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Historic Tumalo Schoolhouse Transforms into a Family Home

Renovation Education

In many ways, interior designer Celeste McGowan and her family’s home eschews mainstream home design trends. It’s small by today’s standards, at 1,300 square feet. The opposite of “open concept,” every room is defined and infused with personality.

“Spaces with character are what I love to design. When I had the chance to dream up spaces in my own house, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in,” said Celeste, who owns Iron Roots Design along with her husband, Tim. The design-build studio does everything from large home renovations to designing restaurant interiors such as Dear Irene in downtown Bend.

The home already came with a history. Built in 1911, the schoolhouse was moved in the 1970s in Tumalo to its current location, a larger property on Old Bend Redmond Highway. When the McGowans first saw it, the house had blue office carpet and commercial lighting, but the they saw its potential.

The living room was once the main school room, and features custom cabinets made by Tim McGowan.

Elements of History

While little of the original building was salvaged, the McGowans set about creating spaces that harken back to the building’s first iteration, while showcasing their personal style.

They added the decorative black-glazed brick fireplace from California-based Arto Brick in the living room. Celeste found the heavy wooden oversized mirror, a focal point of the room, at a Bend thrift shop. Tim, a multitalented craftsman with a background in custom metal fabrication, made the steel and stained-wood built-in cabinets on the opposite wall, which is both functional and stylish. “In small spaces, playing with scale can be important. I feel like we’re doing that with these two opposing elements [of steel and wood],” said Celeste.

History is also important: The living room, which would have been the main school room, is decorated with family photographs and heirlooms, such as a brass oil lamp passed down through Tim’s family and a coin purse from Celeste’s grandmother. Celeste is a descendant of a famed Oregonian, Captain George Flavel, whose former Queen Anne-style residence is now the Flavel House Museum in Astoria.

One of the living room’s most eye-catching features is the dry bar with gold accents and earthy mint green Zelige tile that catches the mid-afternoon light.

The McGowans moved the front door so they could turn an awkward entryway into a second bathroom. This jewel box of a powder room features early 20th-century inspired Art Nouveau wallpaper in a warm cream and black color palette.

“We wanted it to feel special, light and bright,” said Celeste.

The 1911 schoolhouse was renovated to serve as the McGowan family home.

Family Ties

After living in Sonoma—where Celeste studied interior design and architectural drafting—the McGowan’s moved to Tumalo to be closer to family; Celeste’s mother and stepfather live down the road. The couple was also searching for a place to start a business and a family. They moved into the home in 2019 and two years later the couple welcomed their son. Today, 3-year-old Sloane loves playing in the renovated mudroom off the kitchen that is decorated with an array of plants and an Iron Roots Design custom bench. While she put a lot of heart and effort into the home’s design, Celeste laughed when she admitted, “There’s going to be toy dinosaurs scattered across my living room 95% of the time.”

Celeste McGowan creates restful spaces accented with heirlooms and photographs.

The primary bedroom is the best example of the layered design look. It features the natural, organic and textured elements Celeste loves. Eucalyptus-themed wallpaper by artist Yvonne Hart adds drama. A green Four Hands bench draped in blankets and linens of different colors and textures adds a point of interest at the end of the bed. The wooden side tables built by Tim’s late father were important to incorporate into the space—the McGowans also encourage clients to showcase meaningful pieces.

“Family is the main reason we do everything. To have the opportunity to be a small part of somebody’s story or to make their home feel like a safe space is important to me,” she said.

As the McGowan’s embarked on their home renovation journey, they noticed that more clients also began asking for separation and privacy in their living spaces. While open floor plans have their upsides, they said, they believe there will be a continued movement toward more traditional design in home architecture.

The McGowans also added a deck to the front of the house, but they have more plans for the home, including renovating the bright but dated kitchen and possibly exposing the schoolhouse’s original brick chimney stack hidden inside a wall. Every renovation makes the house feel more like a home while staying true to its roots.

“With this project, we didn’t want to try to make the house something it isn’t. That’s how we approach all our work,” said Celeste.

