Houzz Interview: "From the Right Bank" Alek's Seattle Home (6 comments)

It's no secret that some of us here at Houzz (me) are a little obsessed with all things France. As a result, it was love at first sight when we came across From the Right Bank to the Left Coast, a blog written by former Paris resident (and current Seattleite) Alek.

On her blog, Alek shares her design inspirations, which come from all over the place, and photos of the home she shares with her husband. Alek's ability to mix modern design with traditional elements is impressive, to say the least. Her sense of style is detail-oriented in the extreme - her house is full of perfectly styled corners and fantastic vignettes - and more than a little inspirational.

We're thrilled that Alek was willing to share her story, and her home, with the Houzz community:

Please tell us about your "first meeting" with your house.

We had come to Seattle for a few days on a house hunting trip and on the very first day, our realtor took us to a house that was in the early stages of the construction phase. Even in that state, we knew that we had found the perfect house the minute we walked in!

What is the first step of your decorating process?

The first thing I always do is to try out different layouts. I love space planning and will come up with every possible scenario. Once I find the one that feels right, the rest of the decorating tends to fall into place.

What is the biggest decorating challenge you've faced?

Really the only challenge has been trying to make all the styles I love work together in a contemporary style house. (See below.)

Describe your favorite style and colors.

I love so many styles, everything from Scandinavian modern and French neoclassical to what is often described as eclectic and bohemian. It’s the same thing with colors. I love just about every color but my favorite color for my home is white. I often dream of having an all-white house.

What's the one spot in your house that makes you most happy or proud?

I think I’m most proud of our dining room. My house is forever a work in progress but the dining room is the one room that feels “finished” and doesn’t need any more tweaking. (At least for now!)

What's your most precious accessory, piece of furniture or work of art?

The things I would grab in the event of a fire are the antique paintings that hang in our living room. Most objects are replaceable but original artwork isn’t.

What's your next home project?

I would love to extend our back patio to create a larger seating area.

What are the 5 things that houzz readers need to know about your blog?

1. I started my blog when I moved from the right bank of Paris to Seattle so that’s how I came up with the name. It doesn’t have anything to do with financial institutions(!)

2. I’m an artist so it’s very important to me that my blog is visually pleasing. I really make an effort to use only really beautiful photographs and images.

3. I blog about my own house but hope that it inspires my readers and gives them ideas they can use in their own homes.

4. I post daily every weekday and so far, haven’t missed a single day.

5. After design, my other obsession is travel and I have a weekly feature called Traveling Thursdays where I share great design inspiration from hotels around the world.

What is your best tip for the decorating beginner?

Don’t feel pressured to get everything just right all at once. Take your time and find things you really love rather than just buying something to make do.

Thanks so much, Alek, for opening up your amazing home to everyone at Houzz!

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