Our TeamEllie Arciaga Lillstrom

Ellie Arciaga Lillstrom

About Me

Ellie Arciaga Lillstrom is a proud Seattle resident and newlywed, whose style is best described as 'art teacher chic'. As of late, her days are spent as a commercial + interiors photographer, and she welcomes any excuse to travel for work.


Latest Stories

A Dramatic, Maximalist London Flat Is Dark, Eclectic, and Cool
Name: Catherine Ashton Location: Northwest London, England Size: 832 square feet Years lived in: 14 years, owned Though Catherine and her partner Ali have owned this London flat for 14 years, it wasn’t until about two years ago that the space made a dramatic transformation. It was then that Catherine painted the generic white walls a sensational black from floor to ceiling. This simple but dramatic choice has been a gorgeous experiment in interior design!
Dec 19, 2019
Casey’s Intentionally Designed Live/Work Space in Portland
Name: Casey Keasler and her dog, Winston Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months For many freelancers and small business owners, working from home often means using a laptop at the breakfast table and/or wearing pajamas for 95% of the day. But Casey Keasler, creative director of the multidisciplinary design firm Casework, wanted her home office to be a space that was both client- and staff-friendly.
Dec 19, 2019
An Incredibly Cozy 250-Square-Foot Cabin in the Pacific Northwest
Name: Coralie Hews Location: Northeast Portland, Oregon Size: 250 square feet, including loft Years Lived In: 7 months; renting Though she was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Coralie Hews has always possessed a Southwestern sensibility, especially when it comes to matters of interior design.
Dec 19, 2019
Andrew & Becky’s Bright, Eclectic Seattle Apartment
Name: Andrew Nedimyer and Becky Armbruster Location: Capitol Hill — Seattle, Washington Size: 1,000-ish square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented Having only shared their bright and spacious Capitol Hill apartment for six short months, Andrew and Becky sure do know how to throw a fantastic home together. With the space boasting two large bedrooms and views of both the Space Needle and the always-spectacular Mt.
Dec 19, 2019
A “Modern-ish” Renovated Portland House & Jewelry Studio
Name: Teresa Robinson Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: Owned 8.5 For Teresa Robinson, maker of the gorgeous jewelry line, Tiro Tiro, a home of one’s own is best filled with things that bring a feeling of warmth. With an eclectic mix of vintage and modern furniture, as well as a healthy dose of DIY, Teresa’s home of nearly nine years captures that feeling in every room.
Apr 30, 2019
A Modern Adobe in Tucson
Name: Krysta Jabczenski and Joel Leshefka Location: Tucson, Arizona Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 2 years (We remodeled this property earlier this year.) For Krysta and Joel, Tucson is more than just home. The two artists and shop owners relocated to Krysta’s native Arizona from the Pacific Northwest, and planted roots in the blossoming creative community in the area.
Apr 30, 2019
A First-Time Homeowner Hits the Jackpot With This Craftsman Gem
Name: Hayley Francis Location: Roosevelt — Seattle, Washington Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned When Hayley Francis set out in search of her dream home in Seattle during the summer of 2015, she did so toting a wishlist of charming must-haves: checkerboard black and white tile floors in the kitchen, hardwoods throughout, and a classic Craftsman style.
Apr 30, 2019
A “Desert Minimalist” Adobe Home in Tucson
Name: Krysta Jabczenski and Joel Leshefka Location: Barrio Libre — Tucson, AZ Years lived in: 3 years, owned Tucked away in the historic Barrio Libre neighborhood of Tucson is a little strip of lovingly restored adobes. The airy structures are full of desert charm, and they owe their new lives to a couple that split their time between arid Tucson and soggy Seattle.
Apr 30, 2019
A Vintage Airstream Gets a Scandinavian Inspired Remodel
Name: Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw’s 1971 Airstream Sovereign packs incredible style into a compact space — every inch has been thoughtfully designed and curated by the couple. Over one very eventful year of renovation and restoration, they have been able to build a home that is warm, bright, and that even boasts a feeling of loftiness, all in 200 square feet!
Apr 14, 2019
Sara & Rich’s Rustic, Modern 1940s Hacienda in Joshua Tree
Name: Sara and Rich Combs Location: Joshua Tree, California Size: 1,241 square feet Years Lived In: 8 months; Owned You may remember Sara and Rich from our House Tour of their Colorful, Calm & Sunny California Haven in San Francisco. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing their latest collaborative interiors project: their vacation home in the Mojave Desert dubbed The Joshua Tree House.
Feb 20, 2019
Isaac’s Modern & Playful San Francisco Apartment
Name: Isaac Orloff and his dogs, Sammy and Roo Location: Dogpatch — San Francisco, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 months Animator Isaac Orloff and his two pups, Sammy and Roo, have found a home in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. Having kept an eye out for an apartment in the city that was affordable, dog-friendly, and stylish for years, Isaac was able to land this triple-threat abode just two months ago.
Feb 20, 2019
Kenya & Conner’s Chic and Airy Marina District Apartment
Name: Kenya Moncada and Conner Jay and their dog, Hugo Location: Marina District — San Francisco, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented When Kenya and Conner aren’t traveling for work, they can be found at home in their top floor Marina District apartment in San Francisco.
Feb 20, 2019

