Photos by Sara Gettys

The Barany Home

Yakima abounds with wonderful secret cottage gardens, hiding behind privacy fences and tall arborvitae hedges throughout our many neighborhoods. If you’re lucky enough to be invited in, a magical world of plants, trees, fountains and art awaits.

We’ve asked three local master gardeners to open their special garden retreats to our readers, with the hope that their stories won’t intimidate, but rather encourage others to create their own versions of an outdoor sanctuary.

When Carol and John Barany bought their house above Franklin Park in 1982, they found it surrounded by an acre of lovely green lawn. About that time national style mavens Martha Stewart and Laura Ashley started publishing their phenomenally popular home and garden books, filled with floral motifs and quaint country cottages that started a trend.

“We all wanted to make our homes look like little England,” Carol explained. Coincidentally, Shirley Whiteside opened Yakima’s Loo Witt Gardens on Summitview Avenue at the same time, offering green thumbs a much wider range of perennials, English roses, shrubs and garden art to accomplish just that.

When Carol started planting her garden she admits she had no plan and remembers starting with a six-pack of marigolds.

“Over the years my garden has grown like an amoeba,” she joked, as she gazed out at a sea of roses, poppies and delphiniums, bursting with color in her backyard. “I just wanted more flowers, and I kept taking out more grass to make room for plants.”

Her husband has not been idle while his wife toiled in her flower beds. Over the years, John has focused on their side yard, terracing and constructing a brick wall to allow for a vegetable garden and building an impressive grape arbor that drips with vines during the summer months. He also sculpted free-form plaster likenesses of his children’s faces on the front pillars of the home’s entry. An accomplished artist, John’s turned wood pillars, with heads created by local artist Penn O. Shelton, add a whimsical touch to the overall look of the Baranys’ garden.

Joyce and Tony Sagare moved into their home near Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in 1969, also finding a lot of lawn, junipers and a variety of trees.

yakima-magazine_gardens_0086

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 12

“While I was teaching, my gardening consisted of pulling weeds, planting some petunias for color and raking leaves in the fall,” Joyce said. “After retiring in 1993, I became interested in gardening, adding some perennials here and there with some new shrubs and roses. I took a class on attracting birds, so birdbaths and new plants were added.”

Today the Sagares’ backyard is an amazing and tranquil setting, totally hidden from the street side of the house. Their large deck gives a view to a terraced landscape and an ever-changing cottage garden that provides a variety of settings. “Throughout the backyard, garden rooms and sitting areas have evolved. Pathways have been added. I like to try new combinations of textures and colors in the beds,” Joyce said.

The couple installed a gazebo in 1998, and a primitive potting shed and bench in 2000.  Enjoying a more rustic look, they’ve collected orchard tree props and wooden ladders to use as trellises. A variety of birdhouses make the backyard a wonderful spot to observe the wide variety of feathered friends native to Eastern Washington.

Joyce lists Queen Elizabeth grandiflora roses, hostas, astilibes and hydrangeas as her floral favorites. Her favorite annuals include coleus and calibrochoa that, she says, feature great color, “and they thrive in our hot summers.” She feels her backyard sanctuary has microclimates of sun and shade, and has planted each area accordingly.

“My garden is constantly changing, moving, adding, dividing and sharing.” And the result is a year-round retreat that takes complete advantage of Yakima’s four seasons.

yakima-magazine_gardens_0146

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 9

A collector of all things Americana, Jane has decorated her outdoor space with objects that elicit family memories. A vintage bicycle given to Jane for a childhood birthday has been transformed into a planter. The old door from her fifth-grade classroom at Toppenish’s Lincoln Elementary School makes a rustic backdrop for a flowerbed bordered by a collection of antique china plates. Her grandfather’s old farm plow and wheelbarrow rest under a 60-year-old broadleaf tree. The home’s shady patio houses Jane’s collection of vintage white wicker furniture — a perfect spot for sipping cool lemonade and eating gingersnap cookies in the shade of the hot summer sun.

Jane’s clever eye for country garden design got the attention of others, too: her Americana Garden was featured in this year’s Yakima Area Arboretum Garden Tour.

If you’re planning on creating your own private outdoor retreat, our experts have a few tips: first, make a plan. Then consult the experts (plants, shrubs and trees are expensive); and finally, start small. All three of these cottage gardens have evolved over the years because of hard work, mistakes, fabulous successes and the most important ingredient … a passion for gardening.  Martha Stewart, eat your heart out!

