Inside Aran Goyoaga’s Light-Filled Craftsman on Queen Anne Hill

From the street, cookbook author and food stylist Aran Goyoaga’s 1918 Craftsman on Queen Anne Hill reads quiet and unassuming. Step inside, though, and the picture shifts: light-filled rooms open into a layered retreat where color and texture mingle with everyday rituals and Aran’s culinary creativity. The house has held four families before hers, a history etched into the original wood moldings, wavy glass windows, and the garden that still feels lovingly tended.

Aran’s roots stretch back to the Basque Country, where her grandparents ran a pastry shop. That early immersion in craft and care carries into her home, where every detail feels deliberate. Oil paintings by her father and close friends bring bursts of vibrancy to otherwise calm, whitewashed walls. Nothing shouts, but everything has a certain presence.

The kitchen, renovated in 2019, is a perfect example of how function meets form. Custom cabinetry built by her uncle-in-law anchors the space, painted in mushroom and blue-green seafood tones that play beautifully with brass hardware, marble counters, and ceramic accents. It’s airy without being stark, warm without feeling heavy, especially when golden light pours through west-facing windows at sunset.

Throughout the house, layers of linen, wool, stone, and metal add depth to modestly scaled rooms. Color shows up in small doses—through textiles, art, or the patina of collected objects—hinting at Arts and Crafts influences without weighing the space down. Aran’s background in photography reveals itself in the way she composes corners and vignettes: still lifes made from the everyday.

Her family life is seamlessly folded into the design. The home functions as a gathering place, echoing the warmth of her grandparents’ shop. “We wanted to live here for a few years before making drastic changes,” she says. “So we could see how we really used it.” Now, the house is equal parts family hub and creative studio, where brass switches and framed keepsakes carry as much meaning as the big design moves. Even the simple tick of her husband’s kitchen clock feels like a tradition.

Aran’s thoughtful approach to creating this space has resulted in one that feels both curated and effortless, colorful and calm. It’s deeply tied to heritage yet refreshingly modern. It’s a home where creativity and family life intertwine, and every corner tells a quiet, intentional story.