Bellevue Schools Foundation: New Board Member Packet

This week has been full of design with a purpose. As much as I adore working with houses, working with kids is even better! The mission of the Bellevue Schools Foundation is to transform education and support students and families in the Bellevue School District. The Foundation fosters innovation to help our students achieve the best possible educational outcomes.

With COVID keeping most of the schools closed, the Bellevue Schools Foundation has had to revamp the way that they do business. We partnered to put together a packet for new board members so that everyone could feel connected when meeting on Zoom. We started with a half-size magazine and eventually moved to full size pages. We created fun coffee mugs and homemade cookies to be delivered to each board member during the week.

If you have been considering donating to a local not-for-profit, I can confidently recommend the Bellevue School Foundation.

Checkmate: Revamping Northwest Chess

Summer is working on winding down, we've officially passed the Labor Day holiday, and white is no longer posh to wear in public. This summer has taken a turn away from real estate (only a smidge) and it's freed me up to play with a couple of not-for-profits that need a love and hug and kiss and good design.

The board from Northwest Chess reached out to me with a doozie of a project, complete with years of data, and a website that needed a major upgrade.

As per usual, we started with logo design; their old logo needed a refresh, something cleaner with a more modern bent. Chess tends to attract older folks, and their goal was to include the current and upcoming generations.

Previous Logo

I dove into their old website and worked to gather as much data as I could; the new website needed to have all of the bells and whistles without losing all the work put into the previous website. We wanted all the games available as well so that anyone could pop in and research their opponents. And we added a blog to keep everyone up to date.

I'm beyond pleased with the results of my hard work and all the work the NW Chess team put into it as well.

Summertime Blues | A Collection of My Favorite Backyards

“Summertime. It was a song. It was a season. I wondered if that season would ever live inside of me.”

— Bejamin Alire Saenz, Last Night I Sang to the Monster

I’m a sunshine girl, so the Pacific Northwest summers are when I come alive. I love being in my backyard and I stay outside waiting for all of my fairy lights to blink on as the stars come out. So I have a soft spot for a charming porch, delightful patio, fire pit and decks. And if they’re staged and beautifully photographed, I want to crawl through my computer screen and relax! Here are a few of my favorites from my amazing clients this year:

8630 NE Juanita Drive, Kirkland
Listed by Marilisa Vergottini, Marketplace Sotheby’s International Realty

↑ This breathtaking retreat is nestled just off of Juanita Beach, one of the first dwellings built in this area. Set on over an acre of private, creek-side land, this property is a veritable recreational retreat. Enjoy everything that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, right at your doorstep. Relax in the hot tub under the night sky, zipline over Champagne Creek, or swing in your hammock beneath a canopy of lush greenery. Roast marshmallows around the firepit, walk the dogs through your property's private trails and enjoy hypnotic views of Lake Washington from the main and upper floors.

4731 36th Avenue SW, Seattle
Listed by Matt Martel, RE/MAX Northwest

↑ I love everything about this backyard; from the cozy kids play area and jungle gym, to the stunning stonework to the lovingly landscaped garden spaces. This backyard offers a myriad of entertaining spaces to grill out, roast marshmallows and enjoy the summer sun.

7573 NE Emerald Way, Bainbridge Island
Listed by Jenn Herrman, Windermere Real Estate

↑ The tongue-and-groove hardwoods on this porch - even across the ceiling and matching sideboards - create a warmth and classic ambiance that is an absolute treasure to behold. This luscious backyard is packed full of flowers and I need a glass of wine in the backyard ASAP.

6048 34th Avenue NE, Seattle
Listed by Mike McRae, Marketplace Sotheby’s International Realty

↑ And speaking of “cozy”, curling up in this vintage backyard with a cup of coffee and a good book is a must. I can’t wait to see what the new owners do to create a party hub in the backyard.