Disney Film Composer Dave Metzger Keeps a Tumalo Tempo

From his home outside Tumalo, with a panoramic view of snowcapped mountain peaks, composer Dave Metzger, arranger and orchestrator of multiple Grammy-winning projects, quietly writes music that connects viewers to a film.

“Sometimes I will play a scene where there’s no music at all for people and then play that scene with music and people’s jaws drop; they haven’t thought about how much of an impact the music has,” said Metzger. He has worked with Disney for 25 years, and his film credits include “Frozen,” “Moana,” and most recently 2024’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” for which he composed all 100 minutes of the film’s score.

David Metzger’s studio was designed by renowned audio and acoustical engineer, George Augspurger. | Photo by Tim Cotter

The score signals to viewers how to feel: happy, sad, concerned or hopeful. It swells or ebbs during the most impactful moments of a movie and is a big reason why those scenes stick with cinema-goers long after they’ve left the theater.

Originally from Corvallis, Metzger began writing music when he took a choir class at the age of 12. After he saw the first “Star Wars” movie at 16, he dreamed of becoming a film composer. He took music theory classes in college and eventually moved to Los Angeles. However, when he moved back to Oregon with his family in the mid-90s, his career started to thrive.

“Southern California never felt like home to me,” said Metzger. “As soon as we moved back to Oregon, I just felt so much more creative again.”

World Class Studio in Tumalo

After living in Salem for many years, Metzger and his wife, a retired physician, moved to Bend full time in 2021. The region’s mountain views and hikes continue to be constant sources of inspiration. His home studio is a world-class facility, designed by renowned audio and acoustical engineer George Augspurger. The sound diffuser, panels of wood cut at different dimensions and depths, looks like a work of art, but it has the essential purpose of breaking up sound.

In the studio, Metzger is surrounded by instruments, including a 1965 vintage Fender bass guitar he has had since he was 17 years old and an octave mandolin he used for composing the score for Disney’s “Wish,” Metzger’s first lead composer credit. To begin the creative process, Metzger receives “prints,” or 10-minute clips, from the films he’s working on. He watches the scenes several times to get a feel for the tempo. Then Metzger writes a piano guide track in a sequencing program called Cubase that helps him decipher key themes. Like a puzzle, he decides where to place the themes and fill in the rest. When the director has approved of the segment, Metzger travels to Los Angeles or London to record the music with musicians.

“Musicians are expensive, so they sight-read everything. There’s no rehearsal or anything. It’s wild,” said Metzger.

From “The Lion King” on Broadway to “Mufasa”

Metzger’s path to “Mufasa” began decades ago. His first “big break,” as he calls it, was the opportunity to write music for the 1997 action film “Speed 2: Cruise Control.” That’s where he met Mark Mancina, music producer for the Broadway version of “The Lion King.” Metzger orchestrated the musical, making sure the music was adapted for a live theater setting.

When the President of Disney Music, Tom MacDougall, was looking for a composer for “Mufasa,” he knew Metzger would understand how to tie in original themes and create something new. In addition to using some of Hans Zimmer’s music from “The Lion King” movie and writing new material, Metzger helped save the villain track “Bye, Bye,” from the cutting room floor. In one night, Metzger, also a song arranger, used elements from his score, such as the clack of sticks on the rim of a taiko drum and menacing violins to integrate the song into the film more and recall the character Scar’s “Be Prepared.”

Metzger has also arranged some of the most well-known songs in the Disney universe, such as “Let it Go” from “Frozen.”

“I’m proud that on films like ‘Moana’ and ‘Frozen,’ I had an impact on how the songs turned out. The piano part is all there is when I do the song arranging, so everything else you hear is what I bring to it,” he said.

Despite working with people such as Lin Manuel-Miranda, who Metzger says is just as charismatic and kind as he appear, much of his work for years was as an additional composer or ghostwriter. In those roles, he wasn’t necessarily front and center, but that all changed when he got the call to be the composer for the 2023 movie, “Wish.”

“It was like a dream fulfilled, you know, and this movie ‘Mufasa’ was icing on the cake,” he said.

