IdaHome--July

Community + Culture + Recreation +

Real Estate

COWBOY UP! A Little Ranch Story:

The Governor’s Family Tradition

Now Is The Moment:

Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb

How To Be Funny: Cartoonist Dave Coverly

BOISE, EAGLE, MERIDIAN, NAMPA, CALDWELL & BEYOND

THE BOISE RIVER CHANDLERS STEAKHOUSE

HYDE PARK

BOISE ART MUSEUM WHERE DO YOU GO NEXT?

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DOWNTOWN BOISE AT 9TH & GROVE

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At Home this Summer

A hometown vacation this summer is all about family adventure, relaxation and exploring the hidden gems around Boise. We’re safe, clean, full of outdoor spaces and with new lodging and dining promotions, we’re a perfect place for a midweek break or weekend getaway. # STRONGERTOGETHER BOISE.ORG/BOISE- IS - BACK /

MCCALL 路 DONNELLY 路 CASCADE 路 YELLOW PINE 路 NEW MEADOWS

LEARN ABOUT recreating responsibly AT

PROTECTYOURMOUNTAINPLAYGROUND.COM Fresh mountain air is waiting! We have lots of activities to get you out enjoying the great outdoors this summer.

CONTENTS

COMMUNITY 10

13 16 20 24

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Campire Stories: A History of Redfish Lodge Boise Is Back A Good Day for a Staycay Now Is The Time A Little Ranch Story: The Governor's Tradition Good Neigh-bors: How Collaboration Saved the Challis Herd

FOOD, ARTS, & CULTURE 30 35

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Makers: Cowboy Up Chow Down: Dutch Oven Cooking How to Be Funny: An Interview with Speed Bump Cartoonist Dave Coverly

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 38 Truckstop.com:

The Wheels of Tech

Keeps America Moving

REAL ESTATE 40

Secrets from Decorators

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 5 7

Publisher's Letter Contributors

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Joseph Pattee is authorized to do business in the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Branch NMLS ID 779503; Kimberly Stastny is authorized to do business in the state of Idaho. Branch NMLS ID 779503; OR ML-176; Lori Hosac is authorized to do business in the state of Idaho. Branch NMLS ID 779503; Guild Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender; Company NMLS ID 3274 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). All information, loan programs & interest rates are subject to change without notice. All loans subject to underwriter approval. Terms and conditions apply. Always consult an accountant or tax advisor for full eligibility requirements on tax deduction.

IdaHome Meets the Moment Dear Readers,

As a lifestyle magazine, our goal is not to profess personal opinions. We’re here to provide a public platform for relevant and compelling stories about Idaho and the people who contribute their love, life and talent to make this state an outstanding place to live. Our job is to spotlight what matters and what matters is shifting.

Do you feel it? Here and around the world, for the first time in our lifetimes, the current moment feels beyond our control. The reality we took for granted has come undone by COVID 19, undeniable police brutality and unheralded calls for a reckoning of systemic racism.

This is a past due moment in America, a precipice where all of humanity stands, trapped by the pandemic and facing the end of the world as we knew it before the death of George Floyd. On March 7th, 1965, state troopers teargassed and beat men and women peacefully marching for voting rights in Selma, Alabama while radio stations blared Sam Cooke’s iconic civil rights anthem, “A Change Is Gonna Come.” That change is upon us. Finally.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to extend federal employment protections to gay, lesbian, and transgender people to prevent workplace discrimination. Within days, SCOTUS also ruled more than 700,000 “Dreamers” are here to stay. These decisions represent lasting progress towards equality. And yet, there is so much more to be done to create advancement for our nation’s marginalized communities.

Where do we go from here? As a publisher and human being, I’m listening and learning how the wrongs can be stopped and righted. I’m examining the cracks in my beliefs and holding myself more accountable for the ignored sufferings of many. I’m also working to ensure that IdaHome continues to amplify the diverse voices, beliefs and lifestyles that make Idaho a complicated microcosm of America. I’m doing this because I believe the path to equality for all requires participation from all.

Likewise, this issue offers a wide-angle view on Idaho. The honorable Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb shares her informed viewpoint on this historical moment. Governor Brad Little’s family shares the ranching tradition that runs through their DNA. Humor is a necessary salve in troubled times, and syndicated cartoonist Dave Coverly, creator of Speed Bump, explains how animals say the funniest things. Boise is back- and forth- and the Convention and Visitors Bureau explains how. And there’s more- from chasing Idaho’s wild horses and cowboy mythos to following the tech highways with Truckstop.com. As always, IdaHome represents the best of who we are and can be. Too great for hate.

Thanks for reading!

Karen Day, Publisher

www.idahomemagazine.com

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J U LY/A U G U S T 2020 publisher K A R E N DAY karen@idahorem.com managing editor H E AT H E R H A M I LT O N POST heather@idahorem.com art and design K R IS T I N A C A SE kristina@idahorem.com K A L E Y BE LVA L design@idahorem.com director of operations and sales manager M A R IELLE W EST PH A L admin@idahorem.com cover photo K I R S T I E L A M BE RT staff photographers K A R E N DAY JOH N W E B S T E R

ON THE COVER

Independent and locally-owned & operated, Ralston Group Properties (Ralston Group) challenges the status quo within the real estate industry.

