Tara Austen Weaver

Take two avid cooks from California and put them in a craftsman cottage in Seattle and what do you get? A kitchen full of personality and color, designed to combat the long grey Northwestern winters. Mari and Adam have renovation plans, but in the meantime they’re created a cheerful and cozy spot for themselves and the three dogs that make up their family.

“I am a sucker for old buildings,” Tara says of the 1910 brick apartment building she moved into a year ago. “Give me a little vintage charm and I will overlook a multitude of sins.” The apartment has charm to spare: French doors leading into the kitchen, black and white checkerboard floors, and the original insulated “icebox,” which now serves as her baking pantry.