Purchasing a 1923 Bungalow after growing tired of living in his Portland condo, TherapyJeff, a popular Instagram and TikTok therapist, went from what he describes as “a very pretty, but soulless white museum,” to interiors that were just as white.The next step was to find a Portland interior designer who could add character by embracing color in all its iterations: wall color, wallpaper, furnishings, lighting and art. Angela of Angela Todd Studios, he says, was it. “The minute I walked into her home that’s filled with lots of color and patterns, I was sold. Just being in her space made me happy,” says Jeff.
“Being a therapist, Jeff is very intuitive,” says Todd. “I knew he wanted color, but I wasn’t quite sure what he meant at first, since people who like muted palettes say the same thing, referring, in fact, to just wall colors, not furnishings.” Then he sent her a Pinterest board illustrating the things he liked and she, in turn, asked to see how he lived by visiting his condo. There she discovered his colorful art collection and documented its sizes, imagery and posters to use as décor. Seeing his vibrant wardrobe was also a clue. All of this helped her to personalize the décor to reflect his taste and unique perspective on life.
Todd teamed with Lloyd Martindale, of C&K Custom Remodeling with whom she frequently collaborates on jobs that require remodeling. They agreed the living room fireplace needed a makeover. “The mantel didn’t fit the house,” says Martindale, “it looked more like a do-it-yourself job.” To keep it simple, they fashioned an elegant but simple oakwood mantel to which they added legs in keeping with bungalow style. Todd’s “Adobe Dust” wall color draws the eye not only to the fireplace redesign but also makes the furnishings pop. “I told Angela I wanted the living room to also function as a therapist’s office while reflecting my personality,” says Jeff. Thus, she chose the rich blue sofa, striking hand-knotted rug and upholstered the swivel chairs in a geometric fabric. Jeff spotted the bone inlay coffee table that ties them all together.
“I have a lot of joy,” says Jeff, “and I wanted my house to reflect that.” The first wallpaper Todd showed him was the paper she eventually chose for the dining room, which is grounded in navy blue and hunter green with an abundance of florals. “She really nailed that paper right from the start and using it as the central point in the house complements everything else.”
Jeff sees Todd’s hefty dining room table choice as community driven, since it gives everyone who sits around it equal importance. “The soft, rounded velour chairs,” he adds, “hold and comfort you.” It is the chandelier, however, that astonished him. “It was such a surprise; I’d never seen a chandelier like it with such a sexy vibe that felt so fun.”
The only thing Jeff had Todd do in the kitchen, which was nicely appointed by the previous owner, was to choose display dishes and glasses with a 90's diner vibe. He jokingly adds he had to rein in her suggestion to add wallpaper to its ceiling, but today wonders, in fact, what that would look like.
The office wallpaper serves to give Jeff something pretty to look at while at work. Todd adorns it with Nada Surf posters, Jeff’s favorite band. “They’re such a happy, sweet band that make me feel really good,” he says. The original office design included a playful hanging chair from the ceiling that Martindale, who did a full basement remodel, much of the millwork, and repaired the electrical, found wasn’t adequate to hold the chair. “Lloyd and his team did immaculate work of the highest quality,” recalls Jeff. “They worked efficiently and were able to anticipate issues before they occurred. I couldn’t be happier with their skill and artistry.”
Placing art is something Todd decides once all the furnishings are in place. “If clients want to be on site, I’ll let them pick where they want to hang their art. With Jeff, whose palette I could see in his artwork, I just did my thing to savor that.”
“When I’m working with clients,” continues Todd, “I always do a design plan, floorplans, and layout with textiles and materials. Jeff loved about 95% of it immediately. When we got to the loft, where he wanted to hang out with his coffee, he chose not to paint or wallpaper it thanks to the power of the furnishings.”
The sunporch is where Todd and Jeff pulled out all the stops. “Having lived in Portland for 20 years with its mostly gray clouds,” he says, “I wanted to have a punch of bright elements when you first walk in the house.” Todd answered with a playful wallpaper featuring monkeys that’s also lush with color. “I wanted to create a real immersive experience of being surrounded by foliage,” she says. She also reiterates pops of the same golden rod yellow on the bench top, garden stool and chair pillows found in the wallpaper. “Jeff is a cool dude with a good heart who enjoys life,” says Todd, “so it was important to have detail and originality throughout to reflect that. What I love about the overall design is that it doesn’t look like anyone else’s home.” Jeff says Todd helped him recreate a similar fun, colorful environment to what he had invented for his bedroom when he was a child, which countered his parents’ nice, bright, but too light home. His preference has always tended toward cheerful surroundings, as it best reflects his upbeat, happy soul.
PROJECT SOURCES
INTERIOR DESIGN
Angela Todd Studios
angelatoddstudios.com
CONSTRUCTION
C&K Custom Remodeling
ckcustomremodeling.com
