Creating an environment that feeds your artistic spirit in a rental townhouse is a tall order. For both Brandon and Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth, artwork, music and self-expression will be the crucial elements of a family home in their terms. “I think for us the largest challenge is preventing that generic impression on a tight budget,” says Rebecca. “Nobody wants to feel as a McFamily in a McNeighborhood.”
The couple has made some beautifully manicured design decisions regarding how to use the space. The dining area also serves as a multitasking office and crafts studio, the kids’ bedroom was retrieved as a music area and the miniature suspended patio has become a edible garden. “We had this lightbulb moment once we discovered that we weren’t bound to surrender the room to our children,” says Rebecca. “Now we’ve got play areas installed all over the home, and the space belongs to everybody.”
at a Glance
Who lives here: Brandon and Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth and their sons: Oscar, 4, and Rafael, 20 months
Size: 1,000 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 half baths
Location: Seattle
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“For me, home is the place where the mask comes off. It comes off by itself, without effort, and relaxation follows,” says Brandon. The living area is where the family comes together to relax. “The adrenaline essential to slalom through the workday goes from a boil to a simmer at home, as my entire body knows you’re around the people who know you.”
Rug: Alvine Ruta, Ikea
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“We were living in a ramshackle apartment in Brooklyn if we made the decision to move to Seattle to be closer to our relatives,” Rebecca says. “I was six months pregnant. But for us, accustomed to New York apartment dwelling, this place was a palace. Best of all, the owner’s a kind man who was ready to take a leap of faith and rent it to us, sight unseen. We have been grateful for that every day because.”
Ottomans: leather, Crate & Barrel; curtains: handmade by Rebecca
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Vignettes all around the home tell a narrative and ignite the imagination. Vintage pieces, literature, vegetation and other special curios keep the eye wandering.
“The four people adore books, music, well-made toys, and we are all drawn to saturated colour,” Rebecca says. “I am always searching for ways to balance things visually so that the space feels youthful and energized without feeling chaotic.”
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The day Rebecca’s grandma’s old upright piano arrived was a turning point — their rental finally felt like home. “I had this powerful sense of a torch being passed — it was certainly a rite of passage,” Rebecca says. “I guess it is when I understood that I had finally created my own household, my own family, my life”
Rebecca and her sons created the artwork above the piano.
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A classic fruit full of children’s books sits neatly beneath a chair for quick access when among those sons requires a cuddle and a narrative. Beyond the living area is a home office area, where Rebecca creates content for her blog and organizes her work as a playwright and theater professor.
“We initially set up a dedicated kids’ area, with vibrant foam flooring and a few improvised containers for toys,” says Brandon. “Now we’ve evolved into having children’ things throughout the home, so there’s chance for play wherever Mom and Dad happen to be busy”
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Books, sheet music and household photographs fill an antique hutch close to the stairwell.
“I have to have the ability to observe books and also have books around me,” Brandon says. “Sometimes the books tease me and frustrate me because I can’t get into them but I need to get there.”
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A whiz on the sewing machine, Rebecca enjoys to make clothing for her boys. She created most of the throw pillow covers, curtains and quilts in the house. Smart storage and a cheery red vintage stool keep the craft area inviting and clean.
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A handmade fabric calendar hangs in the corner opposite a pin board made from wine corks. Rebecca’s clever DIY projects are found throughout the home.
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Wheatgrass climbs in classic Pyrex dishes on a cable baker’s stand with a window. The few harvests that this wondergreen for juices.
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Upcycled wine boxes create an edible garden on the small balcony. The family develops a plethora of lettuces, root vegetables, herbs and tomatoes.
“My favorite thing about Seattle is the mixture of its greenery and proximity to the water,” says Brandon. “It always feels refreshing here . You can get a beautiful view from just about anywhere.”
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A racecar clock and framed children’s illustration decorate the hallway beside the bedroom.
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The sage-green bedroom homes a king-size bed, big enough for the whole family. Rebecca creatively exhibits her art using pants figurines.
Moving across a lot has taught Rebecca how to create a space feel like home. “I have discovered that when I start hanging things on the walls, a house will start to feel mine, because the artwork is what is absolutely unique to people,” she says.
Quilt: handmade by Rebecca; dresser: Ikea; toss pillows: Etsy
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Besides their many different talents, the Tourino Collinsworths write and record original music. “For the first year we were here we set it up as the kids’ room. Nobody ever used it, even though, not the children,” Brandon says. They ended up converting it into an area dedicated to music.
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“I have to be surrounded by two things, designwise, to truly settle in,” says Brandon. “Things that nurture me creatively — musical instruments, music, books, artwork — and things that invite me to relax: comfy furniture, snuggly kids and somewhere to put all the clutter.”
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“Your house should hold you, nourish you, tell you a story and allow you to rest,” says Rebecca, shown here with Oscar, Rafael and Brandon. “And it should be an area you always wish to return to. Basically I need my house to feel as though my grandmother. If you knew her, you’d know why.”
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