Casual Contemporary Suburban
Whole-Home Move-In Refresh in

ARCHITECTURE | Neo-eclectic (2000s)

LOCATION | Sherwood, Oregon

The challenge was to utterly transform an ordinary suburban house into a timeless sanctuary for deserving homeowners who are avid art collectors, while leaving the structural elements untouched and focusing solely on furniture and decor adjustments.

Built in the early 2000s, this Sherwood home came with the familiar challenges of suburban architecture from that era: oversized rooms, unclear proportions, honey oak finishes, and spaces that feel difficult to furnish with intention. The scope focused on the living room, dining room, and stairway, using furniture, scale, and art placement.

DESIGN & STYLING: WENDY COMBS STUDIO
PHOTOGRAPHY: GENNY MOLLER

before

Living room with sectional sofa, layered pillows, and large windows in a Sherwood home interior design project.
A dining room with a round wooden table and white upholstered chairs. A chandelier hangs above the table. The walls feature abstract art and wooden sculptures. A small vase with flowers is on the table.
Dining room with round wooden table, white chairs, vase with red and orange flowers, abstract wall art, and a wooden sculpture.
A modern interior setting featuring a wooden sideboard with decorative items like a sculptural piece, white jar, book stack, decorative bowl, and wall art. A large abstract painting is hung above the sideboard.
Modern living room with beige sofa, decorative pillows, a coffee table with a round vase holding branches, and a bookshelf with books and decorative items. A large window provides natural light.
Gallery wall with various framed artworks including abstract, botanical, and landscape drawings and paintings.

THE ASK

After moving in, it became clear that the homeowners’ existing furniture did not suit the scale or architecture of the house. The rooms felt disconnected, and a significant art collection was stacked on the floor, not because it lacked importance, but because there was no obvious place for it to live.

There was no desire to renovate, change lighting, or alter the structure. The request was to make thoughtful, strategic design decisions that would help the home reflect the people who live there.

DESIGN APPROACH

The process began by identifying what actually needed to change and what did not, focusing on furniture scale, layout, and proportion to bring order to rooms that previously felt oversized and undefined.

One of the most impactful decisions was transforming the stairway into a gallery wall. This unexpected solution gave the art collection the presence it deserved while turning a transitional space into a defining feature of the home visible upon entry.

THE RESULT

The home now feels personal and not stuck in the early 2000s. By focusing exclusively on furniture, decor, and art placement, the project demonstrates how strategic design choices can completely transform a space without touching the structure. What was once an ordinary suburban house now feels intentional, expressive, and deeply connected to the homeowners’ lives and collections.

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