This vibrant "boutique" brokerage is grounded in the belief that creating long-term, trust-based relationships and always serving the client’s needs first, is both good business and the right thing to do. Five words define this residential and commercial real estate firm with offices in downtown Boise and Ketchum – Trust + Heart + Experience + Advocates + Thinkers. Their agents are handpicked and represents the very best people in the industry and in the community. Ralston Group…A Tradition of Trust.

CONTRIBUTORS Cherie Buckner-Webb is an Idaho State Senator, Executive Coach, speaker, business consultant, strategist, and 5th generation Idahoan. In addition to work in corporate and nonprofit environments, she assists institutions of higher education in the development of diversity curriculum and training and sits on a variety of local and national boards.

Heather Hamilton-Post is a writer and editor in Caldwell. She holds degrees in both agriculture and creative writing and is herself surprised by that. When she’s not writing, catch her at a socially distanced baseball game with her husband and young sons. Find her work across the web and buried in the lit journals you didn’t know you had.

Marketing, Sales and Distribution karen@idahorem.com IdaHome Magazine is publishing by Idaho Real Estate Marketplace P.O. Box 116 Boise, Idaho 83701 208-481-0693 © 2020 IdaHome Magazine. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to IdaHome Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher.

Community + Culture + Recreation + Real Estate

Alicia C. Ralston 208-850-7638 Alicia C. Ralston

www.ralstongroupproperties.com 208-850-7638 www.ralstongroupproperties.com

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PROMOTING THE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1956

AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP FOR ALL WHO ASPIRE TO IT

Through service and advocacy, we’ve reduced the cost of new construction roughly $19,000 per home in 2018-2019.

BCASWI.ORG

Campfire Stories:

A HISTORY OF REDFISH LODGE

BY ALICE KLEIN

Nestled at the base of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains is Redfish Lake, an alpine paradise just south of Stanley and destination for locals and tourists alike.

Named for the returning sockeye salmon that made the lake glitter as red as Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Redfish Lake has been a favorite since the early 1880s when a wagon road over Galena Summit began drawing the attention of crowds seeking both fish and beauty.

And, while today’s travelers can stay connected (though they really shouldn’t) via wireless internet, the lake didn’t get a telephone until 1915, soon followed by a dock, which sort of started it all.

The docks and boats, it turned out, would sustain the lake via rentals, even when the lodge struggled.

In the summer of 1928, Idaho explorer Robert W. Limbert finally began building Redfish Lodge, which had been a while in the making.

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Limbert was a photographer, writer, artist, poet, hunter, marksman, and conservationist, among other things. He gained some notoriety when National Geographic published a story about his trek through Idaho lava flows, though it took nearly four years and a lot of convincing. In 1926, Limbert was a traveling delegate for conservation organization the Izaak Walton League, which returned him again and again to Idaho’s varied landscapes. So moved was he by Idaho’s wilderness, he began offering horseback trips, allowing him to share Idaho with others.

Redfish Lake especially spoke to Limbert, and he aspired to build a lodge that would help shelter the same tourists he escorted on horseback. His goal was to create a place where one could truly commune with nature, and today’s visitors still do exactly that.

Limbert saw potential in the land, both for its beauty and economic potential thanks to growing automobile and railroad industries. With a group of

www.idahomemagazine.com

investors, Limbert formed Sawtooth Tours Incorporated, which sought to build two hotels and 40 cabins for Idaho’s tourists.

His investors were notable--J.L. Kraft, who founded the Kraft Cheese Company, contributed a small amount and stock market speculator Lewis Megowen made a large investment, allowing Limbert to continue his work.

Berrhard Deiderich Horstmann, known as Dick, first broke ground where the lodge stands, building a cabin around 1920. Though Horstmann died in 1928, Limbert worked to open a much larger structure than Horstmann had originally envisioned by signing a 100-year lease on his land. Complete with a fleet of two motorboats, row boats, and canoes, and a not-yetcompleted second floor, the lodge opened 10 tent cabins in 1929, and was very much a family affair--Limbert’s wife and her friend cooked for guests,

Limbert’s goal was to create a place where one could truly commune with nature, and today’s visitors still do exactly that.

Historical photos courtesy of Red Fish Lodge

1926 -1928

1929

Idaho explorer and National Geographic published photographer and writer, Robert W. Limbert falls in love with Red Fish Lake and plans a lodge.

The Lodge opens with 10 tent cabins and a not-yetcompleted second floor, and a fleet of two motorboats, row

1934 - 1941

1946

Closed during this period and through World War II.

1933 The Lodge is complete but Limbert dies before getting to settle into life at the Lodge.

boats and canoes.

New owners take hold, starting a long line of owners who have improved upon Limbert’s original work.

while the friend’s husband helped with construction.

And then, Megowen lost his money in the stock market. Though he assured Limbert he’d come out ahead, everything that wasn’t nailed down was garnished by creditors, including the logs that had been harvested to construct the second floor. Still, Limbert stood by his vision to craft the great lodge. By cobbling together his remaining assets and the money he made, Limbert, with the help of his family, finished the second floor and all remaining construction.Today, units one and two, while updated, still feature original stone hearth fireplaces constructed by the Limbert family--daughter Margaret remembers gathering the stones herself.

Present Additional lodging and camping, a boat launch, interpretive areas, and a Visitor’s Center are now available.

The Clegg family are the current owners of Red Fish Lake Lodge and have just completed several updates to the lodge and grounds.

When the lodge was done, Limbert needed only to finish his final winter tour with Izaak Walton before he could settle into lodge life at Redfish Lake.