River Sol May Be One of the World’s Most Sustainable Homes

Lisa and Scott May were not looking for a transformational building project when they noticed a “For Sale” sign while walking along the Deschutes River Trail one summer day in 2018. On a whim, they walked up the staircase to see what lay on the elevated property above First Street Rapids Park. With towering ponderosa pines and river views, they immediately felt at home on the land.

“It had a complete stillness to it, which is nurturing and soothing to the mind, body and spirit,” said Lisa.

They bought the property in March 2019, and the ideas immediately began swirling. The Mays didn’t want to build just any house. Both are deeply committed to sustainability: Scott is a food scientist focusing on regenerative food systems, and Lisa is a leadership coach who helps individuals and organizations unlock potential through science-based technologies. They decided to pursue a LEED-certified building concept and then heard about the International Living Future Institute and the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The “Mount Everest” of sustainable architecture, the LBC is the world’s most rigorous and aspirational green building certification with standards such as generating 105% of the energy used on site.

“There is a reason they call it a challenge,” said Lisa. “There were a lot of big hurdles to overcome throughout the process.” The greatest was designing a water system that met the LBC criteria to use only captured water and manage wastewater to meet city and DEQ standards, she described.

The home, which they named River Sol, has stylish and functional bioregional modern architecture specifically adapted to help the structure sustain the elements in Bend. The shed roofs collect rain and snow melt, funneling it into a 15,000-gallon cistern—capturing enough water to use throughout the year.

The choice of architects for the project was easy for the Mays in light of their ambitions. They selected architects Al Tozer and Cecile Cuddihy of Tozer Design. Tozer and Cuddihy designed Desert Rain in Bend, the world’s first residential full Living Certified building. The Mays are in the Living Building Challenge “performance period” where they must occupy and monitor key metrics such as energy and water use for a year. They’ll learn if River Sol earns Living Certification by the end of 2025.

Taking Cues From Nature

From the street, River Sol looks imposing. Creating a tall structure was the only way to position the solar array high enough to reach the sun above the site’s tall trees.

Once inside, the home is warm and inviting. Mimicking a deciduous shade tree, the roof overhangs keep the hot sun from touching the windows or the glass doors in the summer. Natural light filters in from every angle, and operable glass walls and windows let in cool breezes. In the winter, when the sun is lower, light streams inside, warming the concrete slab floors and living spaces.

“River Sol is incredibly well connected to place,” said Tozer. “When you are in the home, you are also outside the home because of the transparency of the walls and that interaction between you and the [outside] environment.”

Interior designers Jeannie Legum, Lisa Arballo and Taelor Lang of Legum Design understood the principles of the Living Building Challenge and used biophilic design—a philosophy that connects people to nature in built environments—to carry a sense of place throughout the home’s interior design. The team chose autumnal tones for the kitchen and main living area, which is anchored by a basalt wrapped fireplace at one end of the space that heats the entire home. The golden yellow kitchen backsplash consists of leaf-patterned tile emulating falling leaves. The tile in the primary bathroom shower recalls a pixelated rushing river. The home’s exterior is clad partly in reclaimed cedar planks from trees affected by the 2020 fires near Detroit Lake. In the primary suite, the wood comes from outdoors onto the ceiling inside and continues vertically down the wall behind the bed.

“It’s like a cozy tree house where you feel immediately connected to nature and relaxed,” said Arballo.

Regenerative Home Finishes

River Sol is made up of two separate dwelling units, and Lisa uses the second unit for her office and retreats. The home’s sweeping patio is tiered like an amphitheater and looks down onto a riparian environment and the First Street Rapids Park.

A showcase for artisans and artists specializing in sustainable furniture and art, every piece in the home tells a story. In the living room, the coffee table is made from a live-edge reclaimed walnut slab. The team from Ecobalanza in Seattle crafted the sectional from organic leather. The bed in the primary suite, a custom design from Modern Honor, features an asymmetrical steel wave base that recalls the river below. A colorful piece of regenerative art by native Bahamian artist Dr. Desiree Cox is not only beautiful; it’s a sensory experience. The viewer sees something new every time they look at the abstract patterns, colors and textures.

