Notes From Designer Sheena Brittingham
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Time to read 3 min
Rooted in movement, memory, and family, Sheena Brittingham’s Earthy Soul collection blends history with heart.
Castles, Cathedrals, and Color
Sheena Brittingham’s love for design began in a castle. As a child living in Germany while her father served in the Army, she shared a vast bedroom with her sister, complete with a balcony overlooking a sheep pasture. “It was like a fairytale – at least that's how I remember it,” she says. Touring across Europe, she was captivated by centuries-old cathedrals, castles, and antiques. “It blew my mind that homes and furniture could actually be hundreds of years old. It was hard for me to imagine how such beautiful detail could be executed in the cathedrals and castles without the modern day tools we have now.”
Her family moved every one to two years, and Sheena often found herself experimenting with space. “I was always trying to figure out unique ways to divide our space to get privacy from my annoying sister (sorry Shelsi – I love you).” When her family eventually settled in Jacksonville, Oregon, she finally had her own room—and her parents gave her full freedom to design it. “I re-designed my room every year or two and re-arranged it even more often than that.” In high school, she wrote her senior paper on the psychology of color and redesigned her family’s living room. “Again – amazing parents to let their 18 year old design a main room in their home… (thanks mom and dad!).”
She went on to study Interior Design at Oregon State University, later joining a Portland architecture firm where she met Rachel Sowieja. She became Rachel’s first employee, and then her first partner. “Over the last 15 years we've grown Vida to 65+ employees with 4 offices around the US. What a fulfilling journey it has been!”
Sheena's favorites
Now, Sheena and Rachel are realizing a long-held dream: launching Known. “Starting a furniture line has been a dream of Rachel and mine for over a decade,” she says. “There are so many people who want their homes to be unique, curated, and well designed but they don't know where to start. They also don't have time to hire an interior designer – they just want to take the guesswork out of their home curation.”
Her debut Earthy Soul collection captures that vision. “It's a juxtaposition of 70s funk and mid-century naturalism. It's bright and it's grounded. It's not themed, yet everything somehow still works together in harmony. It a scrapbook with empty pages still waiting to be filled. It's mature in it's foundation, but leaves plenty of space for childlike wonder. It's a collection that invites people in to participate – it's not precious. It is comfortable. It is inviting. It is home.”
That sense of home defines her daily life. On a five-acre property in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Sheena lives with her husband, their two children, her parents, aunt, grandparents, and a lively menagerie of pets. “My house and my heart are very full!” she says. “The living room sofa is extremely long with space for a family of 4 (or more). The dining table seats 6 – there's always room to pull a stool over for unexpected guests.”
Meals are fluid, depending on work, travel, and kids’ sports. “No two nights are the same for us,” she says. Some nights it’s a crockpot meal started before school, other nights tri-tip slow-cooked on the grill. “I'm not a huge fan of cooking in the hot Summer nights – I'm more of a soup gal, and my kids love my spaghetti.” They also eat out a few nights a week. “We try to keep our local restaurants in business with our HUGE orders from Burrito Loco or Roxy's Hawaiian grill in Newberg.” With an open kitchen and dining area, it’s not unusual to have 20 people gathered at once.
Asked to describe her design style in celebrity form, Sheena answers without hesitation: “Bill Murray. He's mature, yet irreverent. Experienced, but not afraid of trying something new.”
Her home also carries deep family history. “I have two matching vintage pink velvet loveseats that used to be my Great-Nana's flanking the fireplace in our living room,” she says. “I have wonderful memories of sitting on those loveseats at my Great Nana's home, playing cards with her. She lived to be 100, and she was the absolute best.” Even her engagement ring holds legacy. “My engagement ring was my Great Nana's 50th anniversary ring. It is so beautiful, and is so special to me.”
Beyond work, Sheena loves weekends spent at her children’s sporting events, home design projects, and newly, gardening. She continues to draw inspiration from design media, especially Dwell and Interior Design Magazine.
Looking ahead, she keeps her answer simple: “I've got faith that whenever we pour our hearts and souls into something, great fruit is produced. Let's go!!”