Tragically, Limbert suffered a massive heart attack in June of 1933 enroute to the bedside of his dying mother.

He died in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and his mother died the next day in Boise.

The family lost everything, but the lake itself has kept Limbert’s dream alive (albeit with intermittent closures) for generations to come.

Though researchers aren’t certain, they believe the lodge was closed from 1934 until 1941, and then through World War II. In 1946, new owners took hold, rejuvenating public interest in the beautiful area. Since, the lodge has experienced a number of different

owners, all of whom have made improvements on Limbert’s original work. Since, the Redfish Lake area has grown to include additional lodging and camping, a boat launch, interpretive areas, and a Visitor’s Center.

Now, travelers tired from the hustle of their lives retire to Redfish Lodge to tell tall tales beside the crystal lake, roasting marshmallows with their families over glowing coals. They spend their days recreating on the lake, or on foot or horseback, exploring the untouched corners of their Idahome, returning to a meal cooked with love. Though Limbert didn’t live to enjoy the fruits of his labor, his legacy lives on in the way the wind whispers through the pines, his jewel of the Sawtooths shining so bright.

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8th street has closed to automobile traffic to allow more space for diners.

Photos by The Grove Hotel

“It’s a little bit of a shift for sure, and people are going to be the most apt to utilize accommodations and go into restaurants and start to go into attractions that are most familiar. So we’re targeting within 300 miles of Boise to start off with,” explains Carrie Westergard, executive director at Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Boise is

BACK

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

Like most Idahoans, Boiseians are anxious to get their city back. For some, the small pleasures of working from home are beginning to seem like chores.

For others, the feeling of normal that accompanies a regular customer stopping in for coffee or an unchanged traffic pattern on a daily commute beg for a return. And, while we will never be the same, Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau wants you to know that BOISE IS BACK! Or getting there, anyway.

During the pandemic and city reopening, the Visitors Bureau has served as a resource for businesses, often providing information or linking organizations with others where it made sense. They’re also promoting, as usual, businesses and events, even as they shift to accommodate a changing landscape.

Now, the Boise is Back campaign (learn more at Boise.org/boise-is-back) seeks to endure the City of Trees to those who already love it best--the people that live here. Westergard explains that the Visitors Bureau chose to focus on attracting more local tourism from places like McCall, Sun Valley, Mountain Home, and Idaho Falls so that people who might be reluctant to vacation can sort of ease into it. Eventually, the campaign will expand to encourage visitors from areas like Salt Lake City, Utah and places that have direct flights to Boise, but for now, they’re thinking local.

Westergard says that things are picking back up in Boise, growing slowly but steadily, though she acknowledges that things may be different for a while.

“It’s been a sacrifice for everybody, but they don’t want to go back to not being open at all. Hopefully, with these precautions, there’s a comfort level now,” she says.

A comfort level that comes from a lot of innovative thinking and hard work from local businesses.

Westergard suggests. Hotels hoping to attract guests www.idahomemagazine.com

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“It’s been a sacrifice for everybody, but they don’t want to go back to not being open at all. “ - Carrie Westergard, Boise Convention & Visitor’s Bureau are implementing waiting periods between guests, extra cleaning procedures, and individually wrapped items like wine openers. Gone are the buffet-style breakfasts, replaced by simpler grab-and-go items for guests. She says that some businesses are even holding temperature checks for employees, or in the case of Roaring Springs and Wahooz Family Fun Zone, for customers.

If you’re more inclined toward nature, Westergard says the Boise River is bound to be popular, which might be a reason to look elsewhere for your fun in the sun (or shade). Although Boise pools are closed for this summer, local hotels have lots of options for swimming both indoors and outdoors for couples and families alike.

To allow for appropriate social distancing, Boise’s 8th Street has also closed to automobile traffic to provide larger outdoor spaces for diners at local restaurants on the block. Westergard says that other streets may follow in the coming days. Ultimately, businesses of all kinds have been forced to get creative, and they’ve really stepped up to show their concern for safety.

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Westergard notes The STIL, an ice cream shop, as one that has been particularly fun to watch thanks to their weekly videos that keep them on people’s minds. “It’s not just about their business--the videos look at what’s going on around the city and you just look forward to seeing them. They make you think, ‘yeah, I want to support that business’. They’re innovative. It’s during these times that we really need to support these businesses if we want them to be here in six months,” she says. A task that, given the city’s reopening, will be easier.

“This is a great community because of how much people care about each other, and we’re encouraging people to check out what’s happening. Businesses are taking extra precautions so you can feel safe,” Westergard says.

Learn more at Boise.org/boise-is-back

Photos courtesy of The Grove Hotel.

A Good Day for a

STAYCAY

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

We’re all feeling the need to get out extra hard these days, a sentiment left over from years of looking forward to summer vacation and the absence of school. Even into

adulthood, the first signs of summer instigate a little twinge of that travel bug, despite the fact that most of us are still working for most of the summer. Still, this is a great time (under normal circumstances) to get away for awhile. But even if we feel like Covid-19 is canceled, it isn’t--we’re still encouraged to limit travel and wear masks out in public.

