By: Kylie Cooper Photos: Jason Page
As seen in the March 2018 issue of The Bend Magazine
The traditional, mid-century modern ranch style abode, built in 1954, where Susan and James Gonzales call home, had the perfect mix of character, solid bones, and eccentric nuances she and her husband were in search for.
While they made plenty of renovations and updates since the original owners, they appreciated the character of the house and knew it was what drew them to the home in the first place. “They don’t make homes like this anymore,” Susan says, “everything is so modern and open now and I needed individual rooms.”
Her need for visible boundaries between rooms has a lot to do with her love for color. If there is one thing each room in the Gonzales’ home has in common, it is color—and lots of it. Susan’s philosophy when it comes to color is to not be afraid of it.
“I love color on so many levels,” she says with a laugh as she looks around and realizes she has the ability to point out at least fifteen different hues in her living and dining room alone. “With color, you are able to create a feeling and evoke an emotion. With each different room, I have tried to curate a different experience through color, themes, fabrics, and textures.”
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“Don’t be afraid to take chances,” says Susan in regard to her daring home décor choices. “I don’t really have one style, I just put the pieces I love together and it works. I try to use my home as a way to show my love for beauty in everyday life—not just in one facet, but in every way.”
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There are modern pieces and antique pieces. There are clean lines and ornate lines. There are Chinoiseries jars filled with pink roses sitting atop a Mexican embroidered runner, and as if that wasn’t enough, gold crane candle sticks grace the center of the table to bring it all together.
There are not many people who would look at these items as individuals and picture them cohesively existing all on the same table—but Susan had a vision, and when Susan has a vision, she executes it perfectly; curating a picture-perfect space. “Don’t be afraid to take chances,” says Susan in regard to her daring home décor choices. “I don’t really have one style, I just put the pieces I love together and it works. I try to use my home as a way to show my love for beauty in everyday life—not just in one facet, but in every way.”
Her color philosophy is brought to life in each room in the home. The formal living room has a decadent feel. The richness of the pinks, oranges, and greens vibrantly bounce off of the more muted charcoal colored walls. With gold accents and plenty of textures, the room makes you feel as though you must take your shoes off before entering and carefully place yourself on the couch just right.
Moving into the dining room, a bold emerald green splashes the walls and takes you to an entirely different place. Chinoiseries pieces and gold candle sticks line the extended dark wood table to create a mood of a lavish dining experience that makes you crave a good glass of pinot and some type of expensive cheese.
Stepping into the kitchen and family living room area, a more open concept is set into play (this is also one of the only areas of the home in which you will find the color white). However, the white was very much so a conscious choice on Susan’s part. White suggests the feeling of cleanliness and airiness.
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“We are in separate rooms, but still get to see each other and that is one area of the house where I like to be able to do that,” Susan says.
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By knocking down a wall that once separated these two rooms, Susan is able to prepare food in the kitchen while her kids start their homework at the bar and her husband sits in the living room. “We are in separate rooms, but still get to see each other and that is one area of the house where I like to be able to do that,” Susan says.
All three bedrooms in the house follow Susan’s color theory closely as well. Both of her daughter’s bedrooms are filled with vibrant colors that relay a playful and fun vibe, while the master bedroom has various shades of plum and blush which come together to create a warm and cozy atmosphere.
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“Your home should be reflective of you, it should make you feel loved,” Susan explains as she takes one final look around the house on our tour. “When I walk into my home, I know it loves me. You have to make time for your home, because if you do that, if you put time and love and care into your home, it will give all of that back to you.”
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While Susan might not have one particular style throughout the entirety of her home, there is no shortage of juxtaposing themes and elements that come together perfectly in order to create her family’s ideal dwelling place.
Regardless of which room of the Gonzales’ home you are in, there is one common thread. There is thought and care placed into every wall color, every throw pillow, every light fixture. While this can be credited to Susan’s second-nature of fine tuning details, it can also be attributed to how she views a home in the first place.
“Your home should be reflective of you, it should make you feel loved,” Susan explains as she takes one final look around the house on our tour. “When I walk into my home, I know it loves me. You have to make time for your home, because if you do that, if you put time and love and care into your home, it will give all of that back to you.”
