Beautiful Enough for Adults, Tough Enough for Kids: Inside a Sand Point Family Home

Seattle Art Source Brings Brooke Fitts’ Work to a Stunning Modern Family Residence Featured in Dwell

Designing a home that’s equal parts sophisticated and kid-proof is one of the great challenges of family life. Interior designer Sarah Atwood Black of Blackwood knocked it out of the park.

When Black was brought in to furnish this nearly 4,000-square-foot Sand Point Residence — designed by Ryan Rhodes Design and built for a family with two energetic young boys — the brief was clear: beautiful, but built to take a beating. Soaring ceilings and full-height glazing flooded the space with light and views. However, without careful attention to warmth and texture, the home risked feeling cold and untouchable. Black’s solution was to layer in materials that felt inviting without being precious — light oak flooring, walnut built-ins, leather upholstery, a farmhouse dining table. Meanwhile, industrial touches like a Tom Kundig welded steel door pull and oversized Caravaggio pendants evoked Paris in the kitchen.

The kid-friendly details are thoughtful without being obvious. A section of the kitchen island drops to a lower height, topped in walnut butcher block so the boys can pull up and actually help cook. High-end pieces like Bensen chairs anchor the living room. In contrast, West Elm dining chairs and subway tile in the kids’ bathrooms keep the budget honest. It’s the kind of smart, layered design that proves you don’t have to choose between a beautiful home and a livable one.

Seattle Art Source was proud to serve as art advisors on this project. Works by Seattle artist Brooke Fitts were placed throughout the home. As a result, the same quiet, luminous Pacific Northwest sensibility was brought to the walls that Black brought to every other surface.

Read the full feature on Dwell here.