Similarly, the home is a living example of how architecture can be beautiful, functional and nourishing.

“This project aligns with everything we believe in,” said Lisa, “and embodies a sustainable way of being.”

Refined Cabin Design at Black Butte Ranch

The first homes at Black Butte Ranch have good bones — think midcentury elements such as exposed roof beams and cedar ceilings, but many need updating, and the spaces are tight by today’s standards. A desire for more space led the couple who owned a 1971 cabin, a vacation refuge for their family of four since 2015, on a significant renovation in 2021 to maintain a rustic cabin feel.

“They also wanted to bring it up to date, making it more functional and stylish, while still unique to them,” said architect Brandon Olin who took the house on the Big Meadow Golf Course down to the studs, expanding the footprint to add a primary bedroom, which allowed them to enlarge the living and kitchen areas.

One of Black Butte Ranch’s original homes gets a colorful and personality-filled renovation

The home was refinished inside and out. Olin suggested creating a detached garage and turning the existing garage into more living space. He added on to the front of the house to make the primary bedroom suite. He removed the loft in the main living area to create a great room that isn’t much bigger than the original footprint but feels larger due to a 16-foot-high vaulted ceiling and transom windows showcasing views of trees, the golf course and Black Butte beyond.

The homeowners entrusted designer Allison Clouser of Clouz Houz with interiors from concept to completion. Inspired by the color palette found in Black Butte and Sisters, from chartreuse yellows to deep greens, she worked closely with them to select everything from finishes to artwork and create interiors infused with warmth and personality.

Practical Yet Polished

It’s hard to believe the home’s kitchen was once a tiny galley kitchen with low ceilings. An extension of the main living room, the kitchen has painted cabinets and a large island clad with reclaimed planks in a dark stain and topped with durable quartz. The comfortable Denver Modern bar stools are the family’s preferred place to sit and dine when not entertaining. The green Bedrosians tile catches the light behind the range, which is surrounded by a butcher block countertop, bringing in warmth and rustic vibes. A small but mighty pantry conceals food and small appliances.

The living room furniture is comfortable and functional, a necessity with kids and family members coming in and out of the home. Clouser chose a performance-grade fabric for the sofa and covered the Kravet chairs in durable Pendleton wool. “It doesn’t feel too precious,” said Clouser.

When standing in the room, the eye can’t help but go to the blackened steel fireplace with a built-in shelf for stacking firewood and to the “candelier” above the dining table, a cascading light fixture designed by GLGR (Gallagher) out of Portland and made from beer cans the homeowners collected.

“They love pops of unexpected and whimsy, and they don’t want anything too serious, too stuffy,” said Clouser.

Grown-up Spaces

Olin kept the ceilings high even in the powder bath, which feels elevated yet cabinlike with a classic marble hex pattern floor and western-themed wallpaper by designer Max Humphrey. The primary suite has oak floors by Duchateau, a cedar ceiling to match the original ceilings in the home, black and white photography by Bend photographer Zack Fagin and a sliding glass door opening onto a hot tub and wrap-around patio.

Pops of color can be found throughout, such as the retro orange table lamps from Etsy in the guest bedroom. Beyond a sleek and stylish mud room, in what used to be the garage, lies a bunk room with an elegant built-in bunk bed.

A collaboration among the owners, Clouser and Olin ensured that adults are as comfortable sleeping in the bunkroom as children. It has four queen beds, sconces for reading and outlets for charging devices. Built-in cubbies offer a convenient place for guests to stash clothes and other items. The only room in the house that is carpeted, the bunk room can be a cozy kid area, a family suite or another guest bedroom. Comfortable cubes by BOBO Intriguing Objects add flair.

“We thought through every room. I’m proud that it lives really well,” said Clouser. It may not be the largest home in Black Butte Ranch, but every inch of the modern cabin in the woods is thought out and utilized.

