Hjärta - (hart-ah)

Hi, I’m Tracy Watson-Hjertberg

a former fashion professional with a background in economics and art who found my way into interior design through personal renovation projects.

It all started with a small black house outside New York, then began in earnest with the re-design of a classic Pacific Northwest treehouse together with Skylab Architecture. Since then, I have transformed a mobile home into a plywood-clad Scandinavian cabin in the Columbia River Gorge on a tight budget and an even tighter timeline. And, most recently, I tackled an over-the-top 1980s home, creating a comfortable, functional family space committed to honoring the original, unique details that first drew me to the house.

My design approach has many influences: my Swedish family, my career in fashion, my background as a painter, and my love of vintage. Above all, I’m captivated by the character of a space and genuinely listen to both what the space itself needs and how people really live in it. People have full lives and our spaces aren’t meant to be pristine design spaces, they should reflect the full complex lives we live.

Vintage pieces infuse a home with warmth and authenticity, and I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for the piece that is perfect for the space and the people in it. My approach to sustainability is about appreciating patina and seeing the beauty in well-loved items. I like to mix high and low design because frankly, every project has a budget. It’s practical and sometimes a touch of IKEA is exactly what a home needs to make modernism feel inviting and livable.

Finally, I’m motivated by problem-solving and the project management side of design. I enjoy the challenge of balancing vision with set finances, managing details and sub-contractors, and turning limitations into reasons for creative and considered solutions.