TBT: Matt Hart Homes - Brochures & Branding

Few things make me as happy as design projects with beautiful homes, and Matt Hart’s team has a lot of gorgeous properties. We started an elegant and simple logo design and then we got to work on a trifold for his team.

Matt works north of Seattle, specializing in the Woodinville and Bothel areas, with a love for helping his clients find unique homes around the Puget Sound. The goal of the design was to create a clean, modern logomark that could stand on its own and partner with Marketplace Sotheby’s.

Once his logomark was set we got started on a trifold that he would use to highlight his past sales, current listings and showcasing what his team had to offer potential new clients. Used as a mailer and a collateral piece at listings, this brochure is one of my favorite pieces because it matched so beautifully with the homes that he sells and who he is as a luxury real estate broker.

Rainbows and Realizations

Working on an ad this week for the Bellevue Schools Foundation and I have had an absolute blast puttering through Adobe’s stock photography to find photos of beautiful children. It was important to me that this project feature children from across the melanin rainbow, both because the program works with a diverse group of children and due to the current moment in the BLM movement I’ve been more acutely aware of accurately representing the diversity of the programs.

In my searching, I found that POC and Black children are not represented as often even in our stock photography. I’ve even found it difficult to find senior photos of the rainbow that our world is simply stuffed with, which gets me percolating again about the things that bring us together and keep us apart.

Something to consider with every project is both our own biases as well as the potential biases of the company or project owners. And as in life, design should strive to be inclusive.

If you are looking for Black and POC-owned photography, here are my recommendations:

#InThisTogether: BarryLongHomes.com

In the midst of this pandemic, with so many of us quarantining right now, one of my favorite brokers is stepping up with a way for his friends and co-workers to connect. He’s started the hashtag #InThisTogether and has been posting tricks to staying positive, ways to stay connected and even fun links to wander through. I have gotten lost this week puttering through Project Happiness, wandering through 12 Museums that you can view from your couch and walking along Mars.

We created a fun, easy to access page on his website and it’s getting regular updates, fun exclusives and just an all-around nice way to get lost on the internet.

Branding, Brochures and More: The Herbfarm

Project: The Herbfarm

For most of the year, The Herbfarm’s own kitchen gardens and nearby farm supply the restaurant with an ever-changing harvest. Small growers, foragers, The Herbfarm— where nature suggests the weekly menu and producers bring wild mushrooms, heritage fruits, handmade cheeses, and rare treasures such as wasabi root and artisanal caviars. Each day’s menu is finalized only hours before the meal to best represent the flavors of land and sea. Week in and week out, The Herbfarm showcases new culinary discoveries. Whatever the occasion, The Herbfarm will weave guests into the fabric of an enchanted evening they’ll cherish and long remember.

With each visit to The Herbfarm, guests delight in unique menus showcasing the exceptional foods and wines of the Pacific Northwest. Each 9-course dinner served with 5 or 6 matched wines, draws its inspiration from the rhythms of the seasons. An optional pre-dinner wine cellar open house followed by an outdoor hosted introduction to The Herbfarm and garden tour occurs before service each evening.

Enter the Designer:

For this project, Kelly Gaddis and Ananda Gellock needed a multi-page magazine that showcased the property, the hotel, the farm and the restaurant. We used the myriad of incredible photos of the property to create a lookbook that highlighted both the feel of the space and also the list of items that came with the property - from stoves to plants and back again.

We also created separate brochure pages for the property, offering detailed information that potential buyers could review. We designed a custom map of the locale that highlighted the best places to visit in Woodinville Wine Country.

Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get them in front of Issuu's millions of monthly readers.

If you find that you’re stuck at home - whether by choice or circumstance - now is the time to update your marketing materials, get in front of any collateral projects that are outstanding, create a custom brand and even a stunning website.

What projects have you been putting off?