Architect: Olin Architecture | Interior designer: Clouz Houz | Builder: Dyer Construction & Renovation

Sarah Westhusing’s Bend Home: A Blend of Design and Inspiration

When guests enter interior designer Sarah Westhusing’s West Bend home, they instantly feel at ease and, at the same time, transported.

While the clean lines and natural materials of Northwest regional style are present inside and out, there are also touches of Copenhagen coziness and playful accents—an abstract painting by Australian artist Shannon Heath and a cheetah print umbrella with tassels—that evoke the breeziness of a beach bungalow in Australia’s Byron Bay.

Visitors may also notice the lack of clutter, abundant glass, warm glow of flickering candles and earthy scent of palo santo sticks. The special touches and spaces are as thoughtfully considered as a boutique hotel, and that is by design.

“I want to create a life and a space I don’t need a vacation from,” said Westhusing.

Creative Calling

The daughter of a meticulous craftsman and contractor, Westhusing grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where she learned the importance of good design early on. She embarked on a career in product creation and global merchandising, working for companies such as KEEN and Nike.

In 2016, she moved to Bend with her husband and young daughter, Milo, namesake of her company House of Milo. Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired her to launch her full-service interior design studio in 2019.

House of Milo works with clients, often creatives with a unique point of view, to create functional interiors inspired by nature and the art of living well.

Hotels as Inspiration

Westhusing’s own home showcases her aesthetic and experiences. The great room, which includes the living room, kitchen with a marble island and dining, functions as the home’s “lobby” with a 15-foot-tall vaulted wood ceiling, a combination of Douglas fir and hemlock, a 1960s-inspired sectional made in Belgium and a warm gray and taupe brick fireplace flanked by window seats. Items collected during Westhusing’s travels and sourced from other countries, such as intricately patterned Moroccan rugs and decorative Oaxacan clay bowls, add personality to the room and the rest of the house. Oversized windows in the living room and full-pane glass French doors off the dining area amplify the views and connect the space to the outdoors.

Hotels are an endless source of inspiration for Westhusing. “There’s such a strong narrative that goes from the hotel room to the lobby, to the bathroom to the gym, and the story is multisensory: you smell the scent as soon as you walk in; you can feel the sheepskin rugs under your feet. It’s an experience. It’s not just about the look,” said Westhusing.

She believes hotels are the ultimate hosts, making guests feel welcome from the moment they arrive. They offer conveniences not typically found but possible in residences, such as the ability to operate multiple lights without leaving the bed and discreetly placed charging stations. They also have a distinct story to tell. Knowing someone’s favorite hotel really says alot about them.

Never afraid to challenge conventional thinking, Westhusing says builders cautioned her not to create such large windows because the home wouldn’t be private enough. She believes privacy can be overrated–she wants neighbors to feel like they can stop by–and would always opt to maximize the warmth of natural south—and west-facing light.

“I would rather see the entire height of a tree,” said Westhusing. “I think there’s something wonderful about a floor-to-ceiling window that allows you to see nature in its full scale,” she added.

Personality Over Conformity

Westhusing’s husband, PJ Jasienski, grew up in Southern California, so nods to surf and skateboard culture are an important theme. Two skateboards from his collection hang on the wall in the dining area, an intriguing contrast in shape and style with the Noguchi paper lantern light. In addition to family photos and art, the hallway gallery wall includes a mounted balsa wood handplane used to ride waves. There’s also a skate ramp in the yard.

From the main living space, a white slatted barn-style door leads to the rest of the single-story home on a third of an acre, which includes 8-year-old daughter Milo’s bedroom with handpainted wallpaper, a music room that doubles as a guest bedroom with a built-in Murphy bed and the primary bedroom. Westhusing’s sanctuary has woven rattan pendant light fixtures, a Mid-Century Modern sideboard, a speckled ceramic chain art piece by Portland-based Space Design, and a king-size bed with soft bamboo sheets and a patchwork comforter.

Like a luxury hotel room, glass doors lead to an elevated patio with a braided leather swing from Australia, a rectangular metal firepit and hot tub, and a standalone cold plunge.