The landscaping of the Hyatt home includes small ponds and waterfalls, river rock features and wildlife statues.

By Heather Caro

Photography by Sara Gettys

Driving through the picturesque Lower Valley – perhaps on a wine tour – visitors might catch a glimpse of the towering river-stone arches and weeping sequoia trees that mark the entrance to Leland and Lynda Hyatt’s rural Zillah estate on Bonair Road.

Built in 1997, the spacious, 5,000-square-foot house was designed by architect Greg McClure. The Hyatts admit, though, that the design was heavily influenced by their own inspiration and ideas gained from years of attending Yakima’s annual Tour of Homes.  “We still go,” says Lynda as she describes the many updates they’ve made to the property over the years.

The Hyatts’ recently remodeled kitchen features all the perks: two islands, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Attention to such details as a built-in oak butcher block near the stainless steel prep sink allows for a functional workspace without sacrificing style.

The open floor plan of the great room – ceilings reach 18 feet – is balanced by a rich color palette, hardwood flooring and overstuffed leather furnishings. And, blurring the lines between indoors and out, a river stone hearth crafted by local mason Bob Gosset is the commanding focal point of the room. The massive fireplace is embellished with a mantle fashioned from a rustic driftwood log.

A regal staircase sweeps up to the second floor, where the master bedroom suite takes center stage. The bedroom features a gas fireplace and cathedral ceiling with windows that frame lush apple orchards and the mountains beyond. The expansive master bath with whirlpool tub, a custom walk-in shower and granite countertops cradling dual cast iron sinks complete the sanctuary. In addition, the suite leads to a private deck where a hot tub awaits with relaxing views of acres of wine grapes adjacent to Hyatt Vineyards — which the couple has owned and operated since 1983 — and the distant Rattlesnake Hills.

Custom furniture built by McClure and decorative pot shelves (an architectural detail spotted by the couple during vacations in Sodona, Ariz.) add personality. Throughout the home, signs of weekends spent with grandchildren are sweetly evident — from framed photos to a den filled with games and comfy pillows.

The overall effect is an extraordinary home that is clearly comfortable in its own skin. It’s a place where entertaining and family are relished.

And yet the Hyatts’ living space does not end at their doorway.

[[Show as slideshow]]Adding their own slant to the growing trend of “outdoor living,” the grounds of the estate are an extension of the home – and where you can find the couple on most days.

Landscaping, including the addition of a bed of red roses – a favorite flower of Lynda’s – was done almost entirely by the couple. Details such as carefully placed boulders and gnarled timbers punctuate the terrain, each with a story easily recalled by the Hyatts.

“I guess we’ve always been collectors,” laughs Lynda. “When our kids were little we’d go out boating and drag driftwood home with us.”

Custom river-stone works, crafted by Gosset, can be found throughout the Hyatt’s 46-acre property, from the grand arches at the entrance of the estate to the home’s foyer, a garden bench, barbecue and the most recent addition: a river-stone roundabout.

Careful observers might notice the ubiquitous windmill design, a theme that’s echoed in each piece. Collecting the quixotic Hyatt trademark is a favorite hobby of Leland’s. The decorative windmills can be seen turning in the breeze at the Hyatt estates, the Hyatt Vineyard and within Gosset’s river-stone pieces.

Multiple water features are also present on the acreage, including six ponds with names inspired by the couple’s grandchildren, each stocked with bass and trout. But what truly sets the landscape apart are the many cabins and outbuildings built to help complete the Hyatt’s outdoor living space.

On the banks of “Tessa’s Pond,” the largest of the six (which doubles as irrigation for the surrounding orchard), a small fishing shack with an outdoor dining area is a popular family gathering place during warmer months. A typical summer meal may include steak and fresh corn grilled over apple wood – accompanied by a vintage from Hyatt Vineyards, of course.

“Carson’s Pond” features a covered patio with a shaded sitting area for long afternoons of fishing. And, inspired from a trip to Yellowstone National Park, the Hyatts added a small log cabin near “CaraLee’s Pond.” The one-room cabin is large enough for a queen-sized bed, bunk beds and a small dining area – just right for campouts with the grandkids.

