The Karie Higgins Studio Instagram account is a haven of calm, testimony to the fact that this Aussie-born interior stylist, now based in Portland, Oregon, has found her happy place.
Higgins rejoices in the bounteous environment she now calls home with her husband and two children.
“The access to beaches, rivers, waterfalls, it’s really lush,” she says. “Because it rains so much, it’s just green. And once spring arrives it explodes; it’s a really pretty part of the world.”
Coffee and chic homewares
Higgins’ favourite cafe, Proud Mary, is a stone’s throw from her front door. It’s a destination for great beans, which is no surprise considering the founders’ original premises were in Melbourne. “They are very hardcore,” Higgins laughs – and a quick glance at their deluxe pour-overs, with blends listed like wines, makes this clear.
Higgins thrives in such a creative community. “Portland has a really strong maker culture; there’s lots of ceramists and potters and artists. And there’s that slow-living aesthetic that Portland is definitely in on.”
Notary Ceramics
One of the local places where she seeks inspiration for her work is Notary Ceramics, founded by Sarah Van Raden, who has built a thriving brand from a rustic studio. “[Sarah] ships all over the world,” Higgins says. “But it’s amazing: she has her potter’s wheel out the back and has this simple, beautiful kind of ethos and minimal style.”
Another favourite is the vintage-finds emporium Wilma, run by Annie Brett. “She’s a friend and a colleague of mine,” Higgins says. “I use a lot of her pieces in my interiors work, and in the studio she has lots of art shows, and supports a lot of other artists.”
Curated food and wine time
An hour or so outside Portland are artful collaborations of a different kind. Grand designs and viniculture meet across a selection of wineries, with structures built to match the region’s widely regarded drops.
“They’ll often do something really rad with the building,” Higgins says of the vineyards in the area. “It does make a visit out there more than just about the wine.”
Furioso Vineyards is one such destination; its vines are overlooked by a magnificent cantilevered tasting room created by Portland-based Waechter Architecture.
Sosta House
In Oregon, more modest abodes also make perfect settings for heartfelt fare, and Higgins was delighted with the discovery of Sosta House in nearby Beaverton.
“It’s quite a humble building,” Higgins says. “It’s run by siblings Mia and her bro Nico [Ponzi Hamacher], and Mia’s an incredible chef. The food there was unreal; they’re growing a lot of the food on their land and they’re from this historic winemaking family, so they’re curating this really amazing experience.”
Recent returnees to Oregon, Mia and Nico have tapped into the Portland vibe with Sosta House, located at a property that has been in their family for generations. The boutique accommodation-slash-restaurant serves food with wine from their Hamacher vineyard (overseen by their father, Eric). “They wanted to do something that was a bit slower and thoughtful and sustainable,” Higgins says.
Sosta House
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The wow factor of Seattle’s waterfront
Keen to explore more of the Pacific Northwest, Higgins journeyed to nearby Seattle, Washington, to sample its waterfront hospitality – epitomised by the iconic Edgewater Hotel, which sits on Elliott Bay. “You feel like you’re on a boat,” she says. “It’s spectacular.”
(Fun fact: when the Beatles stayed here in 1964, fans tried to swim across the bay to get to them.)
The entire city, with the towering Space Needle looking down on it, is a welcoming spot for visitors. “It’s relatively compact, and you can get to a lot of places by foot,” Higgins says. “There are really beautiful spaces, with public art and sculptures and museums.”
Sculpture Park
There’s also plenty for foodie fans – including the famous Pike Place Market, with its playful vibe. “It’s fun,” she says. “You go and there’s flowers, there’s fish throwing. There are free tastings, and cute random restaurants. You feel like you’re in Sleepless in Seattle.”
Several outstanding Asian eateries in the city make the most of its world-class seafood and fresh produce. Sampling Vietnamese at Pho Bac Sup Shop was a treat. “It is a nice environment to be in. The food was super fresh, really fragrant, with lovely broths and herbaceous flavours.”
Music, music, music
Museum of Pop Culture
It’s impossible to ignore Seattle’s music community, and Higgins took a tour of the iconic London Bridge Studio, where Pearl Jam recorded their iconic album Ten, and artists including Macklemore, Dave Matthews and Alice in Chains have laid down tracks.
While it’s still a working studio, it offers guided tours that showcase the original console that’s still in use. “It was a really cool demonstration of how this specific machinery works, this classic sound,” Higgins says.
She also sampled Seattle’s vibrant live music scene at the hip basement venue the Belltown Yacht Club. “It’s obviously a city where every night there’s something happening,” Higgins says, after catching an array of acts over two nights.
She also got a grunge fix thanks to the Museum of Pop Culture. In the museum’s spectacular Frank Gehry-designed building (“It’s a giant statement piece of architecture; the colours are amazing, and the crazy, organic shape is really rad”), Higgins took in its Nirvana exhibition, featuring album art, handwritten notes and Kurt Cobain’s classic cardigan.
It’s hard to beat a trip that has everything from iconic rock knitwear to garden-to-table fare and wine from those incredible Oregon grapes. Higgins’ happy place has just become happier.