Latest Stories

Blanca & Cody’s Oaxaca-Inspired Compact Cottage
Name: Blanca Martinez and Cody Perez Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1160 square feet (560 sq ft cottage with a 600 sq ft basement) Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Blanca Martinez and Cody Perez moved into their small, one-bedroom cottage in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, they immediately saw the potential for more usable living space in the concrete basement—all it needed was a good bit of TLC.
Feb 20, 2019
Mikola’s “Trying to Be as Minimal as Possible” Portland Home
Name: Mikola Accuardi and her almost 3 year old son, Valentino Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1700 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years; owned You may remember Mikola Accuardi and her adorable son, Valentino from their previous house tour with us. Since we last spoke with them over two years ago, they have purchased a gorgeous Tudor home in the shire-like Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland.
Feb 19, 2019
A Professional Stylist’s Modern Organic Portland Apartment
Name: Jorie Garcia and Trevor Bennett Location: Southeast Portland, Oregon Size: 640 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4 years For those of you who have had the pleasure of laying eyes on Schoolhouse Electric’s gorgeously styled catalogs, today’s house tour will provide you with a bit of a fan girl or boy moment. If you’ve seen those perfectly imperfect gallery walls, and effortlessly fluffed pillows, then you’re familiar with Jorie Garcia’s work.
Feb 19, 2019
Derek & Ashley’s Artistic, Quirky & Sentimental Seattle Apartment
Name: Derek Erdman and Ashley Armitage Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1,500 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years This apartment is what happens when two vibrant—and cheeky!—artists make a home together.
Mar 10, 2016
Melanie’s Playful Potrero Hill Apartment
Name: Melanie Abrantes (and her boyfriend Rick Gibb) Location: Potrero Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented We recently shared Melanie Abrantes’ fantastic Oakland studio, and today we’re getting a glimpse into her San Francisco apartment. Melanie’s playful personality is seen in every inch of the 500-square-foot home.
Feb 5, 2016
Emma Makes the Most of a (Temporary) Move Back to Her Childhood Home
Name: Emma Fineman Location: Oakland, California Size: 238 square feet Years lived in: 17 We recently shared artist Emma Fineman’s stylish Memphis-inspired studio, in which she paints as well as designs textiles and apparel for her women’s clothing brand, Weft + Hide. Today, we get a glimpse into her cozy, temporary living quarters in her childhood home, filled with plants, textiles, and mementos from her travels.
Feb 2, 2016
Emma’s Memphis-Inspired Painting & Design Studio
Name: Emma Fineman of Weft + Hide Location: Oakland, California Size: 600 square feet When painter Emma Fineman decided to merge two of her great passions, art and fashion, into her fantastic clothing and accessories line, Weft + Hide, she knew she would need a multipurpose creative space that would allow both endeavors to continue to evolve. She found exactly that in her family’s spacious old garage that she painted white and furnished with a few ingenious Memphis-inspired DIY pieces.
Jan 21, 2016
Sara & Rich’s Colorful, Calm & Sunny California Haven
Name: Sara and Rich Combs Location: Marina District — San Francisco, CA Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Having collected each piece in their apartment one-by-one over the last six years, Sara and Rich Combs have created a home with a distinctly colorful, eclectic feel. Gravitating towards sleek, Mid-century silhouettes and furniture design, the couple have designed each room to pay homage to the bygone era in its own way, all while maintaining a modern spin.
Jan 13, 2016
Melanie Abrantes Designs’ Industrial Jungle Studio in Oakland
Name: Melanie Abrantes Designs Location: Oakland, California Size: 900 square feet Years using space: 1.5 years Melanie Abrantes is a crafty Jane-of-all-trades. With her company, Melanie Abrantes Designs, she specializes in handcrafting a plethora of one-of-a-kind goods, ranging from cork planters to wood bowls and vessels. Her Oakland studio, located in what was a tomato factory at the turn of the 20th century, features exposed brick walls and big, bright windows.
Jan 8, 2016
A Tiny 1920s Cottage Has It All in Only 450 Square Feet
Raya is inspired by natural materials, classic colors, found objects, and timeless modern design.
Jan 5, 2016
Jeanette & Mikul’s Airy, Sunny and Minimal One-Room East Bay Loft
Name: Jeanette Moncada and Mikul Eriksson Location: Emeryville, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 Months; Rented Jeanette and Mikul have lived in their Emeryville open factory loft for a mere four months, but they sure have nailed down their own rhythm and routine. The two creatives run Sugar Sugar Studio, a rental space for video and still shoots, just off of the apartment’s kitchen area.
Jan 2, 2016