With its updated living spaces and al fresco garden hideaways, the Hyatt home is the perfect marriage of a love for nature and an affinity for creature comforts.

Bernice and Harold Snyder of Yakima head off to the second green at Westwood.

With nearly 300 days of sunshine in the Yakima Valley there is more than ample opportunity to get in a few days of golf. Lucky for us, we also have plenty of fabulous golf courses right here. Whether you are a casual weekend golfer or a tournament pro, there is a course to suit any skill level. So dust off your plus fours and book your tee-times, Yakima – the greens are calling.

1.

SunTides Golf Course

231 Pence Road

Yakima

509-966-9065

suntidesgolf.com

Be sure to book an early tee-time to this course – it’s a favorite among locals and can fill up fast. The course plays over 5,941 yards, featuring fruit orchards and water hazards against a picturesque backdrop of the nearby Naches River.  Features such as the 18-hole Championship Putting Challenge and frequent tournaments provide golf opportunities for all skill levels.  Be sure to watch for fat marmots and other wildlife that make this course their home.

18 hole, par 70

Best Bite

SunTides Restaurant and Lounge provides parched golfers with a full bar as well as breakfast and lunch options. The casual atmosphere is a perfect accompaniment to selections such as the house favorite, fish and chips.

SunTides Restaurant and Lounge

509-965-5661

2.

Mt. Adams Country Club

1250 Rocky Ford Road

Toppenish

509-865-4440

mtadamsgolf.com

A short drive from Yakima, this well-maintained course with views of Mount Adams and nearby Rattlesnake Hills provides a backdrop for a first-class, yet casual, round of golf.  The manicured course is well known for its tournaments and the fast play of its greens.  Mt. Adams Country Club can also be a terrific place to spend a sunny afternoon. This course is listed as semi-private, and member fees may apply.

18 hole, par 72

Best Bite

Mt. Adams Country Club Lounge serves a full bar six days a week during club hours.  A short-order snack bar is also available for hungry golfers on the go.

Mt. Adams Country Club Lounge

509-865-4440

3.

Westwood West Golf Course

6408 Tieton Drive

Yakima

509-966-0890

Short and sweet, this executive-length course plays over 2,689 yards. Its location makes Westwood a great course for westsiders to relax and hit a bucket of balls after work.

9 hole, par 70

Best Bite

A small snack bar is available on site; however, there are many dining options nearby.  Try Jack-sons Sports bar for casual dining. Their fabulous chicken wings – Hot and Spicy Drummies – are not to miss.

Jack-sons Sports bar

509-966-4340

‎432 South 48th Ave.

Yakima

4.

Apple Tree Golf Course

8804 Occidental Avenue

Yakima

509-966-5877

appletreeresort.com

Rated “One of Washington’s Top 18 Holes” by Washington CEO, this course is best known for its par 3, 17^th hole – an island shaped like an apple.   The lush greens of Apple Tree Golf Course span 6,900 yards through a 100-year-old apple orchard, dotted with water features and other hazards

18 hole, par 72

Best Bite

The newly revamped Apple Tree Grill, located at the clubhouse, serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner, including an extensive list of local wines, beer and cocktails.  Hungry golfers can dine on Valley-inspired dishes such as the Grill’s signature Applewood Smoked Prime Rib.

Apple Tree Grill

509-966-7140

5.

Yakima Elks Golf & Country Club

318 Golf Course Loop

Selah

509-697-7177

yakimaelksgolf.com

Nicely-maintained greens play over 6,360 yards on this course known for its helpful and knowledgeable staff.  Yakima Elks Golf and Country Club is private and open only to Elk members and their guests.

18 hole, par 71

Best Bite

The onsite Yakima Elks Bar and Restaurant features a full bar, as well as lunch and dinner options for Elks members.  A soon-to-be-unveiled menu promises tasty dishes alongside house favorite drinks such as their Bloody Mary Cocktail.

Yakima Elks Bar and Restaurant

509-697-6161

6.

River Ridge Golf Course

Golf Course Loop Road

Selah

509-697-8323

With several water features and flat, easy-to-walk grounds, this 2,130-yard executive-length course can be a fun golf outing.  The casual course is ideal for beginners and families.

