Profiles

My place- Carrie Brownstein

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Photo by John Valls

 

WHERE SHE LIVES: A Northeast Portland 1911 bungalow purchased in 2004. Dove gray walls, white woodwork, black fireplace and hardwood floors set a neutral background for a mix of mid-century modern furniture with vintage and contemporary art.

RIOT GRRL REMIX: She sold everything in a 2010 garage sale, sublet the house, moved to NYC, missed PDX, and soon moved back into an empty house. She’s furnishing slowly. Propped up in the hall are framed posters and paintings from her grandparents waiting to be hung. “The truth is, I like it sparse.”

MY STUFF: A wall of shelves hold vinyl records picked up while touring as guitarist with Sleater-Kinney. She tours now with new band Wild Flag. “Home is often a hotel room. Books and music you can take with you. That’s what makes me feel at home.” On the mantle is a painting by a fan of a regal figure that seems to be dripping blood, quirky vintage pictures of hunting dogs, and a miniature bridge from the NYC premiere party of Portlandia, the sketch comedy show on IFC she co-writes and co-stars in with Fred Armisen. Her dining room looked bare. She put a bird on it. Now it’s pretty. The large, orange silhouette also came from the premiere party.

ONE BEAT: Sofa, chairs and tables are vintage finds. Her criteria “is part style, part comfort and then, maybe, I’ll look at who made it.”

OH, YEAH: As a child, she was given a felt-tip marker by her grandmother and “told to write my name on anything I wanted.” Her childish scrawl is still apparent on the bottoms of a favorite bowl and vase. “It makes me feel . . . selfish.”