Crystal & Gavin’s House for Modernist Cats (& Dogs!)

updated Dec 19, 2019
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Name: Crystal & Gavin Gregory
Location: Parkwood — Shoreline (Seattle) WA
Size: 920 square feet
Years lived in: 2 — owned

The owner and creator of Modernist Cat (featured on AT back in January) recently opened up her newly renovated home for us. Vintage feline ledges and custom-built catwalks compliment Crystal’s handmade modernist cat furniture, which blends seamlessly with the home’s MCM pieces. With a lot of elbow grease and creative solutions, Crystal and Gavin have transformed this house into a true original:

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

They put together furniture to make altogether new custom pieces, scour Craigslist for the best (and least expensive) of the best, and use paint and color without fear (easy for Crystal, who is also a portrait painter). The couple also built both of their side-by-side bathrooms from the ground up. The pink bathroom was the original one that they tore out and completely re-did. The grayish blue and orange bathroom used to be the water heater closet, but when Crystal and Gavin decided to go with a tankless water heater, they were able to convert that space into an additional ½ bath for guests. Brilliant problem solving and styling!

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Mid-Century Modern

Inspiration: It all started with a lamp and Herman Miller shell chair; our small space gives us unique ideas, our small budget keeps us creative, and our two Sphynx cats make the final decisions!

Favorite Element: Gavin loves our newly re-upholstered (by me) 3-seater tandem bench and I love our teak display credenza w/ floating top!

Biggest Challenge: Building our new bathrooms

What Friends Say: hmn, I know they like it and appreciate how much work we put into making it look nice to hang out. I’ve been asked to pick out furniture for my friends so I think that says a lot.

Biggest Embarrassment: our kitchen…. UGH!!!

Proudest DIY: OUR BATHROOMS!!

Biggest Indulgence: Our teak fold-away kitchen table/cabinet piece that we created by putting two pieces of furniture together. We spent $520 on this and that’s A LOT for us to spend on one thing!!

Best Advice: Shop on Craigslist. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you will. Don’t forget to express who you are in your space.

Dream Source: the internet

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Resources of Note:

LIVING ROOM

    • Side Board w/ floating top from Craigslist $650, Seattle Space Needle Lamp by local artist Steve Hill and can be ordered through Broadway Best Antiques
    • Stencil Painting of Elliott the cat by local artist
    • Living room curtain fabric from Ikea
    • Living room wall color = White Calla MS138 Valspar, Green trim color = Verdant SW6713 Sherwin Williams
    • 3-Seat Tandem Bench from Craigslist $150, I re-upholstered this with Fibra: Azure & Turquoise by Knoll Textiles
    • Sofa from Scan Design Furniture
    • Kitchen curtain fabric from Ikea, Pendant lights from Lowes, Eileen Gray accent table

KITCHEN / DINING ROOM

    • Skovby – drop leaf multi-function table from Craigslist ($400) with Upper Mounted vintage Danish Cabinet from Craigslist ($120)
    • Fiesta Ware dishes
    • Kitchen wall color = Cathedral Gray UL260-7 Behr

HALLWAY

    • Oil portraits by Crystal Gregory (me)
    • Custom built cat-walk by Gavin and me
    • Hallway color = Oops paint from Lowes

BATHROOMS

    • Pink bathroom color = In the Pink SW6583 Sherwin Williams, Trim color = Lincoln Cottage Black Valspar
    • Grayish Blue wall color = Oops paint from Lowes, Orange trim color = Bold Orange 1B63 Ralph Lauren
    • Floor & Subway tile from Home Depot
    • Cabinet & light fixtures from Ikea
    • Mark Ryden’s Bunnies & Bee’s prints

OFFICE / STUDIO

    • Office/Studio color = Mountain Botanical 6010-9 Valspar
    • Curtain fabric from Ikea, vintage teak Danish Modern modular wall unit with three bays from Craigslist ($450)
    • Eames Herman Miller Arm chair from Craigslist $35

DRESSING ROOM

    • Dressing Room wardrobes & dressers from Craigslist
    • Litter Hideaway by Modernist Cat
    • Dressing Room wall color = Classic French Gray SW0077 Sherwin Williams
    • Curtain fabric and hanging light from Ikea
    • Litter Hideaway Circa50 by Modernist Cat

BEDROOM

    • Bedroom wall color = Wading Pool MS335 Valspar
    • Bedroom trim & headboard/side tables color = Bittersweet Chocolate GLN19 Glidden
    • Rib Cages by Crystal Gregory (me)
    • Wall lights from Ikea and curtain fabric from Ikea

OTHER

    • Retro green patio furniture from Lowes
    • House color = Black Fox SW7020 Sherwin Williams, Green door color = Retro Avocado Behr
    • Eames Herman Miller arm chair w/ Girard hop-sack fabric from Craigslist ($190)
    • Oil portrait of Elliott by Crystal Gregory (me)

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Thanks, Crystal & Gavin!

Images: Maria Bianco

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