Everett’s Award-Winning, Instagram-Worthy Home
Editor’s note: Originally published March 18, 2020. Republished June 16, 2022
Header photo: secret garden in summertime // Lorraine Matuschak.
Everett has some pretty cool homes. Lots of cool historic homes. And then there is that one on Rainier Avenue that is a two time Monte Cristo Award winner that looks like it is a showcase from a home design magazine. Here’s its story brought to you by Live in Everett Member Houseplants Galore.
Lorraine and Sean Matuschak purchased the home at the peak of the housing crisis, intending to flip it and then being able to afford the home of their dreams in Snohomish.
But good things happen in Everett and Lorraine and Sean fell in love with their Riverside neighborhood and the people that live there. Everett has gained a couple of creative, thrifty, and hardworking neighbors and Riverside has a stunning showcase home to envy and be inspired by.
Lorraine was working in real estate when she discovered the listing for the home. She called Sean up and said to meet her at the house during his lunchtime. The home ended up with four bids, which seems surprising because it had a 70s-style remodeled kitchen and bathrooms and virtually no landscaping. It was dirty and damaged with cigarette smoke.
But Lorraine is a visionary and saw the lovely bones of the 1925 Craftsman home and all that it could be. And Sean is a talented craftsman, with a background in fabrication and design from his work at Teague, who could make their dreams come true.
The couple immediately set to work on the curb appeal, adding hardscapes and landscapes that include unassuming fencing, a “secret garden” and conservation-friendly plantings and mulch on their right-of-way.
Next, they tackled their downstairs bathroom. It was a “complete gut job”. There were no windows or heating and a shower that took up over half of the tiny space. They added a salvaged clawfoot tub as a centerpiece to add character and installed a heated floor and a window.
They opened up a wall in the kitchen for a more modern flow to the dining room. The kitchen cabinets were salvaged and free. Sean did the installation and some custom work to make them fit the space.
The Matuschaks did all of the labor themselves. They salvaged and thrifted. It seems like having a home as beautiful as theirs is achievable so I asked Lorraine for her best advice.
BE THRIFTY
Lorraine loves to spend time in thrift shops and at yard sales and when she comes across unique pieces, she loves the challenge of figuring out a way to incorporate them into her home.
USE PAINT
Paint can transform any room and doesn’t cost a lot. Lorraine suggests not buying cheap paint. “It doesn’t need to be high end, but if it is a high traffic area spend more.” She also suggests testing paint out behind pictures so your partner doesn’t know you are contemplating painting the dining room black.
USE WHAT YOu’ve GOT
Lorraine’s home is continually changing, the furniture that is. She gets the need to move furniture from her mother who was always rearranging furniture when Lorraine was growing up. She prefers lightweight furniture for this reason. It makes it easier to move pieces from room to room.
ACCESSORIZE
Rugs and pillows can transform a room and they are relatively low cost. Lorraine suggests if you have a grouping of accessories or furniture that don’t quite go together style-wise, paint them all the same color for a cohesive presentation.
PLAN
Make sure to have a solid plan and supplies ready before you put a sledgehammer through the bathroom wall like Lorraine once did. Of course, a hole in the wall is one way to make a project a priority and in this case a beautiful upstairs bathroom.
Feeling inspired? Ready for a can of paint or to go thrifting for an interesting piece to add to your home?
Do you know of a cool Everett home for us to profile next? We’d love to hear from you.
Learn more about Sean and Lorraine’s home on Instagram.
For housewarming gifts or accessorizing your home with year round plants, check out Everett's very own Houseplants Galore on Everett Mall Way.
Linda War Bonnet represents south Everett on the Live in Everett Team. When she isn’t working, she is running the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association. You might spot her walking her dog in the Holly neighborhood.