9 hole, par 62

Best Bite:

River Ridge Restaurant offers casual dining with a view that overlooks the greens.  A fully-stocked bar and local wine selections are also available.  Golfers rave over their St. Louis Style ribs and “Taco Tuesdays.”

River Ridge Restaurant

509-697-8323

7.

Yakima Country Club

Steve Fou of Yakima practices his putt at SunTides.

500 Country Club Drive

Yakima

509-453-0363

yakimacountryclub.org

Located just three miles east of downtown, this course is nestled within the 117-acre Country Club grounds, overlooking the Yakima Valley.  The beautifully landscaped course plays over 6,500 yards and is known for providing some of the best golf opportunities in the region. The Yakima Country Club is a private course open to members and their guests.

18 hole, par 72

Best Bite:

Whether members choose to dine in the lounge, the outdoor terrace or the formal dining room, they are sure to enjoy a pampered experience.  The Yakima Country Club is known for bending over backwards for its members – meals are no exception.  A full-service bar and an extensive list of wines are expertly paired to accompany customized gourmet meals to any taste.

8.

Fisher Park

823 S 40th Avenue

Yakima

509-575-6075

Despite concerns over a lack of revenue and threats that the city might shut down this local gem of a course, revenue in 2009 was slightly above prior years’ levels, and the park is safe. For now.  Conveniently located across from Eisenhower High School, this 1,354-yard course is family friendly and a great spot for beginners to practice their swing.

9 hole, par 54

Best Bite:

Limited concessions are available on site, but there are many dining options nearby.  In the mood for Greek?  Kabob House serves some of the best gyros in town and is just around the corner.

Kabob House

3609 W. Nob Hill Blvd.

Yakima

509-469-0504

9.

Black Rock Creek Golf Club

31 Ray Road

Sunnyside

509-837-5340

blackrockcreekgc.com

Formerly known as the Lower Valley Golf Club, this 6,657-yard course is filled with enough water hazards, traps and bunkers to keep golfers of all skill levels busy.  Wildlife and waterfowl sightings are frequent occurrences on the well-kept grounds.

18 hole par 72

Best Bite:

Black Rock Creek Grill serves up casual, American-style meals along with beer and wine during operating hours (until about 6pm).  Golfers may want to munch on one of their burgers – a house favorite.

Black Rock Creek Grill

509-837-5305

10.

Cherry Hill Family Fun Center

530 Cherry Hill Road

Granger

509-854-2294

cherryhillrecreation.com/golf.asp

The Cherry Hill golf course was designed to be “family-friendly” affair, and children as young as 5 are encouraged to play alongside adult golfers. The casual course is fun for all ages and skill levels.  Course expansions including a practice putting area are currently in the works.

driving range, pro shop

9 hole, par 60

Best Bite:

Well established as “the” place for pizza in the Lower Valley (Doc’s original location was in Zillah), Doc’s on the Green serves up salads and sandwiches, along with piping hot pizzas like their Master’s – an indulgent combination of canadian bacon, beef, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, olives and onions.  Top off the ‘za with a pitcher of cold beer – a perfect ending to any golf game.

Doc’s on the Green Pizzeria

509-854-2294

cherryhillrecreation.com/pizza.asp

Yakama artist HollyAnna Pinkham sits on her Yamaha V Star motorcycle while wearing traditional dress that she made, including a short-fringed buckskin dress decorated with bead work and elk teeth, beaded leggings and moccasins and beaded gloves.

By Heather Caro

Photography by Andy Sawyer

With the ease of an old friend, HollyAnna “Cougar Tracks” DeCoteau Pinkham, 42, sidles up to a table laden with colorful beadwork at her Wapato home. And soon, stories as colorful as the beads she weaves with begin to flow. The artist and Yakama tribal member’s tales are punctuated with laughter and told in Pinkham’s characteristic style, a fusion of stubborn confidence and glee. She tells of camping trips, of lessons learned, legends and fables — some recent, others historical.

One story begins with an heirloom: her great-great grandmother’s antique, plateau-style saddle. It was a saddle that had been captured in time by the famous Western photographer Edward S. Curtis, and passed down through generations.

Though she appreciated its beauty, Pinkham felt there was something not right with the saddle — it creaked and clicked under the weight of a rider.

Pinkham, who always has been interested in figuring out how things work, had never repaired a saddle. But, she thought, “I can fix this.”

