The Haven
Vashon Island, Washington
The haven is a guesthouse on Vashon Island, which is just a 20 minute ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. I did the interior design, along with my sister, Allie Merrill who now works for Allison Lind Interiors. The pieces we selected were all chosen to ensure for comfort, respite and wonder. We added special little touches throughout – plush robes, a custom cocktail with all of the ingredients one would need to make it, a well stocked kitchen, and a collection of carefully curated books in the hopes of inspiring guests to read, cook, create, and explore.
I commissioned an artist in Vancouver, Canada to paint a custom art piece for one of the walls, and painted the walls in the Primary bedroom with a lime wash from Domingue Finishes. We stayed within budget and within our target timeline. The home was booked solid as soon as it was available, and the 5 star reviews came flooding in, and the owner was able to make back her investment in all of the decor, as well as our design services within 3 months of listing the home.
“Mallory guided us in imagining and articulating a concept for an Airbnb offering that was in alignment with who we are. This part of the process is Mallory's sweet spot; it set the tone for the project and all of the decisions that followed. Mallory made it possible for us to swiftly transform the home into a high-end listing that was solidly booked. Every single review was 5 stars. We couldn't have done this as beautifully or successfully without her.” – Kirsten, Home Owner
For a bit of the backstory…I knew some friends of mine were open to investing in real estate, and I saw this home come on the market that I thought would be a perfect investment as a guesthouse, and a place for them to spend occasional weekends at during the summer. I introduced them to our realtor on the island, and they looked at it the next day, and I tagged along. From the minute we drove up the windy driveway, I just knew in my gut the place had potential. We walked around the property talking about all of the possibilities, and they fell in love. They put an offer on the house the following day during a season when the market was very competitive, and they got the house! They immediately wanted to engage us on the design, which we were eager to do.