Web Design & Branding for Emily Martin Homes

Emily Martin has a passion for her clients, a love of the Pacific Northwest, and a talent for connecting new construction homes to their new owners. Working with Emily was an absolute treat! We started with a logo design that was clean and fresh with a modern bent and a classic style. Working with deep grays and a custom gold, Emily Martin’s logo design creates an elegance that highlights her experience with luxury homes while feeling cozy and inviting in its simplicity.

She partnered closely with me to create a website that was a useful space for her clients, offering a myriad of data in a clean, fresh way. From home staging to finding a home buyer for her new listing to connecting home sellers to buyers that fall in love with the home or property, Emily’s website is curated to clients’ needs. Looking forward to many more projects with Emily!

Throw Back Thursday | 270 Degrees of Spectacular

Finailized Vertical Brochure, Custom Website Design and Custom Email Campaign

Throw Back Thursday

The owners of this property loved all things outdoors, especially on the water, and they created a home that was meant to work with those ideals. The top floors act as an extensive luxury home where they can enjoy every moment and catch every sunset. The bottom floor acts as their “summer home” so they are never more than a few steps from the water. This property, to date, is one of my favorites!

Many real estate brokers are feeling a bit of a slow down with the current health issues we’re dealing with, though I do have several that are just rocking it right now, leaning into a potential buyer’s market. If you find that you’re stuck at home - whether by choice or circumstance - now is the time to update your marketing materials, get in front of any collateral projects that are outstanding, create a custom brand and even a stunning website.

What projects have you been putting off?

Logo and Listing Presentation and Social Media - Oh my!

I love -LOVE - when I get to play with multiple design pieces with a client. And if they have beautiful homes for me to play with? This is why I do what I do.

Jenn Herrmann started with a logo design, like you do. Then we started pulling together a myriad of design pieces to create a fully functional, professional and smashing style for her business this year.

Jenn Herrmann specializes in the Kitsap area, with a love for waterfront listings. The goal of the design was to create a stylish, modern logomark that could stand on its own and showcase Jenn’s current and past projects with ease. I pulled in my logo designer, Sarah Alston, and we went through several rounds to create a design piece that is unique, classic and perfect for connecting with her clients.

Once her logomark was set, we then moved into her website design, homebuyer’s book, social media pieces, a stunning listing presentation and so much more. Looking forward to the next design projects that Jenn brings my team!

No Time Like the Present: Building Your Marketing Collateral

Marilisa Vergottini’s Custom Website | Marketplace Sotheby’s Int’l Realty, 2019

Many people in the Seattle area are feeling a bit of a slow down with the current health issues we’re dealing with. Local real estate agents are feeling the pinch, though I do have several that are just rocking it right now, leaning into a potential buyer’s market. If you find that you’re stuck at home - whether by choice or circumstance - now is the time to update your marketing materials, get in front of any collateral projects that are outstanding, create a custom brand and even a stunning website.

What projects have you been putting off?

Matt Martel’s Custom Website | RE/MAX Northwest, 2019

Barry Long’s Custom Logo/Branding, Website, Brochures | Marketplace Sotheby’s Int’l Realty, 2019

Throwback Thursdays | Look Book: 300 Days of Sun

Look Book: 300 Days of Sun

Multi-Broker Project

300 Days of Sun was a printed Look Book showcasing a collection of Destination Homes, highlighting their unique properties, like Wine Country, Equestrian, Mountain Views, etc. This booklet was brought together by multiple brokers and used as both an advertising piece, and a unique addition to listing presentations for each of them.

Introducing: Northwest Hamptons

“New England meets the West Coast in this stunning waterview home...”

— Lori DeVore, Real Estate Broker

I love it when my clients bring me stunning homes with beautiful photographs to play with! Last week I got to play with this breathtaking water view home with gorgeous interiors and welcoming backyard living.

Introducing: Northwest Hamptons.

24007 8th Place South | Des Moines, Washington

With a deep understanding of the topography, architectural design, and the needs of the modern family, this home was constructed with a clear connection to Puget Sound living.

