Coastal Calm: The Bainbridge House

Published November 2025 | Updated November 2025

A short ferry ride away from Seattle, Bainbridge Island offers a sense of quiet remove: small-town charm, an island rhythm, rocky beaches, and cedar-lined shores. At the island’s southern tip lies an uplifted marine terrace where layers of siltstone and sandstone meet the tides of Puget Sound.

the view to the northeast: high tide & the Seattle skyline

Within view of these shores sits the Bainbridge House. The homeowners—old friends of Jeff Curran—have long trusted Curran to furnish their home with custom rugs that enhance the calm luxury of their surroundings.

A House with History

The Bainbridge House carries the grace of another era. Located within a private coastal enclave founded in the early 1900s, it was designed and built in 1914 by the architect Carl F. Gould and held within one family for generations. This heritage estate blends Beaux-Arts discipline with Georgian refinement—formal symmetry and balance rendered with the warmth and restraint suited to its stunning Puget Sound setting.

Twelve years ago, the current homeowners purchased the Bainbridge House and set out to preserve its quiet elegance while infusing it with the ease of modern coastal living.

stare at this image long enough and you might see the waves shiver. the porto sisal rug’s herringbone pattern adds to the movement & the chair’s horizontal stripes evoke the calming line of the horizon. (color sahara sand)

Northwest building traditions and materials are on display in refined details like beamed ceilings, mouldings, built-ins and wainscotting, generous windows that open the interior to its natural setting, and garden pavilions with brick pathways that frame the sea, sky and trees in a layered landscape.

For the homeowners, partnering with Curran on bespoke rugs was a way to bring the same care and precision found in the home’s architecture to every room underfoot.

Get a glimpse inside the Bainbridge Island home—its textures, light, and the custom rugs that tie it all together.

Texture as Foundation

Rugs became a natural extension of the home’s original craftsmanship, bringing its material integrity into the realm of comfort and design. Throughout, rooms were fitted with custom rugs woven from natural fibers—sisal for its organic texture, wool for its gentle warmth—each rug was tailored to the room it inhabits.

The Suites

In the primary bedrooms, wool takes center stage. The Knot My Style rug from the Monasch Collection features tufted, looped yarns that form a pillowy landing, adding softness and insulation to the waterside suite.

Facing Puget Sound, the waterside suite reflects light from its crisp, white walls while the Knot My Style wool rug in a warmer tone softens the morning light.

For the southwest suite, the homeowners chose our Bayside rug: a flatwoven, pure wool rug with a herringbone pattern, calm duotone colors, and finished with a serged wool edge. The herringbone pattern adds energy without competing with the custom millwork.

Tucked quietly into the garden side, the southwest suite showcases the tailored look of Bayside.

Additionally, the southwest suite includes a sitting room with a view of the gardens. A Seoni rug from Jacaranda adds a calm luxury to this room, with its plush TENCEL™ fibers and sleek hue.

in the gardenside study, light reflects off seoni, a tencel™ rug from jacaranda

The Guest Rooms

In the guest rooms, a mix of herringbone sisal and striped wool rugs adds character and relaxed rhythm to the floors. Both sisal and stripes echo the inspiration from coastal New England interiors and infuse the home’s coastal aesthetic with natural warmth and a composed sophistication.

Porto sisal rugs in color Straw are finished with the modern Infinity Edge in both the twin room and the sunny yellow room.

A custom Orono wool rug, handloomed and framed with a contrasting wool serged edge, anchors the blue room. Its rows of coral white and navy blue stripes complement the mix of patterns in the room that includes an ornate quilt, wide-striped pillows, and the moody blues of the water and sky outside.

I’ve known the homeowners for over 30 years. They’ve trusted us with every remodel, every home. It’s been an honor to help bring their spaces to life—including this one on Bainbridge.
~ Jeff Curran, owner & founder of Curran

Everyday Spaces

The Office

In the home office, a custom Porto sisal rug in the rich Sahara Sand color lends warmth and vitality to the all-white office. The homeowners love how Porto’s zigzag structure and rustic sisal yarns bring visual and textural interest to the space.

Porto’s flat, tight weave construction is durable enough for rolling chairs & its refined pattern gently grounds the space.

The Hearth Room

In the hearth room, a Tenby wool rug in color Cream is tailored precisely to fit the room. The clipped corner accommodates the fireplace hearth and Tenby’s meandering plaited pattern introduces a certain charm, its surface reminiscent of an embroidered heirloom.

Tenby’s soft yet intricate surface and tonal depth echo the tides and rocky shoreline just beyond the window.

Not every room is square—and that’s where design gets interesting.

Our Irregular Shaped & Custom Cut Rugs guide walks you through how to measure, plan, and design a custom rug for fireplace cut-outs, irregular shaped rugs, l-shaped runners and more.

The Sun Porch

A once screened-in porch is now secured with glass windows for year-round enjoyment with expansive views. Here, the homeowners returned to Orono, a striped, handloomed wool rug. The Parchment colored rug complements the earthy palette and the subtle stripes play well with the botanical motif upholstery.

Orono in color parchment adds a layer of comfort as well as acoustic and thermal insulation. Plus, a flatweave wool is easy to clean—a smart choice for gathering spaces like a sun porch.

The Essence of Custom

Every room in the Bainbridge House reflects a conversation between design and its coastal setting. The result is a home that is timeless, layered, and personal. Each rug extends that dialogue, marrying craft with comfort, elegance with ease. Because in the end, custom isn’t about the rug—it’s about the life you’ll live on it.