She knew permission would never be granted for such an ambitious task. So, when her parents left town to visit relatives in North Dakota, Pinkham took advantage of their absence.

With a scalpel, Pinkham carefully peeled away the leather covering. Her efforts revealed a cracked saddletree — the wooden “backbone” of the saddle.

Pinkham set to work. Soon, pieces of the priceless family heirloom were dissected and lined up along her basement workbench — “So I would remember exactly what order to put them back,” explains Pinkham.

Yakama artist HollyAnna Pinkham hand-carves pieces of a saddle frame. Once carved, the pieces are joined and wrapped in elk hide that shrinks to create a solid frame.

It was then that her parents made an unexpected early return home.

“She was not happy,” Pinkham grimaces as she recalls her mother’s response to the scene. “She didn’t speak to me for a while.”

Despite the silence, Pinkham persisted with her repairs, crafting a new rawhide covering and inlaying wood into the damaged tree frame. She finished the saddle in time for the family’s annual trip to the Pendleton Roundup, though Pinkham had not gained her mother’s forgiveness.

As roundup preparations were being attended to, one of the event’s assistants noticed the repairs. With Pinkham’s family within earshot the attendant asked, “Who fixed the saddle?” No one responded to his question — including Pinkham, who admits, “I was scared I had ruined it.” But after careful inspection the man responded, “This is some of the best work I have seen.”

“I just smiled and walked away, never saying a word,” says Pinkham.

Soon, she was filling repair requests from family and friends back home. But Pinkham had grander aspirations: to create a saddle from start to finish, using traditional plateau methods.

So, one step at a time, Pinkham began.

She cut down trees whose wood was strong enough that it could cure through the winter without cracking, and then carefully crafted saddletrees. She hunted deer and elk to make their hides into buckskin, which she used to create sturdy saddle coverings. The labor-intensive process took up to two years to complete, with some saddles taking much longer depending on available natural resources. Finally, Pinkham hand-finished each saddle with intricate beading, using the leftover leather pieces to craft bridals and regalia to complete her vision.

This year, Pinkham is in the process of completing what will be her fourth double-horn women’s plateau saddle, made — as she says — “from scratch.”

Her work, and the fact that she is one of few within the tribe who still creates using traditional methods, has earned Pinkham widespread praise. Her saddles and elaborate beadwork have been showcased at Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, Yakima’s Larson Gallery and the Yakima Valley Museum, among others.

Yakama artist HollyAnna Pinkham attaches some decorations to a double-horn plateau women's saddle she made. Pinkham is one of only a few who still uses traditional methods to create saddles.

But as one tale ends and the next begins, Pinkham’s tone sombers. She begins another story … one without an ending.

In 1993, just before her 23^rd birthday, Pinkham was diagnosed with cancer. Pinkham’s Native American culture (her heritage includes Yakama, Nez Perce, Cayuse, Umatilla, Grand Ronde and Cree) consider thought and language to have the power to influence reality. It is believed that even speaking the word “cancer” has the power to bring the disease into being. Because of this, Pinkham (who, because of her beliefs, still prefers not to reveal the type of cancer she had) told no one of the diagnosis or the yearlong treatment that followed. Not her mother, sister or husband.

“I worked 24-hour shifts (as a structural and wildland firefighter), so it wasn’t uncommon for me to be tired or not eat,” says Pinkham of her efforts to conceal the nausea and fatigue the treatment caused.

Pinkham completed the oral treatments and was in remission for 10 years. But in 2003, she was diagnosed with melanoma again. This time Pinkham picked up the phone to tell her sister about the challenge she faced. “She told me, ‘You must not have done something the first time that you need to do.’”

Pinkham, who was working as a federally certified law enforcement officer in Oregon, took her sister’s words to heart. “I quit my job,” she says, “and hit the ground at a full sprint.”

Having discovered firsthand the challenges of receiving cancer treatment while living in a rural area, Pinkham decided to help others in the same position.

After first getting permission from her tribe to speak out about cancer, Pinkham sewed a jingle dress with the initials LAF (Lance Armstrong Foundation) on the sleeve.

Armstrong’s Tour de France comeback and unprecedented winning streak after his own cancer battle created a wave of media attention, and Pinkham felt a connection to the cyclist who never seemed to quit. At each tribal dance, Pinkham used her dress as a conversation starter to talk about the foundation, which supports people affected by cancer, as well as the importance of early cancer screenings.