Locally, people are traveling mostly for leisure, says Steve Steading, General Manager at The Grove and Hotel 43. Though a few corporate travelers have passed through, most folks are looking for an easy vacation in which they can drive from point A to point B with little hassle. Idaho hotels fit the bill--The Grove, Hotel 43, and 16

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Courtyard by Marriott Boise Downtown are all looking to the Center for Disease Control for guidance regarding safety protocols. “We disinfect everything after each guest as usual, but we’ve added additional layers. We’re spraying everything with a 24/7 disinfectant. We’re requiring our employees to wear masks, and we’ve got access to thermal readers for temperatures. We’ve also taken high-touch items out of rooms, though most things are available if requested,” explains Steading. At The Grove, they’ve also added additional seating and more sanitation procedures in Trillium, the inhouse restaurant.

Vicki Carley, the regional director of sales for Block 22 hotels, says that this has been the hardest three months she’s ever experienced in her hospitality career. “It’s been really hard seeing events canceled, and we’re excited to bring people into the city,” she says.

But what exactly does a Boise staycation offer? Plenty,

agree Carley and Steading. If you’re looking for a downtown experience, look no further than The Grove, Hotel 43, or the Courtyard by Marriott Boise Downtown.

CITY DWELLER For families, a downtown hotel is the way to go. “There’s such a wide variety of things to do. A family of four with different interests can find something for everyone,” says Steading.

If you’re interested in exploring Boise, there are a lot of great options within walking distance, pandemic or not.

The Grove offers a cool Boise Brew Trail package that offers special deals on walkable breweries and, as a summer promotion, free parking, so there’s no need to worry about your car. If you want to see the city via bike, Hotel 43 and The Grove offer free bikes for checkout, so you can see your city through different eyes.

In fact, you don’t even have to leave REASONS to book a downtown Boise your hotel. At the staycation: Courtyard Marriott, • Get out of the house! located across from • Try a new restaurant the Whole Foods, • Ride bikes around the guests have access city to a great courtyard.

• Enjoy a pool or hot tub “People don’t realize • Room service how pretty it is,” explains Carley.

“There’s a fire pit and overstuffed chairs, and guests often take their beer or beverage out to gather there.”

Hotel 43, named because Boise is on the 43rd parallel in the 43rd state, is a great place to simply stay in your room too. Offering PURE® Wellness Allergy-Friendly rooms, a patented 7-step purification process that removes 99.99% of pollutants and allergens, Hotel 43 guests are likely to

get a great night’s rest at the only hotel of its kind in the state. Chandlers Steakhouse also connects to the Hotel 43 lobby and offers room service to guests, so you can relax in your jetted tub while you wait for your gourmet dinner.

At Trillium at The Grove, you can dine on local favorites (trout, huckleberries) or enjoy something a little more unique like tomato ice cream. If you want to work out (even if you aren’t a guest), check out the panoramic views that make the treadmill feel less like punishment, and go for a swim at the beautiful indoor pool and hottub. There are nutritionists, personal trainers, and everything you could want in a fitness facility.

EXPLORE IDAHO From downtown Boise, you’re a quick drive to so many places, which makes it a great place to base your staycation.

Head to Bruneau Sand Dunes or Hells Canyon and be back in time for dinner. Check out Idaho City, McCall, or Sun Valley, or one of the many great Boise attractions. Go for a hike, see some birds of prey, or ride your rental bike along the Boise River. Or ask the front desk attendants for recommendations--they’re sure to have ideas you haven’t yet considered.

Behold the staycation, a perfect solution to your travel woes, and one with a plethora of advantages. When you’re traveling in your city, you don’t have to pack a lot. You don’t have to rely on a too-small data plan to help you navigate unfamiliar roads, and you’re not going to spend a lot of money on fuel. If you forget something, you probably already know where the closest Target is (you know, in case you want to preserve the illusion that you can’t just pop into your home).

And, Idaho perk alert--if you’re staying at The Grove, enjoy a special resident rate!

Hotel 43 and the Grove offer free bikes to explore downtown.

The greenbelt is easy to access. www.idahomemagazine.com

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Avimor, Chapter 2

For over 100 years, the McLeod family has lived on and cared for the thousands of acres that comprise Avimor. Avimor was part of a larger ranch known as the Spring Valley Ranch, which traces its roots to 1890 when a small ranching community known as “Howell� began to thrive in the area. It was an 80 acre ranching settlement that boasted a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office. In 1916, Colin McLeod, a Scottish immigrant, arrived in Howell and purchased what became known as the Spring Valley Ranch.

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Colin McLeod raised his family on the ranch and began to purchase surrounding parcels, ultimately growing the foothills ranch to about 37,000 acres. The ranch stayed in the hands of the McLeod family, passing from Colin McLeod., to Colin “Smokey” McLeod II., and then on to Colin “Sandy” McLeod III. Conservation and land stewardship have always been a priority of the McLeod Family. They were implementing sustainable practices many decades before it became popular to do so. It is their heritage of land stewardship that is the basis for The Avimor Master Plan. In early 2000, Sandy McLeod and his family sought to develop a “place” where the land was preserved for future generations and folks could live side-by-side with nature. The McLeod’s desired a smalltown feel, a community where kids could freely enjoy the outdoors and residents could get to know their neighbors.

The McLeod family considered many alternatives for development. They first considered selling individual parcels, resulting in a patchwork quilt of development throughout the foothills. They decided, however, that a master plan concept with an emphasis on conservation and small town values would be the best way to meet their vision for the land.

As the McLeod’s and planners began planning, one of their primary goals was to find a way to alleviate the natural conflict between private development and conservation of the scenic foothills. They decided on cluster development. Cluster building, also known as conservation design, requires planners to consider environmental features and natural areas while designing any development. It is a way to avoid the simple “checkerboard” development and instead integrate trails, natural open space, creek beds, and parks into the design. Scenic resources and native habitat are preserved while still allowing public access and recreational use.