Westhusing became interested in spa culture and wellness during a visit to Norway. People spend an estimated 87% of their lives inside buildings, and she believes well-designed spaces provide psychological benefits and happiness.

“I love this quote from designer Ilse Crawford, ‘Design is a tool to enhance our humanity. It is a frame for life.’ Design really affects how we feel and behave,” said Westhusing.

Westhusing enjoys creating human-centered spaces that are unpretentious, welcoming, meaningful and fun, just as she has done in her own residence.

“Your home should tell a story of who you are and be a collection of what you love.”

Hear from Sarah Westhusing on The Circling Podcast with Adam Short. Listen at BendMagazine.com/podcast.

Renovations Turn a Bed and Breakfast into an Inviting Family Abode

Running an ultra-marathon or competing in a triathlon takes mental grit and determination. The same could be said for renovating a house. Trever Long regularly runs races up to 100 miles, and his wife, Cherie, who competed in an Ironman in 2022, met after Cherie graduated from the University of Texas. Their love of nature drew them to Portland where Cherie, an anesthesiologist, was accepted to a residency program. They yearned for an even greater connection to the outdoors and eventually moved to Central Oregon.

After living on Bend’s westside for several years, the Longs came across a listing for a Tudor-style eight-bedroom, seven-bathroom home on six acres in Tumalo, a marked departure from the contemporary house the family of six—including the Long’s 14-year-old daughter, 11-year-old twin boys and five-year-old son—lived in at the time. Perched above Tumalo State Park with views of the Deschutes River and multiple snow-capped peaks, the Tudor home was initially built as a bed and breakfast in 1986. It came with an approved permit to be a guest lodge, a vision that never materialized.

Visioning from Abroad

The Longs bought the house in March 2020 but moved five months later to New Zealand where Cherie had a yearlong work contract. In addition to adventuring and exploring, they spent the time abroad honing ideas with their contractor, Nate Connolly of Ridgeline Custom Homes and designer, Lisa Arballo of Bend-based Legum Design. The time to think through their goals brought the home-planning process into focus. “I think we fell in love with it even more,” said Cherie.

In the process of turning the dark home into a sleek family-friendly residence, the couple decided to retain the original staircase and the oversized brick fireplace—learning from a previous owner that the bricks were salvaged from one of Bend’s original mills. The contractor removed the Tudor-motif cross-hatching on the exterior and instead added dark cladding to contrast with brick to create European style. An iron and glass front door gave the facade a modern appeal.

Creating a Family Home

Designing a home that could accommodate the family’s active lives and interests was a priority for the Longs. The kitchen is an example of their desire for both beauty and functionality. Trever thought through the design “drawer by drawer.” The large kitchen island is concrete, a natural material that’s easy to repair. The kids can grab cups and dishes from the open cabinetry and the matte Italian kitchen cabinets have no handles so they can easily be wiped clean. “We did research into how to make everything sort of disappear—including the refrigerator and dishwasher,” said Trever.

But certain things were selected to stand out, such as the Brazilian Matarazzo marble backsplash and cantilever shelf behind the Thermador range and the Argentinian-style Grillworks grill in the back of the fireplace. Details mattered, too, as evidenced in the sparkling water on tap.

The Long children enjoy a suite of rooms on the basement level that was originally created as a space to host bed and breakfast guests. Walls were removed so a large picture window could flood the area with natural light. Today, the “Kid Zone” includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms; the children all had input in the design. Daughter Rowan, for example, chose the floral wallpaper and marble mosaic floor for her bathroom.

There’s also a family room with a reading nook and a vintage chaise lounge recovered in a colorful textile, surrounded by photos representing the family’s adventures. The home also boasts a gym and a laundry room that doubles as an art space.

Heritage and Travel Inspiration

Cherie’s mother, who lives in Europe and is an expert in French and Swedish antiques, offered her expertise. The home is a treasure trove of beautiful art and heirlooms used in unexpected ways, such as a secretary found in the dining room, the mid-century Tom Dixon fixtures in the powder room complementing limewash walls by Bend artist Juanita Perdomo, and the crystal chandelier, a wedding present from Cherie’s parents that dangles near the bathtub in the primary suite.