Pinkham was elected to the Yakama board of Native Cancer Survivorship and soon began lobbying for health care reform and cancer research in Washington, D.C., and Olympia — even crafting a black jingle dress for a formal lobbying soiree.

And as she dipped her toes into political waters and continued her own cancer treatments, others began to take notice of her efforts to bring adequate cancer care to rural areas.

Pinkham was elected as Washington state co-chairperson for the National Patient Advocate Foundation, which works with officials to outline legislative priorities. She was asked to serve as an advocate for the American Cancer Society. And she also began working closely with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle Children’s Hospital and her long-admired Lance Armstrong Foundation.

“When I started cancer work, (my focus) was ‘cancer in Indian country,’” says Pinkham. “But now it’s about cancer in rural America.”

Beadwork arm bands by Yakama artist HollyAnna Pinkham include a blue cross that is her family's symbol and shooting star flowers on a textured background of yellow that contains suns and horses in relief.

Her simple but firm message was clear. Everyone “deserves the same treatment as the next person, with respect to their individual beliefs.”

As she continued to lobby, however, a scheduled check-up brought disheartening news: another cancer site had been found. “I had it again,” sighs Pinkham.

Pinkham, who counts among her ancestors a long line of warriors, never lost her fighting spirit. “I can’t say I was ever scared — to die.” She pauses at this statement and then begins to laugh.  “I was mad. It was annoying. You can’t run from it — it follows you.”

Remission after this round of treatment lasted for nearly four years. But on June 4, 2008, Pinkham was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time, with new primary sites including her vocal cords. She was also diagnosed with several autoimmune disorders, including polymorphous light eruption (PMLE), a rare allergy to sunlight that was slowly causing her to lose her vision.

The news hit Pinkham hard.

“I called my mom and just bawled ‘How (expletive) strong do I have to be?’ Then I laid in bed for two days and stared at the TV.”

On the third day, Pinkham was ready to fight once again. “(I said) that’s over now. I’m not going to let (cancer) govern my life.”

Pinkham once again underwent treatment that included five surgeries over 10 weeks. After speaking with her oncologist, she began supplementing the prescribed western medicine with native herbal medicines and as many “sweats,” powwows and dances as she could attend.

“My traditions and culture taught me to adapt,” says Pinkham, who in March was declared clear of all cancer.

Throughout her own trials with cancer, Pinkham has remained clear in her mission to improve care for others as well.

“It’s not just my story, it’s the story of every single person who has walked a similar path and faced the challenge called cancer … they are why I lobby. I speak for those who can’t or don’t know how to speak.”

“Cancer taught me a lot of things,” says Pinkham. “I don’t like to waste any time. There’s always something that needs to be done.”

And as she looks toward her future, Pinkham remains cautiously optimistic.

“After working in public safety for most of my life I’ve learned to prepare for the worst, hope for the best and pray you get something in the middle,” says Pinkham. “At 36, they said I wouldn’t live to be 38,” she adds, grinning triumphantly. “I consider myself to be 3 (years old) — it’s all about perspective. Today is a good day.”

Pinkham now has more than enough to fill her days. Between her artwork, lobbying for cancer care, working as a Yakama Nation homeland security emergency management planner and even going back to school — she’s pursuing a degree in social justice — the vivacious Pinkham continues to add chapters to her already remarkable life.

“Cancer taught me a lot of things,” she says. “I don’t like to waste any time. There’s always something that needs to be done.”

Hear HollyAnna Pinkham’s “How We Got the Fringe on the Heel of Our Moccasins” in this Turtle Island Storyteller Network recording.

http://www.turtleislandstorytellers.net/tis_washington/mp3/h_pinkhamj.mp3

By Melissa Labberton

Photos by Sara Gettys

Leo Adams, Yakima’s foremost visual artist, spends almost as much time redecorating his unique home on the Ahtanum Ridge as he does capturing the beauty of the Yakima Valley in his paintings. In fact, it’s difficult separating the talented artist from his house, an amazing amalgam of recycled materials, found objects and a vast array of original art.