Avimor has set the standard for inclusive conservation-based communities. Like the foothills it’s built on, Avimor is living and growing. The plan is well designed with conservation at the forefront. The foothills lifestyle is affordable and open to all.

Located North on Highway 55 a Mile Above Shadow Valley Golf Course Model Homes Open Daily 10 am - 5 pm 208-939-5360 • www.avimor.com Marketed by Epic Realty LLC • RCE 35084

We have been presented the opportunity and the stimulus to do some self-reflection and some powerful truth telling because it is necessary and well passed the time that we dump the excuses. It is time to dump the isms and deal with each other appropriately, as equals. The collision of Covid 19, and its attendant isolation, separation, loneliness, fear, isolation, restrictions, innumerable losses (of loved ones, security, safety, health, food, shelter, and more), Easter, Ramadan, Juneteenth, Pride Month, racial disparities and just plain living has rendered many hopeless and in the depths of despair. These times demand that we not only interrupt centuries of intentional, systemic, degradation but that we construct and new normal. I’m talking about a revolution on a grand seismic level. We are capable and equipped to make the earth move.

Note just two (of many) areas of the racial disparities that exist in the U.S. for my community, African Americans.

Now is the

Time

•

Since the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns across the U.S., employment – population for all racial groups has fallen dramatically. Fewer than half of all Black Americans had a job in April & May. Unemployment spikes are especially high for Blacks

•

Black American are severely underrepresented at the top of corporate hierarchy and highest echelons of government

•

Overall income for Black Americans was 42% lower than for White Americans

•

Poverty rate for Black families is over twice that of White families

•

The wage gap between races also interacts with gender wage gap between men and women

•

Black prisoners are overrepresented in the US prison population compared to total US population Black men are five times more likely to be imprisoned than their white counterparts – 13 times as likely in the 18-19 age group

•

Roughly half of those fatally shot by police are white, but Black Americans are fatally sh0t at a disproportionate rate compared to their representation in the US.

•

Fatal shootings by race, deaths per million: 30m Black, 22m Hispanic, 12m white, 4m other

BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB

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t is my sincere hope that you, as have I, taken the opportunity to engage in serious conversations that are sorely needed in our community and across the country. Conversations that are purposefully focused on engaging deeply: expressing concerns, gaining understanding, finding solutions, and creating a firm foundation for more in-depth, authentic dialogue in the future. And, perhaps, walking away with a commitment to risk for the purpose of building stronger communities who embrace the fullness of those with whom they work, live, and play.

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We must unite, coalesce, partner, engage with others to make a change in these and many more disparities, for a multitude of communities. The benefits will accrue to minority AND majority communities.

We have the power to change the world, to ensure that the “new normal” is the intention of our design. One where difference is respected and where inclusion is valued, one where possibilities are nurtured to fruition. We are in this life together.

I invite you to purposefully develop, acknowledge, and leverage

the formidable talents you possess. We are all compelled to move forward toward the opportunities and challenges of the future. We must build upon the strength, wisdom, wit, and genius that is uniquely ours. We must be about courageously and compassionately connecting with one another. Now is the time to lift up, not tear down. Now is the time to work together toward the empowerment and safety of all. We are responsible for one another. We are accountable to one another.

We are called to alleviate the ever increasing fear of Covid19, treat those afflicted, and mitigate the growing atmosphere of inflamed hate, separation and division in our communities, states and our country. We called upon to investigate and address the root of escalating violence and the manifestation of intimidation. We are charged to come together to consider the sources of domestic terrorism, hate speak and the resulting tragedies. We must be intentional because the “stuff out there” will surely show up on our door steps if we are not vigilant. Yes, we have monumental work to do. This is a painful time in the life of America and much of the world. We must not turn away, we must face this insidious plague that is before us. We must intentionally turn toward each other to interrupt domination, extraction and violence.

Get ready! I say. Arm us. Let us arm ourselves with compassion.

It is time that we join together to form a mighty militia: • Champions of Compassion •

Emissaries for Equity

•

Ambassadors of Humanity

•

Zealots for Liberty

•

Warriors for Justice

Let us arm ourselves with compassion.

Proud to be a force that is: Undergirded by: • An understanding of our interconnectedness •

An inheritance of the demonstrated courageous actions of the legions who came before – those who fought valiantly

•

A calling to serve

Supported by: • Committed men and women from across difference •

A host of individuals with powerful histories of striving to ensure that each and every human being is treated with dignity and respect

•

Faith

Empowered by: • A vision for the future – not only for the next generation, not just for my children and your children, but rather for many generations to come.

Truly, what we do today sets the foundation for years to come.

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21

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A Little Ranch Story The Governor’s Family Tradition

BY KAREN DAY

“

I wake up at night, worrying about the debt load of the Federal Government,” said Idaho’s Lieutenant Governor, Brad Little in October 2018. “I worry what will happen to people when some of these programs go away.”

dedication to serve through many more sleepless nights: his concern for the people and land that define Idaho.

So where does the governor seek respite from 24/7 job stress?

“The ranch is where I go to unwind,” Little says. “I ride Old Buster out to look at the cattle, the grass, the range improvements. I check out the seedlings we planted 10 years ago and see how that investment has made a big improvement in the ecosystem.”

