Sandy Deneau Dunham, Author at Daily Hampshire Gazette

Betty Merken, an artist and architectural colorist, holds one of her works, a monotype called “Illumination, Yellow,” in her new backyard studio. “We decided the studio would be designed and built as part of the house but separate — a complex — and echo the architecture. A concentric feeling: a complex of living and working.”

A home of many colors: Inside an architectural colorist’s house

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesSeptember 13, 2019

The miracle orb that is the human eye can detect oodles and oodles and oodles of colors. Betty Merken can create them all.Merken is an architectural colorist, an artist and a color consultant. It’s an exceptional, meaningful mixed palette of talent…

Satish and Anila’s ultramodern home in the Issaquah Highlands of Washington is a special space representative of a style, and a family. Top left, 5-year-old Ashwin’s room offers a clear view of the two-story atrium. Top right, a view of the house from the road. Bottom, Satish works from home in the airy kitchen and dining space.

A new modern home has room for everyone, but not necessarily every single thing

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesAugust 9, 2019

The upper-level deck has porcelain tile, a seating area and a barbecue, while the lower terrace has an elevated firepit with a built-in bench and an outdoor storage area. “Everything has a place, and it’s all been thought of and highly organized,” says architect Andrew Finch.

‘We had a very clear idea of how we live — how we want to live’

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesJune 20, 2019

Architect Sheri Olson removed an outdoor playhouse and “not-earthquake-proof trellis” to open views to Puget Sound. “Painting it a dark gray helped,” she says. “It had been Quonset-hut beige.”

Renovating a rambler — with know-how and elbow grease

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesMay 23, 2019

Michelle Dirkse goes through some of the fabric and wallpaper she has designed in her studio. Pillows and the wallpaper behind her are also her designs.

Creating one-of-a-kind textiles from original art

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesMay 2, 2019

This perch from the upper-level office looks over and across the dining room and into the living room below and the master bedroom above. “There’s hardly anything in this room,” designer Michelle Burgess says of the bedroom. “It all had to have a softness.” The bed fills that bill, says homeowner Kate: “Our beloved Hastens bed is the most comfortable.”

How to achieve warm minimalism

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesMay 2, 2019

The staircase in the towering entry was stripped of its carpet runner, refinished and repainted, says Raso. “It now reflects more of the original style of the house in an updated way.”

An unabashedly classic renovation

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesJanuary 28, 2019

Hayley Francis, Trend & Design manager for the online furnishings company The Mine, filled her own Craftsman home with an eclectic mix of family heirlooms, vintage pieces and online finds.

An awesomely eclectic home, courtesy of Etsy, Craigslist, garage sales and The Mine

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesJanuary 18, 2019

Farshad sculpts a copper portrait of a woman in his garage studio.

Inspiration everywhere

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesJanuary 11, 2019

Working with associate architect John Geurts, Jennifer and Steve Livingston added a second floor to their 1940s-era brick home, integrating the remodel to fit into their neighborhood.

A thoughtful renovation for a 1940s home

by Sandy Deneau Dunham The Seattle TimesDecember 7, 2018