Adams grew up on the Yakama Indian Reservation. His late father, cattle rancher Harvey Adams, served as a tribal councilman for 30 years. Adams’ Native American roots have definitely influenced his paintings, especially his stunning landscapes that reflect the colors of Eastern Washington’s desert terrain. That same heritage resonates in the way he accessorizes with indigenous plants, flowers, dried weeds and Native American stone implements. He uses a natural color palette — soothing gray, brown and taupe — for his home’s décor too.[[Show as slideshow]]

“I’ve always been an artist since I was young,” Adams said. When asked if he ever dared redecorate his family’s home, he said no and quickly added, “When I finally got my own bedroom, I was always rearranging that. I put my own artwork up and recolored the walls.”

Adams credits his Wapato High School art teacher, Roger Berghoff, with teaching him drawing, painting and commercial art, and local artist Charles Smith, who also taught at Wapato High, with opening his mind to more modern, “free-thinking” art. He clearly remembers selling his first painting at age 18: a horse and hound hunting scene, for $150 to a family in the Lower Valley. This marked the beginning of his professional career.

After graduation, Adams studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., and the Burnley School (now the Seattle Art Institute), where he focused on fashion illustration. In 1962, through the generosity of the Yakama

Nation, he traveled abroad and spent a year discovering the art and architecture of Europe’s great cities. This amazing trip opened his eyes to the possibilities of a career in visual art and also planted the seed for the kind of house he wanted to build someday.

After returning to the Seattle, Adams launched his painting career in earnest, but the call of Eastern Washington brought him home to Yakima.

In the early ’70s Adams purchased 40 acres along Ahtanum Creek on the northern border of the Yakama Reservation and moved his grandfather’s cabin to the property. He hired V.K. Powell Construction to frame the house and install the electrical wiring and plumbing. Adams was so taken by the size and scale of the great houses he’d seen in Europe that he insisted on high ceilings (10-18 feet), with plenty of room to display his large canvases and a living space that could comfortably accommodate entertaining family and friends. Finishing the interior of the house was up to him, and the process challenged his imagination while sharpening his carpentry skills.

Over the years, Adams’ unquenchable desire to create has spilled over to the ever-evolving interior of the home. Dubbed “The King of Discards” by a 2003 Seattle Times article, Adams just can’t seem to resist fashioning masterpieces from what most people would consider cast-offs only suitable for the landfill.

A perfect example is the exquisite, expensive-looking floral arrangement displayed on the kitchen table. Upon closer inspection it reveals sticks, dried weeds and silk flowers contained in a white enamel washbasin, shot up with bullet holes. Adams found the bowl in a field by his house. With economy and style in mind, he used old Army blankets for the wall coverings of his bedroom, mainly because he liked their subtle color and texture. The dramatic striped walls and elaborate window moldings of his living room mimic the stonework of an Italian villa. He created the effect on the cheap by pickling and staining pieces of plywood for the walls and cleverly arranging 2-by-4s and 2-by-6s to imitate Romanesque moldings.

Adams’ friendship with late Seattle designer Jean Jongeward influenced his love of Asian art, whose Oriental themes are evident in many of his paintings and accessories. His recent acquisition of some cyclone fencing led him to hang it from the ceiling of the living room in the shape of a kimono to make a unique room divider. The dining room’s faux crystal chandelier is nothing more than two 1920s hop baskets tied together and embellished with delicate scalloped circles of paper strung on pieces of string. Also Asian-inspired are the simple, handmade butcher paper lanterns that hang throughout the house.

While Adams continues to work on commissions and frequently shows his work in regional art exhibits, he’s currently focusing on getting his house ready for the Larson Gallery Guild’s Tour of Artists Homes & Studios on May 15. This annual event gives the public a wonderful opportunity to visit Adams’ remarkable house, view his latest paintings and experience his creative genius.

Photo by Brendan Beardsley

Photos by Chad Bremerman

Eclectic yet elegant, the airy Mighty Tieton lofts are a triumph in the art of “reconsidering space.”

Through the work of Seattle architect Philip Christofides, Mighty Tieton’s circa 1941 fruit warehouse was recently repurposed into functional living space. By 2008, the oversized cement box had been transformed into 14 urban-chic loft condominiums with energy-efficient updates — all planned around interior common spaces. The $200,000-$250,000 lofts sold quickly and only one is currently back on the market.

