Not every Pacific Northwest home has to be moody, just tour this 1970s home in Lake Oswego, thoughtfully updated by Wise Design. A towering corner window, coming in at just over 16 feet, originally commissioned by its first owner as the location for his baby grand piano, offered a lyrical starting point for owners Traci and Brian Pashley and their family, who purchased the 4,200 square foot, five-bedroom, four-bath property in 2015. The home, surrounded by a mix of other styles, all grand and rich with greenery, has a unique aesthetic, a hybrid of retro funk meets buttoned-up Tudor.
“It has a lot of interesting details that set it apart,” Traci Pashley says. “I don’t like how new builds all feel the same.” Plus, the floor plan felt practical, a fit for their three boys, now ages 18, 16, and 12, and offered more space than the Cape Cod-style Portland home from which they moved.
After 10 years, however, they were ready to renovate after finishing a series of much needed functional updates. “There was no question, it hadn’t been maintained well,” she says. “There was a lot of work to be done, and we started with those projects slowly, like the landscaping and redoing the heating system.”
Pashley hired designer Annie Wise, relying on her and fellow designers Ryan Harkrider and Tamara Wise (Annie’s sister-in-law) for guidance for everything from space planning to commissioning art and selecting timeless, durable finishes and furniture. Many of the home’s spaces, including the kitchen, which primarily received cosmetic updates, the primary suite, dining room, and expansive, open concept living room, were ready for a refresh. “We felt some freedom here to play because their style was more transitional, and leaned slightly contemporary,” says Annie Wise.
As with any project, the work began with assisting Pashley on discovering her aesthetic. “There’s no right or wrong way of doing things; it’s just personal, based on what works for our clients and their families,” Harkrider says. They landed on something airy, minimal, and timeless.
The living room, with its impressive gothic window and 27-foot length, was where they began. “The window was originally designed to show off the grand piano, and the sound would carry into the open balcony on the second floor,” says Harkrider. While the homeowners have an appreciation for music, they don’t play the piano. “Its purpose had to be reinvented,” she adds.
The living area also posed challenges when it came to layout. “Because it’s really elongated with a 21-foot-high ceiling at its peak, we created smaller zones within the room. We wanted to make sure both the fireplace and the gothic window felt special so we created separate seating areas around each,” says Annie Wise.
It’s now one of the favorite areas in the house, a spot easily used for entertaining, spending time with friends and family, and as a hangout area for their three children. “Traci has a book club that would meet there, and she works from home when she isn’t traveling so the space needed to serve a variety of purposes,” Harkrider says. They also didn’t want the room to feel too formal. The goal was something comfortable yet stylish. While it took some trial and error, initially considering a work-from-home space where the dining banquette now sits, the plan came together in a way that appears effortless. “We had thought of an integrated desk where the burlwood console now lives under the balcony, but it felt too crowded,” says Annie Wise. Instead, they placed a work area in the primary suite closet, which alleviated pressure on the space to serve too many purposes. Because of the room’s length, the designers focused on increasing its coziness with an intimate fireplace setting, upgraded with a plaster treatment over the brick. Two long brown velvet sofas and a large wooden coffee table sit atop a warm-hued, patterned rug, grounding the space with color and patina.
“We wanted to make sure to use big pieces in the room because of the vaulted ceilings,” Annie Wise comments. “The furniture in there before was more petite, which looked out of proportion.” With any project, paying attention to visual weight helps a room feel balanced and intentional rather than uneasy.
In the window, its height is highlighted with an artistic chandelier, a multi-light fixture that was part of the original concept board. The piece, visible from the road, complements the home while grounding the more traditional space below, which includes a large channel-tufted banquette. On the other side, they added a nearly 10-foot-tall Ficus Audrey, purchased from local Arium Botanicals, “an incredible source for indoor plants,” discovered while scrolling Instagram. “We were like, yes, that’s the one. Traci ran right over and purchased it,” recalls Harkrider.
Under the balcony, the team placed two burlwood consoles that run the full length of the wall, disguising the fact that they extended beyond the overhang above. “We added a large art piece and gallery wall to fill that awkward space,” Annie Wise adds. The room is now their main living space, a drop zone for homework, conversation, and hosting.
In the kitchen, a blue island pairs with crisp white cabinetry and pendant lighting. While the owners had certain elements already selected, the Wise Design team helped guide adjustments to make the space feel even more cohesive. They specified the tile backsplash, metallic sconces, and assisted with selecting the right stain color for the wood-wrapped vent hood and floating shelves, details that helped shift the original traditional kitchen toward one more transitional in look. “That was her goal, to make this house feel fresh, inviting, and fun,” Harkrider adds. “They aren’t formal people.”
They kept the high-quality cabinetry, a decision informed by cost and a commitment to reuse, as well as the original fir floors. “The previous owner operated a mill in Portland’s industrial district and made timber into wide-plank floors,” Pashley says. Nail holes and markings add character, and while fir isn’t the best wood for floors, they have come to embrace the wear and tear.
The dining room also received an overhaul, focused on lightness and flexibility, with a table that could accommodate the family of five as well as the children’s friends, who often join them for dinner. The space features an oblong dining table and chairs alongside a colorful custom artwork by Thérèse Murdza. “The space was tight, so we chose a beautiful oval walnut dining table which helps ease circulation,” Annie Wise notes.
Upstairs, the couple’s primary suite underwent a full transformation. While they considered removing the brick fireplace entirely, its arched framing was preserved and plastered over, giving it a new life flanked with brass pendants. They selected new nightstands and a curio cabinet, while a velvet chaise provides the perfect spot to curl up by the fire and take in the views.
Now the home is infused with just as much energy and optimism as the active family. “Traci was such a delight to work with, very open minded and gracious. It was really a lovely partnership,” Annie Wise concludes.
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