Pass through the calming entry gate onto a private street of architecturally desirable residences and a nod toward pedigreed style. Classic, artful, and elegant. High function design throughout - from the entry, through the main living spaces, and continues into the upstairs suites and loft and downstairs to the lower level.

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The home is drenched in natural light that streams in from multiple locations – including the 18ft-high wall of floor to ceiling glass in the living room. The chef’s kitchen is outfitted with Viking appliances, stone slab countertops, a pass-through to the formal dining room has a convenient walk-in pantry and butler’s service area. At the top of the elaborate staircase is a bridge overlooking the main floor areas from either side. At one end of the bridge is a master suite that transports to another realm.  This beautiful space includes a spacious bedroom and private deck, a bathroom resembling a luxurious spa and a bedroom-size walk-in closet. The opposite end of the bridge offers a Jr. suite with updated adjoining full bath and a third bedroom. Come home to Des Moines, Washington.

Introducing: Canterwood Estate

“An enclave, incorporating brilliant design while blending modern with traditional warmth.”

— Lori DeVore, Real Estate Broker

I work with real estate agents specifically because they bring me beautiful homes to play with. This month I was blessed to create a beautiful logo/branding and a website for this beautiful home in Gig Harbor. My dream this year is to do two of these a month <crossing fingers>!

Introducing: Canterwood Estate.

12704 Tanager Drive Northwest, Gig Harbor

Nestled down at the far end of the roundabout at Tanager Drive, sits the Canterwood Estate. Partnered with a second lot set up with a stunningly designed spa-like in-ground pool, water feature and pool house. Both lots back to a greenbelt offering coveted privacy and offering a spectacular array of entertaining living spaces. The elevated ceiling height and streaming light coming through large windows have a soothing effect throughout this stunning home.

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From the kitchen, step outside onto the patio with an awning which is perfect for relaxing under the stars year-round. Nature provides a privacy backdrop of stately evergreen trees and a serene atmosphere. A synthetic turf provides a space to sharpen your putting skills in preparation for a round of golf on the highly acclaimed, private Canterwood golf course.

Karen Keefe's Waterfront Lifestyle

My client needed an addition to her website that showcased all of the amazing work that she does on the waterfront. Her passion is the Island life and she works with clients who have the same love. Our goal was to create a simple space where her clients could go to learn about the area, the selling options and homes that are ready to find their new owners. We added notes about the local schools, places to visit and why you’d want to live on Bainbridge (spoiler alert - it’s because it’s gorgeous!) We added in the data from Windermere’s Gardner Report and showcased that it’s currently a sellers market and Karen is currently using that data to entice her newest clients. We’re beyond proud to be a part of this super cool idea for her website and her business.

ABLE Environments | ACCESSIBILITY. LUXURY. UNIVERSAL DESIGN.

Real Estate Brokers, Barry Long and Tom Minty, believe that everyone should have the opportunity to find a home that fits their needs.

I am so freaking proud to be able to play the designer to their brilliant business plan. In 2017, Tom Minty and Barry Long joined the marketing power and resources of their brokerages and life experiences to create a truly unique real estate partnership that is ABLE Environments. Through this partnership, Tom and Barry strive to meet their client’s demands for accessible housing now and in the future, for our aging population, and people of all abilities.

The initial step in making their vision a reality, was the creation and launch of searchable criteria for accessibility home features, with a prominent display in the Multiple Northwest Listing Service, the first of its kind in the nation.

Building on this direct knowledge and momentum, ABLE Environments is dedicated to being the resource for buying, selling, and marketing homes that fit their client’s specific needs, with benefits for everyone. Whether you’re looking to buy, build, remodel, or renovate, ABLE Environments has the inventory of homes, networks, and partnerships throughout the real estate industry to find the right solution for you.