Heritage pieces are coupled with accents collected from around the world. One of their most prized possessions is the antique rattan furniture from Indonesia in the sunroom that belonged to Cherie’s grandmother. The Longs pair the furnishings with items such as blankets handpicked from a market in Mexico and a ceramic goat sculpture purchased at a pottery shop in New Zealand. It’s an elegant yet approachable home where the family can curl up together to watch a movie; a home layered with meaning in every corner. “I think that is what our house is made of: small little trips and memories,” said Cherie.

See more home-related articles with us or read more from the current Bend Home + Design Magazine.

The Art of Scent with Bend Oregon Perfume Company Hikishémé

Kristine Ambrose shares her passion for blending natural perfumes.

The parts of the human brain that process emotions and memory are also responsible for the sense of smell, so it’s no wonder that scents such as soup bubbling on a stovetop or a fresh-cut rose can instantly conjure vivid memories. For Bend-based perfumer Kristine Ambrose, the power of scent has been life-altering.

Five years ago, Ambrose was living in Los Angeles when she entered a deep depression, something she soon realized had been impacting her throughout her life. She had recently begun gardening as a hobby, and a friend suggested she take a class on natural perfumes. Ambrose recalled how the friend suggested taking the herbs from her garden and turning them into something therapeutic so the coping skills for dealing with depression would be with her every step of the way. “It helped,” said Ambrose.

Ambrose began to understand the healing power of nature. She and her husband made a move to Bend three years ago, where she knew easy access to hiking and paddle boarding on the river would be beneficial. What had been just a hobby began to flourish into something more.

“Here was this whole new world of herbs and flowers and trees that I could work with: pine needles, Russian sage and lavender,” Ambrose said about Bend’s natural surroundings.

A year after moving to Bend, she established her natural perfume company Hikishémé, a new word she coined by blending the Japanese and French languages, representing two cultures she reveres. To her it means “inspiration of cultures.” She began selling her perfumes, such as Amber Rose and Woodland, on her website and at local farmers markets, then expanded her business with a perfume lab
in 2022.

Hīkishémé Perfume Lab

In the home studio in her garage, Ambrose welcomes guests by appointment to make perfumes and shop. She also hosts natural perfume workshops, including perfume blending and hand-rolling incense cones. The space, inspired by the bohemian vibe of Venice, California 30 years ago, can be described as “modern photography studio meets apothecary,” and is adorned with vintage lamps and rugs. An artist at heart, Ambrose said blending scent notes together is an art form and she likens it to making fine wine. Her workshops bring together groups looking for a sense of community, and the methodical process allows people to be in the moment.

The Art of Scent

To make a natural scent, perfumers typically blend essential oils and dilute them with alcohol. Ambrose takes this a step further, creating her own tinctures by soaking herbs and flowers in grain alcohol and continually adding new ones to the tincture for up to a year and a half. “I’ve learned the more you go into the process, the more of an artist you become. I know I’m doing art when my mind is free of thought,” Ambrose said. Before using the oils, she burns off the last remnants of the alcohol in a reduction process similar to reducing balsamic vinegar. The scents become intensely aromatic and layered. “The lavender tincture smells like a deep dark lavender cotton candy,” she explained.

These tinctures, which Ambrose calls “vintages,” date back to 2019 and include jasmine, mint, oregano, citrus, anise, lavender, pine needle, sage and more. They serve as the base of Ambrose’s perfumes which are then blended with high-quality essential oils that are diluted so they don’t burn the skin. In her workshops, guests craft luxurious, custom blends that could never be mass-produced. “They are truly made right from the garden, right from my trees, just for you,” Ambrose shared.

Her favorite scent, white jasmine, blooms in Southern California in the spring and reminds her of how far she has come. She sees it as her mission to share the mental health benefits of natural scents with a wider audience. “These coping skills are right at the tips of our fingers,” Ambrose said. “Open the door, walk outside and get into nature; take a deep breath, smell something different.” See hikisheme.com.

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