Several years ago, I had the pleasure of scouting Garrison Hullinger’s home as a potential location for a catalogue photo shoot. At that time, he lived in a lovely Craftsman — with a twist. The house was tastefully peppered with eye-catching objects, good art, and inviting textures, but it also included some unexpected fixtures and arresting details. Why, he had even cleverly modified traditional Arts & Crafts lights. (I won’t reveal exactly how, but let’s just say it involved fabric and a drum shape. Very creative.)

Garrison Hullinger at Rejuvenation, Portland OR

While touring his home, I often asked Garrison, “Where you’d get that?” (referring to an incredible stained-glass work, for example). He would casually respond, “Oh, I made it.” After the fifth “Oh, I made it,” I stopped in my tracks and said, “You know, you should really do you own thing. You have A LOT of talent.”

Fast-forward six years, and Garrison is most definitely doing his own thing. So well, in fact, that we hosted an event in our Portland store, where he spoke about his interior design business and how to create a sustainable home that is simple yet beautiful.

It was great to attend and see how he had followed his heart. And success couldn’t have happened to a nicer — or more talented — guy.