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If we’re lucky, home is the place we feel most at ease. It’s where we go to relax, recalibrate and tune in to ourselves. But to craft that kind of magical space takes focus, experimentation and a little imagination. Essentially, we need to think like artists.
For our fourth annual Nester, Willamette Week’s home magazine, we walk through rooms designed by creatives—multidisciplinary artists, a songwriter, a designer—and see how their artistry influences their homes and how those homes nurture their crafts. Oftentimes it’s in the simplest ways: Storm Tharp invites us to slow down by slipping off our shoes and putting intention into every inch of a house, while Orly Avineri aims to embrace impermanence with found objects announcing brief appearances on her apartment walls, constantly reshaping the rooms. Then there’s Takahiro Moriki reminding us to have fun with our surroundings with vibrant color—and to never be too precious with furniture.
Along the way, these artists’ spaces might inspire you to take your own steps in creating a home—with a little aid from professionals. Portland’s color consultants offer tips on how to pick the right tones. Experts from the construction world weigh in on how using salvaged materials can make for a more individual (and environmentally friendly) home design. And don’t forget to look at our guide to some of the city’s best home goods stores.
Every Nester story is meant to encourage you to trust your instincts and lean into curiosities—to bring your interior self into your exterior world and cultivate a home that’s authentically you. Or to put it simply—to get creative. —Robin Bacior, Editor
Looking for Nester? Check this map for locations carrying our free home magazine. The locations indicated in pink are carrying 100+ magazines and should be a surefire place to grab one (if you go soon).
Nester is Willamette Week’s annual home magazine. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Find your free copy at one of the locations noted here before they all get picked up! Or order one through our store.