Each Mighty Tieton unit shares a nearly identical floor plan, with a lofted bedroom over the kitchen and living areas. The airy ceilings (14 feet upstairs, 11 feet downstairs) and exposed original wood beams create a far more spacious feel than the actual 1,440 square feet. Wood floors burnished from decades of labor were kept as is.

But what really sets the lofts apart are the finishing touches placed by the artists and professionals who call Mighty Tieton home.

“A lot of the design … is in taking what was already here — and playing it up,” says Marquand of the loft home he shares with his partner, Michael Longyear.[[Show as slideshow]]

“This area is not Italy. It is not France. It is Central Washington. We don’t pretend it is something it is not,” says Marquand. “But there are colors and an aesthetic beauty if used in the right way. We try to admire what is here and use it in imaginative ways.”

Marquand’s and Longyear’s loft, Unit 7, is furnished with objects reflecting Tieton’s agricultural background — though perhaps not immediately apparent. Sweeping black curtains appear dramatic and posh, but they once functioned as greenhouse shade cloth salvaged from Bauer’s Nursery. Whitewashed doors from the nursery are integrated into a partitioned wall downstairs and living room bookshelves are held up with iron greenhouse brackets.

Other whimsical elements punctuate Marquand’s loft, such as the electric “log fire” beneath a side table and carefully positioned vintage drinking-water barrels (stored in the warehouse as part of town emergency preparations during the 1960s). Marquand describes his décor as a mix of “IKEA, expensive Italian and junkstore finds.” The end result is a home at once refined and casual.

Christofides, along with his partner, interior designer Margot Arellano, also purchased a loft. And although they divide time between their Tieton and Seattle homes, Christofides says the couple favors the relaxed atmosphere of Mighty Tieton.[[Show as slideshow]]

“This is the place that I love more than any other place that I’ve lived,” says Christofides, who has lived in a variety of spaces in Seattle and California, including single-family homes, condominiums and townhouses. “The Tieton space beats all for quality, light and character.”

In Christofides’ and Arellano’s Unit 14 loft, a vintage French movie poster with splashes of orange and fuscia appears bold and contemporary alongside an otherwise neutral palette. Sleek, modern furniture, including a bright orange cylinder that was once a Gatorade container, are carefully placed. Some furniture — like the kitchen island — was made by the couple (the island’s metal legs were once a telecom tower). Other pieces were salvaged finds, like the emerald-colored stools recovered from the set of MTV’s “Real World Seattle” on Pier 70.

But perhaps the most striking features to the corner unit are the converted loading dock portals that were transformed into sleek, retractable picture windows, with custom screens built in for shade and privacy.

“The biggest challenge,” says Christofides of the Mighty Tieton project, “is that it’s such an unusual concept for a small rural town. It didn’t fit the standard profile.”

And yet, even among locals, the idea is catching on.[[Show as slideshow]]

Yakima residents Donald and Ann Orminski decided to purchase a Mighty Tieton loft as a get-away retreat — without the worry of upkeep.

Their Unit 1 loft is furnished with a rustic elegance also reminiscent of Tieton’s agricultural background. Cascading burlap curtains were once used to bundle hops from Grower’s Supply. And heavy metal twine used to bundle the hop bales was repurposed into stairway railing. A rustic wooden pulley dangles from the ceiling — and proved helpful when it was time to move heavy furniture to the second floor.

Ann, who is an administrator for Central Washington Podiatry Service, and Donald, a podiatrist in the practice, made several additions to the home, including new hardwood (the original flooring was damaged), a revamped kitchen and oiled ceiling timbers.  Artwork made by the Orminskis (including Ann’s sketches and paintings and Donald’s stunning dining room table, crafted using the inside of an upright piano), provide the finishing touches to their loft retreat.[[Show as slideshow]]

The common dining area, called the Loft Gallery down the hall from Unit 1, is a frequent gathering place for the “lofties” as well as friends, artists and other professionals from the community. Potluck dinners, a barbeque, or an impromptu cocktail hour are not uncommon during weekends or summer nights.

Kerry Quint, artist and project director for Mighty Tieton, constructed a special dining table for the space, which also serves as and informal gallery, with salvaged warehouse rafters. Built on casters, the entire table can easily be pushed out to the deck for outdoor dining. And though privacy in such close living quarters is respected, loft doors are often left ajar to encourage neighbors to drop in.

“It’s a great group,” says Marquand.  “We’ve developed a very nice informal community.”