home | Spokane | The Pacific Northwest Inlander

This space was beyond me, you know, and that’s part of the reason we hadn’t done any renovations,” says Tanya Low.

Low’s spacious home built in 1991 in the Northwest style definitely had its share of impressive features: a massive rock fireplace extended all the way to the ceiling in the vaulted living room, a wall of windows offered sweeping views through the trees to the Green Bluff farmland below.

The Low family — Tanya, her husband, Dallas, and their four kids and dog — had enjoyed living on the private hillside for 10 years. However, the home’s dark wood interiors and well-used flooring were starting to show their age. The busy family now needed dedicated space for pursuing music and art. But when it became clear that replacing the refrigerator would entail removing the kitchen island, “That was kind of the beginning of our need to do something with this house,” says Tanya. “It spiraled pretty quickly.”

The Lows enlisted Jasmine Galle at Spokane’s Sage & Soul Interiors for a renovation that soon grew beyond the kitchen to include the entire main floor.

While Tanya might have had a hard time figuring out what she wanted, Galle helped her sort out what she didn’t like. “Tanya really does know what she likes. She just needs to see it,” Galle says.

But while Tanya, a professional musician, found plenty of color suited her just fine, that didn’t work for her husband, Dallas. “It’s affronting to his senses,” Tanya says.

So Galle carefully worked to add just enough color to please Tanya without creating an overly energized space for Dallas.

“I come in here and I think, ‘Oh, happy paradise!’”

In the living room, that meant whitewashing the horizontal wood paneling and adding textured carpet in a pale neutral tone. But for the room to work, it needed a large area rug.

Sitting in the space in late summer with Galle, Dallas laughs, “Can I confess to you that you were absolutely right about that rug? This was a hard pill for me to swallow — like, why do I need a rug when I’m putting carpet down? You’re putting a rug over the top of the carpet! That doesn’t make sense to me, especially when it’s huge and very expensive. But OK, fine, you were right.”

And indeed it’s the rug, with hues pulled straight from the trees and golden fields outside the windows that made the room work, Galle says. “It’s a pretty bold rug,” and she designed the rest of the room around it.

“They did a good job of bringing in enough color that I feel very at home here,” says Tanya.

“The furniture was really fun for this project,” Galle notes. “We got to pick our own fabrics…They really needed a space that was durable and could withstand large gatherings, but also seat a large number of people.”

Galle chose an oversized ottoman instead of a coffee table, in part to accommodate all the seating. At first, Tanya was skeptical, “I was like, that is just huge! How’s that gonna function? And then, you know, immediately the kids just decided, ‘that’s our place to play games.’ So it created a lot more community with my kids, doing stuff together immediately.”

For the kitchen, Galle went with a mostly muted palette, marrying creams and whites. A backsplash of Bedrosians square tiles with subtle variations in the hue and texture adds just enough interest without upstaging the porcelain counter product, chosen only partly for its beauty. “It really felt like the best option. They’re a busy family, they host all the time, and this is one of the most durable surfaces on the market,” says Galle. There’s one bold choice in the space, however. A green range adds just the splash of color Tanya needs.

When Galle told Tanya they were putting beams in the kitchen, Tanya was perplexed. “I lived here for 10 years. In my head, we had beams!” she laughs. The new beams, obviously meant-to-be, create continuity between the kitchen and living room (which already had beams), adding a cozy vibe despite the high ceilings.

Across the hall from the kitchen, Galle reenvisioned the laundry room as a multifunctional space, creating a dedicated location for the Lows’ daughter’s art, while keeping other family needs in mind as well.

“It’s almost the workhorse of the home,” says Galle. “You have the mudroom, the pantry, the laundry, the art nook.” A “locker” area secreted behind charmingly detailed millwork gives family members their own storage areas. Stacking the washer and dryer created space for a large pantry. And in front of the window, the counter offers plenty of room for an artist’s creative endeavors, with ample storage for materials right at hand. The hardworking, cost-effective rustic porcelain tile on the floor is easily cleaned, even if paint spills on it.

“This room actually was my very favorite room for a long time, up until we got the rest of the house done,” says Tanya. “I still love this. I come in here and I think, ‘Oh, happy paradise!'”

Galle adds that a room that’s often written off deserves a second look. “It’s such a fun greeting when you’re coming in from the garage. Your mudroom or your laundry room can have so much fun personality.”

Planning for the project actually took longer than completing the work, according to Galle. Along the way, both Galle and Tanya say tears were shed, especially at the “reveal” when Tanya saw the finished project after being sequestered in the basement for a day of last-minute fixes and staging.

It was all the more meaningful in part because it represented a long journey. “We spent the first portion of our marriage not having much money at all,” says Tanya. As a musician, she supported the family — then with three kids — as they traveled the U.S. in a bus. “We lived in there for four years,” and she says she loved every minute.

But now, settled in among the trees, with a home music studio, an artist’s nook, a bright and welcoming living space, and a serene primary bed and bath, the couple are enjoying watching their children mature and slowly leave the nest. One daughter has already married and moved to Northern Ireland.

Understanding where her clients came from and where they’re headed is all part of Galle’s philosophy. “We learn so much about our clients just by asking questions and just talking to them — about their experiences, where they’ve traveled to, and what they love.”