Continuing with my “Women You Should Meet” series!

Please meet Seattle based author, @wendychurchwriter Wendy is the thriller / mystery author of the Jesse O’Hara and Shadows of Chicago Mysteries series.

In 2020, Wendy left her job to fulfill her lifelong desire to write. By 2023, her debut novel, Murder on the Spanish Seas, made the Booklist Top Ten Debut Mystery/Thriller. Her latest book, Rough Cut, was released by Severn House earlier this year.

Wendy has published 6 books, three each in 2 different series, with two more to be released within the next year. Her books can be found at any book source, including bookshop.org (a great site that promotes small bookstores), Barnes & Noble, Third Place, libraries, and of course Kindle.

For updates on her upcoming releases and news, you can sign up for her newsletter via her website (sources below and in bio).

Wendy is delightful human with a quick wit, a passion for food, and is currently beating me in our March Madness bracket. Please take the time to check her and her books out.

Official Website

Instagram

International Women’s Week may be over (really, only a week?!) but I am keeping it going by introducing businesses and careers ran by awesome women in my life.

Meet Andrea Baillo, founder of Rooted for Success (link in bio). Andrea is a scientist turned leadership coach focusing on helping leaders reclaim time, reduce reactivity, and build teams that excel.

Andrea on her business:

“Women business owners are always ‘on’, even after work ends, their mind doesn’t. RFS helps them feel in control when the pressure doesn’t stop.”

Do yourself a favor and follow Andrea @aziam333 ! Her posts offer approachable ways to sit and process the challenges of working in high stress situations (or just dealing with the day to day monotony of work).

10/10 - would recommend!

It’s International Women’s Week! Join me this week as I chat about myself and brag about rad women in my life.

As a small business owner, and a woman, I wanted to introduce myself.

I’m Laura Einowski, owner and designer of Einowski Color & Design, LLC!

A little bit about me:

I have been working with color, in some form, for nearly 25 years. I attended College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where I majored in traditional illustration and studied color theory.

In 2009, I began creating custom colors for residential and commercial spaces. I eventually left the tinting studio and began working face to face with clients. I quickly realized my years of building colors helped me guide clients through the often abstract and subjective world of color.

In 2021, I started Einowski Color & Design, where I continue to connect clients to their spaces through color and materials.

When I’m not thinking about colors, I enjoy long runs, hiking up mountains, collecting plants, counting birds, and cold plunging in Puget Sound.

My favorite color is purple!

The first week of March is Women in Construction Week. I’ve been working in and on construction sites since 2009 and can say without a doubt it is a challenge field to be in as a woman.

I’ve been called all sorts of names, been mistaken as the secretary and never as the lead designer. I’ve been ignored and have had others credit themselves for my ideas.

I have however, never quit and never been fired. I’ve never let them see me cry (even if I did) and I always finish the job.

That being said, I do want to give a HUGE shoutout to Kit at Architect7600, and Aaron at Gatewood Builders (links in bio). They were the first architect and contractor I worked with on a large project when my business moved to Seattle. Kit and Aaron always gave me space, listened to my ideas, and asked me for my design expertise. They never told me no, they never made me feel small, and they always made me feel like we were working as collaborators.

I’m featuring photos from our project in Mt. Baker (previous post as well). I wish I could easily articulate how challenging this job was (due to material limitations) and how great it was to work with these two and get the job done right.

This Mt. Baker home remodel was a fun challenge.

The narrow footprint forced hardware and accessories to be just so to fit and function in the space.

The client had requested a cast iron clawfoot tub with a sloped back that needed to fit into a space that was just over 5’ long. I was lucky enough to find The Tub Connection (link in bio) where we were able to order a 58” cast iron clawfoot tub with a sloped back, who knew?

In the end, I was very happy with the results and my client gets a rad tub with a great view!

Architect: Kit Newman, Architect7600 LLC
Contractor: Gatewood Builders

Bathtub: The Tub Connection

Recently a friend sent me this photo and asked, “What color is this house?”

An instant trap.

My color theory brain immediately went into undertones, and highlights and the inaccuracies of color through photos and phone / computer screens. I knew my friend was looking for a simple “blue or purple” answer, so I gave him one.

Then…I spiraled. I created a poll and sent it out to several of my friends. It generated more questions than answers and resulted in a fun debate for my morning.

In the end, one color won over the other (even if I don’t totally agree, I would like to see this building in person!)

This is a great example of how color is subjective, and how 20 people can look at the same color and see something different. This is what keeps my job interesting, and at times frustrating. I typically fall to the client on these matters, as they are the ones that have to live with it, and their perception may not be mine, and that is the beauty of color.

So, what color do you see?

BEFORE AND AFTER!

My client in Salt Lake purchased a home that came with some details we found ourselves working around, instead of working with. Specifically, stone veneer on the exterior body of the entry and garage.

My client and I felt boxed in by the color and placement of the stone. We felt it was not giving the house the warm modern feel she was after.

In the end, the entry stone veneer and large window casings were removed and replaced with smooth stucco. The soffits were replaced with clear stained wood and the structural beams were stripped and stained.

At the garage, the same stone veneer was replaced with smooth stucco. A more modern roofline was constructed with a brighter soffit. New exterior lighting and a garage door with windows completed the look.

In the end, it may have been more work to remove and replace the elements, but it allowed us to work in our own perimeters instead of letting the existing materials drive our decisions.

This 1918 Craftsman came with a long history of DIY additions which resulted in original architectural details being removed or painted over.

My client's partial remodel aimed to match the look and feel of the original part of the house through color and materials.

The kitchen received a major redesign when an inconveniently placed bedroom was removed. Clerestory windows and double glass sliding doors were installed to bring natural light into the space.

The media room and bedroom were designed with trim details that mimic the original architectural pieces. The floors were stained to match the existing fir planks, and the ceiling beams were stripped to remove a failing shellacked finish.

Light neutrals were used throughout the house to act as a backdrop to the architectural details of the house.

Hopefully, that is the last remodel this house will see!

Super fun and colorful project! My clients were looking to refresh the original colors of their home while giving their backyard structure its own personality.

For the main house, we selected a vibrant and clean green which closely resembled the original body color. We chose a white for the trim details which contained depth and complexity. The front door received a vibrant orange giving the house a colorful presence on even the greyest of Seattle days.

The back structure sits as a backdrop to the yard and garden. Sitting under a giant maple, the dappled light casts dramatic moments on the deep purple surface. The front door color is repeated on this structure, tying the two buildings together.

The brightly colored main house with the rich moody back shed creates a dramatic but balanced pair.