This quote is excerpted from an interview during Lieutenant Governor Brad Little’s campaign to become Idaho’s 33rd Governor. The fiscal challenges that accompany his winning the top office have not faded, Little’s stewardship of the land but it’s almost hyperbole to state and livestock runs in his DNA. His the unprecedented health crisis has grandfather, ‘Andy’ Little, arrived in superseded all Brad Little’s governing imperatives. Clearly, one theme remains Idaho from Glasgow in 1884 with twenty-five dollars and two border predominant in Governor Little’s 24 www.idahomemagazine.com

“The ranch is where I go to unwind.”

-Govenor Little collies. He settled in Emmet and by 1935, “The Sheep King of Idaho” employed 400 men to care for his 100,000 head of sheep that produced a million pounds of wool a year.

The familial roots of First Lady Teresa Little, also run deep in Idaho soil and history with her forebearers among the first Europeans to settle Latah County in 1877. Like her husband, Teresa Soulen Little was raised shearing, shipping and lambing.

Seven generations later, many relatives

raised sheering, shipping and lambing.

Seven generations later, many relatives still bind her to the rolling hills of the Palouse.

Ranching families attest their work is as much a devoted way of life as occupation. Each year and every season is dominated by nature’s timing, hard work, courage, determination, resilience, and duty. Deep concern for the environment and animals is a given or success is impossible. And the rewards are self-replenishing, with the freedom and independence of repeatedly stewarding each herd, crop and flock to health. Love of the outdoors coupled with an active lifestyle fueled by familial ties explain why the Little’s second son, David, left his career as an accountant in Seattle and returned to Emmet in 2008 to manage Little Land and Livestock, with his wife, Kelsey and his three sons, Jay, Dylan and Henry.

“I always knew I’d come back,” says David, holding his youngest, Jay, while pushing a 100 head into the corral. “My summer job was always trailing sheep and fixing fence up in Cascade. We spent a lot of time on horseback. It’s a good way to grow up.”

David notes that much has changed yet stayed the same through the Little’s generations of ranching. “My dad learned ranching from my grandfather, who learned it from his father. I learned it from my dad. Technology has made some things easier, but the shared values and the job is pretty much the same-except for the hours at the

computer. We all still come together for branding. The community joins in. My dad really enjoys getting out and roping. My older brother, Adam, an attorney in Boise, helps with the business too.”

“I really appreciate the respect each individual has for the abilities of the members of the crew when we’re working together,” Teresa adds.

“The real rewards are the multigenerational traditions,” says Governor Little. “Seeing our grandkids enjoy what we and our children enjoyed is a joy.” Presently, the First Family enjoys six grandchildren.

But beyond family comradery and homemade biscuits and jam at branding events, Little Land and Livestock has a bottom line to fulfill. The business has faced the same financial downturn as most during the viral economy.

David adjusts his baseball cap and looks out across the 200 acres of corn fields they lease out for cultivation. He squints as if trying to see the future beyond the hills of Emmett. “With the restaurants closed, everybody is suffering. We’re trying to push our meat mainly through grocery stores now, but all commodities are sufferingmilk, corn--it’ll recover. People always need food.” He shrugs.

“Eventually.”

The Little family celebrates Father’s Day in a big way!

There are other problems as well, new housing developments and an expanding population threaten Idaho open space.

“My foreman and I are surprised all the time

David, Dylan, Jay, Henry and Kelsey Little continue the family tradition. up in the high country.” David shakes his head. “Everybody has an ATV these days. You can’t stop progress. I mean, of course, we use 4-wheelers, but you still need a good horse when cows get into the trees.”

Neither progress nor politics have pushed Brad and Teresa Little from the family home on the Main Street Emmet, where they have lived for several decades. David’s family resides close by, with his boys attending his same grade schools.

“You’re tied to the land here,” he explains. “You grow up knowing your neighbors, your community, even your vet. Ranchers and farmers stick around.

That’s why we have so many in the Idaho legislature.”

Will he follow his father’s footsteps into politics?

“Maybe, if there’s a need to be filled.

But for now, we feel fortunate to have started in agriculture and still be here after all these generations. And hopefully, a few more.”

“That’s me,” states 10-year-old Henry.

He already exudes the confidence of an elder statesman, which may prove prophetic. Henry’s great grandfather also served in the Idaho Legislature.

David laughs and walks off toward the corral, followed by 3 Little boys carrying cow whips.

www.idahomemagazine.com

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BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

“What girl isn’t a horse girl? I don’t know any,” laughs Andrea Maki, who is a visual artist and photographer, as well as the founder of Wild Love Preserve. “I have always used my work as a tool to help spread awareness for different causes. In 1999, I had this exhibition that featured wild horses in eastern Washington. In 2005, I was looking to do a follow up body of work, and things were shifting, at that time, with regard to wild horses and their protections. And I found myself putting my artwork aside and doing what I could in the ways that I know how to help spread awareness and garner support for the issues,” she explains.

THE CHALLIS HERD is made of

multiple families, between 175 to 250 horses in all, and truly something to behold--a mix of cavalry horses, Indian ponies, and draft horses turned out.

Photo by Elissa Kline

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Like Maki, Elissa Kline is a photographer, though she thinks of herself as something of a reluctant advocate.

Initially drawn to the wild horses that roam the 168,700 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management because, after witnessing a roundup, a friend encouraged her to photograph them, Kline resisted, in part because she knew it would break her heart.