Introducing the Heart of Ravenna, House & Cottage

If I had a million dollars, this is the property I would invest in. Two distinctly different homes on one property, both homes currently have renters and the property itself is well cared for. We named this piece the Heart of Ravenna and we were off and running! First some good writing, lots of fun in the snow and bingo! Magic happened. It’s day three of the property on the market and the broker is already getting offers like crazy!

For this project, we wanted to pull from the homes’ 1920’s heritage and have the logo reflect that feel. We created a logo design and created a website that showcased the homes’ earning potential as well as creating other opportunities for the purchase. Counting the minutes until this property sells - it won’t stay on the market for long!

New to Market | 55th West

This property is a near miracle in a part of the country that’s competing with New York City for rental prices, with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 1800+ square feet a mere 23 minutes from downtown Seattle. I love when my clients bring me beautiful and inspiring properties and this is no exception. Hardwood floors, expansive kitchen, multiple outdoor spaces and can we talk about parking?

Needless to say, I was excited to play with The Britt Group and their new collection of homes! The base work was done, they just needed brochures and flyers that could be offered to their potential buyers. We rocked out a bifold brochure that showcases the property as a whole and then flyers for each individual property. They know how to maximize their efforts with good branding, excellent writing and beautiful staging and photography. This whole project was a blast - they’re looking at the first round of offers tomorrow and I’m so excited!

NEWLY RELEASED: Drakaina Apothecary

Drakaina, Fire & Ice Collection | December 2019

“Just as winter is finally taking hold in the Pacific Northwest, Drakaina Apothecary breathes new life directly into my skin and I’m reborn.”

Even though we typically work with real estate agents (it’s kind of our “thing”), winter brings slower homebuyers and frees me up to putter on projects with my friends! Sarah Alston stepped in to help with the logo and branding, and we created a look and feel that matched the product: luxurious, calming and invigorating. Drakaina is also woman-centric, and empowered.

As a practicing, licensed Massage Therapist with over 200 hours of clinical aroma therapy training Amanda was inspired to create products that would support and prolong the benefits of massage and that other licensed Massage Therapists could confidently utilize and recommend to their clients.

To think and act with a clarity of purpose draws on the shamanistic totem of the dragon. Drakaina is the typical name for a female dragon, which as a female (she/her) owned business combined both her passion for helping others and her spiritual totem to create a brand that showcases a clear purpose towards physical healing and internal peace.

We started with the idea of the dragon totem, and drew on ideas of the high-end clientele that was currently using the products, dipped it in gold and let the design do the rest. Our team created the branding, the website, labels and sales brochures as well.

This & fuzzy socks are all I want in my stocking this year!

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Change the World of a Child in the BLINK of an Eye

Maggie Doyne | The Heart Behind BLINK NOW

After Maggie Doyne’s senior year of high school, as her friends headed to college, the 18-year-old boarded a plane in New Jersey and set off to see the world with just her backpack and eyes wide open. Four countries and 20,000 miles later, she found herself trekking through the Himalayas and walking along the dirt roads of Nepal’s most poverty-stricken villages.

There, Maggie got to know a little six-year-old girl, one of the hundreds of struggling children she met on her journey. This little girl was breaking stones in a dry riverbed and selling them to earn a few dollars to feed her family. She was doing grueling work and faced profound challenges, yet a glimmer of light shined deep within. Maggie was shocked by what she saw and decided to take action.

That was then. This is NOW: 2019

BlinkNow opened the greenest school in Nepal this year. 

BlinkNow sent another batch of students off to college. 

BlinkNow kept at-risk girls safe from trafficking and child marriage. 

BlinkNow empowered women not only to earn an income for the first time in their lives but to be leaders in their own communities.

And BlinkNow opened their Children's Home to a 7-month old baby girl who now has a warm bed, a stable roof over her head, nutritious meals, and all the constant love, affection, and attention that every child everywhere in the world deserves. 

Your gift is what will make the difference — it’s what allows us not just to talk about a world where every child is safe, educated and loved but to actually build it.