Kate & Clifton Show Their Stuff

published Aug 24, 2010

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Name: Kate Bingaman-Burt & Clifton Burt
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 600 square feet
Years lived in: 2

Kate and Clifton have done an amazing job showing off the items they’ve collected while maintaining a great live/work space in their small lofted apartment. You may be familiar with Kate’s art-project-turned-book, Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today?, a collection of ink drawings cataloging many of her daily purchases. A look through their home reveals many odds and ends that serve to inspire this creative couple.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

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

Kate and Clifton both work as graphic designers. Kate is an Assistant Professor in the Graphic Design Program at Portland State University and Clifton is the web developer at Pinball Publishing. Though their apartment is small, two giant garage door windows and tall ceilings play a key role in making it feel open and inviting. On a sunny Portland afternoon the open windows create an inviting outdoorsy atmosphere. A hike up the circular staircase leads to their bedroom loft. Because closet space is limited and the street view is a bit invasive, they have re-purposed their hanging clothing to create a privacy wall. The “wall” of textiles fits right into their colorful, pattern-filled decor. Kate’s work corner is a busy space that lends itself to creativity. The wall above her desk is full of fun things to gaze upon. A contained chaos that looks like a giant collage. Kate and Clifton are currently curating a show together at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, one of many projects keeping them busy. Collateral Matters, showcases the history of printing and design in Portland using printed materials and ephemera from the museum’s archives. It opens August 26, 2010, but here is a sneak peek.

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Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Objects with good stories behind them combined with thrift store finds and IKEA hacks.

Inspiration: Portraits of people that I don’t know / Portraits of people that I do know / Objects with humor / Folk / Handmade / yellows, oranges and greens / textiles / pattern / The light in William Eggleston photography / handmade type /Objects that tell a good story.

Favorite Element: Our big windows!

Biggest Challenge: Space…I wish we could stay here forever, but when we have kids…no way. The lighting is also kind of a challenge.

What Friends Say: Lots to look at and lots of color.

Biggest Embarrassment: We hate the color of the big wall. If we owned the place I am pretty sure we would paint it.

Proudest DIY: Our forward facing bookshelves that we built.

Biggest Indulgence: My desk chair. I sit at my desk for hours a day drawing and spent the last 10 years in a cheap chair. I figured that buying a good chair is cheaper than back surgery.

Best Advice: Don’t be afraid of color. Keep objects that have meaning.

Dream Source: I am pretty sure the vintage shop down the street is my dream source. It is called SMUT (So Many Unique Treasures) Seriously…it is the best vintage store.

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Resources: SMUT, IKEA, Free Boxes, Thrift Stores, used office furniture supply stores.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Thanks, Kate and Clifton!

Images: Molly Anderson

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