A Small Oregon Condo’s Style Is Whimsical Maritime Antique, and It Works

Name: Lisa Becker
Location: Lincoln City, Oregon
Type of home: Condo
Size: 650 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This is a family vacation home owned and used by our Pacific Northwest extended family. It started off as a big blank slate and it turned into a big family project. We bought it on a whim at the beginning of the pandemic when we needed an escape from being stuck indoors, and we needed a place where we could get away from the city (we live in Portland).

Everyone contributed: we have an uncle who is a contractor who installed the bones, along with some handymen and engineers who made it all work. I was the designer, and while my taste is typically a bit more eclectic, I tried to make a spot that would be universally appealing for the whole family, a home away from home (but of course there are a few unique touches to make it charmingly weird). We all take turns staying staying here, and as we are all big animal lovers, we bring our fur children along with us.

I have always been drawn to East Coast beach style. We were inspired by Nantucket for this home — hence why we dubbed it “The Grey Lady.” Of course we can’t afford any housing in Nantucket, but we wanted to bring the laid-back yet upscale coastal charm to our little getaway here in Oregon. We used lots of neutrals and naturals, marble and brass, and lots of plants to keep it really green and bright even on gloomy, blustery days — which we have a lot of at the coast. After we finished the design the whole “Coastal Grandmother” thing really kicked off so it is perfect timing because the space feels like a perfect representation of a Nancy Meyers heroine. We were on a tight budget, so a lot of items actually came from our personal homes, which I love, because we all had our contributions. The rest of the items came from Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, and antique stores.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Maritime antique, whimsical and unique.

What is your favorite room and why? The bedroom! We based the entire design off the amazing canopy bed, which we were super lucky to score off Facebook Marketplace. We are Disneyland lovers (my parents-in-law actually met and fell in love working there!) so we went with an Indiana Jones/Tarzan’s Treehouse vibe so it feel like you are transported the second you walk into the room. There is nothing like listening to the waves from the living room while reading in a cozy canopy bed.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The sea fan sconces above the sofa were a happy accident. For years I have had these thrifted candle sconces in the attic that I painted gold that just didn’t look right. I had them in a pile of “maybe” decor, and brought along some sea fans I bought off Etsy. Three glasses of wine later and I decided to try to superglue the sea fans to the sconces and it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I wanted most of the items to be unique — not something you see everywhere.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Start out by collecting furniture and decor that calls to you. When you have a basis for inspiration everything else will come together around it. We wanted to make sure we had what I call “Pandemic Design” — making sure you love your house so much that it isn’t so bad if you get stuck inside for months on end. Of course it certainly helps to have an ocean view, which we never take for granted.

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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