She was right--but instead of looking away, Kline felt compelled to act after spending time with the wild horses on the range.

The Challis Herd is made of multiple families, between 175 to 250 horses in all, and truly something to behold--a mix of cavalry horses, Indian

www.idahomemagazine.com

ponies, and draft horses turned out. It is easy to see the draw for all kinds of artists, but taking on the national wild horse issuesfelt too big for Kline, who focused her efforts on the Challis Herd. “So I thought ‘I can document their lives as they are now, because I know that’s going to change for them. So from 2004 to 2009, I would go out to document the horses. And it was wonderful for me, but there was this feeling of like, when’s it gonna happen?” Kline says.

When the roundup, which utilized helicopters, happened, Kline was traumatized. “I knew these horses--knew who belonged together and who just had a new baby. I knew that old stallion who ran 11 miles when it was 101 degrees. It was devastating, and I’m sure I had PTSD for a year,” she says.

But Kline knew she could take pictures. “I used to say to the horses, ‘I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to show people how beautiful you are, and maybe I can help you stay here.’ I did not think I could save the horses, but I was giving a talk at the Ketchum library, maybe a month after the roundup, and a woman came up to me and asked what she could do to help,” she says. Working together, they ultimately adopted what turned out to be 31 horses who lived on Idaho pasture for three years, eventually relocating to a sanctuary on thousands of acres in central California.

Growing up, Kline wanted horses, but her family couldn’t afford them. “So now, the big joke is that my family never had money for a horse when I was a little girl, but I ended up with horses to raise money for,” she laughs.

And as Kline’s horses moved to California, Maki transitioned her work to Idaho (she lives in Washington), where she set out to problem solve for the horses she’d grown to love in 2010 while she rested in Ketchum following her mother’s hospitalization and her dog’s surgery.

“I found out what was going on, and I thought, OK, this is what I do. I manage projects and find solutions. I thought it would take a month

Good Neigh-bors: How Collaboration Saved the Challis Herd

Photo by Andrea Maki www.idahomemagazine.com

27

“The model that we’ve created in Idaho is very much a model that has been viewed and followed for other wild horse regions in other states. It has garnered national attention because WE’RE TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN AT HOME. That’s something to be proud of,” Maki says. or six weeks. And it turned out, it was just sort of the introduction to what was to come,” she explains.

She says that she did (and still does) act in the role of mediator, working with different stakeholders to forge a path forward that prioritized the well being of the horses but was agreeable to the BLM and ranchers in the area.

Maki explains that she came from a position of wanting the horses to be left alone, but she acknowledged the complications of their existence on public lands. Together, they agreed to try native Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), an immunocontraceptive that curbs reproduction in a variety of species. Maki hoped it would eliminate the need for the same roundups that traumatized Kline and others.

The vaccine, which is biodegradable and reversible, works--but there were still horses to deal with. So Wild Horse Preserve adopted every horse made available by the BLM from the 2012 roundup. Maki explains that she raised the money and coordinated adoptions, which had to follow BLM guidelines. Now, the horses live on 400 plus acres as a family band. They too receive PZP, and, to help prove that it works, Maki didn’t geld some of the males.

They’ve kept their numbers down, and Maki has succeeded in her goal of letting wild horses continue to be wild on their native turf.

In 2019, the BLM held a roundup--the first in seven years. Previously, they were being held every three. Maki says she knew there would be another roundup, since slowing population growth takes time. She was onsite as the horses were gathered, which she acknowledged was hard. Still, the key continues to be cooperation, and Maki says that fluid, productive communications with the BLM, environmentalists, and ranchers, whom she says are some of her greatest supporters, are responsible for the success they’ve experienced.

“The model that we’ve created in Idaho is very much a model that has been viewed and followed for other wild horse regions in other states. It has garnered national attention because we’re taking care of our own at home.

That’s something to be proud of,” Maki says.

Now, Andrea Maki and Wild Love Preserve is working to address the horses that have not been adopted from the 2019 roundup, fundraising for a permanent location. Elissa Kline has returned to her IdaHome after 11 years, where she’s allowing herself to regroup and pause for breath, though she’s anxious to begin photographing the Challis Herd again.

Photo by Andrea Maki

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WE ARE OPEN FOR THE SEASON!

WE CAN’T WAIT TO WELCOME YOU HOME!

www.redfishlake.com| 208.774.3536 | info@redfishlake.com

How one photographer has captured the American cowboy for the last twenty years

COWBOY UP!

BY KAREN DAY

Ever since the concept of the Wild West became a founding cornerstone of America’s inevitable westward expansion, the frontier has been associated with a romanticized, rugged myth of a man called, “The Cowboy. “ Popularized first in dime novels in the 1800s and still starring in Quentin Tarantino’s films, this tough, self-reliant individual has become a national, albeit fading hero who is the last of his breed, the bronc-riding, sharpshooting idealists who tamed the frontier with Colt revolvers, spurs, and tall hats.

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Whether John Wayne or Lil Naz X comes to mind, our image of the American cowboy is still a cultural approximation designed by Hollywood and a romantic hijacking of truth and history. In other words, the cowboys of our illusions don’t really exist—or do they?

In the shadow of Mount Borah, the elevation of Mackay, Idaho is 5,906 feet with high-winded and bitter cold winters. The vistas are as near perfect as any the Gem State has to offer with crystal-blue skies and clear waters tumbling from snowy peaks into the Big Lost River.

Today these cattle ranching families employ Dodge

Makers

Left page: Kao Koeppen on horseback • Above Clockwise: Kurtis Koeppen with lariat; Jason Jenson and sons; Range Riders Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline

every one of Lambert’s photos offer a breathtaking glimpse into the soul, beauty and dignity of the Idaho cowboy.

pickups, cell phones and drone cameras to manage their herds. But as all attest, when tending cows there will never be a better replacement for a good cutting horse, a strong lariat and a smart cowdog.

Kirstie Lambert has spent the last twenty years photographing the people who make these high-plains their home, living the life of the real cowboys who arrived in Idaho in the 1800s tending cattle as a livelihood on horseback.

Lambert began her career as an intern with the iconic western photographer David Stoecklein. She lives in the Mackay Valley, following local cowboying families

and their cattle drives through the seasons, always on foot, often for miles, to capture a western way of life that appears anachronistic in America, 2020. Lambert has never had a gallery exhibition, nor does she consider herself a professional photographer, though she has accumulated a library of more than 400,000 photos. “I consider it an honor that these families allow me into their world,” says Lambert. “Being a witness is my real reward.” Spoken like a true artist. No wonder every one of Lambert’s photos offer a breathtaking glimpse into the soul, beauty and dignity of the Idaho cowboy. www.idahomemagazine.com

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Above: Kurtis Koeppen, Kyza Koeppen (2 years old!) Kevin Donahue

ABOUT THE ARTIST Kirstie Lambert www.kirstielambert.com

“I consider it an honor that these families allow me into their world.�

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CHOW DOWN

Simmer Down:

DUTCH OVEN COOKING

kind, but that doesn’t stop me from occasionally dabbling in the same Dutch oven cooking in my own lesstreed backyard. Dutch oven cooking is easy in theory, requiring only a cast iron Dutch oven, a lighter, and some charcoal, though there are some ‘nice to have’ items-a chimney to help get the charcoal going, a lid lifter, tongs for the coals.

A camp Dutch oven sits on legs to allow charcoal underneath. It’s also covered by a heavy lid that holds charcoal on top, so it is heated from both ends. The amount

of oil and wait until it is almost boiling. Take a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough, divide each biscuit in half so that you have two round circles, poke a hole in each, and toss them in. Fry until they’re as gold as you like them, and toss into a paper sack with cinnamon and sugar, or top however you like.

If you’re looking for something a little more savory, heat up the Dutch oven, cook the bacon, leaving grease behind. Take out the bacon, crumble, and layer it with rounds of potatoes, onions, and cheese. Cook it

“We would eat peach cobbler and chilli and cornbread and breakfast casseroles MADE IN THE DUTCH OVEN.”

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

Second to ice-cold milk in the morning, the best part of camping is meals made fireside in the Dutch oven. I grew up in Idaho’s wild places, roasting marshmallows beside the log cabin campfires my mother taught me to build after warm meals served on tin plates, lovingly cooked in a well-seasoned Dutch oven (or two, or even three).

We would eat peach cobbler and chilli and cornbread and breakfast casseroles, scraping the leftovers into old sour cream containers to be placed in the cooler and reheated for an afternoon snack.

Thus far, I am unable to bring myself to take my young children camping without a trailer of some

of charcoal you use will depend on your Dutch oven size and also the recipe, but it is always better to have more coals and be able to take them away. You can buy a Dutch oven already seasoned or season it yourself--to preserve said seasoning, do not wash with soap, merely rinse out with water and re-oil as needed.

If you’re looking for an easy Dutch oven win, I might suggest campfire donuts, which are a timeless hit for adults and children alike. It really isn’t much of a recipe, which might be good if you’re new to this. Fill a Dutch oven with about two cups

all for around 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft enough. If you want an easier cleanup, you can line the Dutch oven with parchment paper, though it does away with some of the crunchy goodness that otherwise forms.

And sure, many of these recipes could be made inside your home using an oven and casserole dish, but it truly isn’t the same. Dutch oven recipes can be as complicated or simple as you desire, but you can actually taste the love (and occasionally a little bit of leftover ash) in the food in a way that makes it truly special.

PHOTOS Top by Mike Goad Bottom-Peach cobbler photo by Sarah Brown www.idahomemagazine.com

35

HOW TO BE

FUNNY An Interview with SPEED BUMP Cartoonist Dave Coverly

BY KAREN DAY

A dog walks into a bar….

But wait! Dogs don’t walk into bars…

Of course, they do if you are cartoonist Dave Coverly. In his comical anthropomorphic universe, the canines, felines, and bovines exhibit more wit and self-deprecating humor than your best drinking buddies.

Animals say the funniest things in Speed Bump cartoons and usually, we humans suffer the brunt of the joke.

Coverly, 56, is a born and bred Michigan man of unexpectedly serious thoughts in person. Perhaps, this can be attributed to the fact he channeled a double major in writing and philosophy into an unlikely day job as a single-panel cartoonist. This is a quixotic endeavor that requires a daily quest to create one 4 x 4 inch square that inspires thousands of readers to laugh. At themselves. Seven days a week. In 400 newspapers, including The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. That’s some sobering math365 laughs a year, plus books, like his newest, “Cats are People Too”. Then again, as Coverly points out, what other profession would a man who speaks for intelligent animals be suited for?

something I want to say. It’s not like I draw a dog walking into a bar and then think of something hysterical for him to say. The humor is metaphoric.”

In other words, Coverly’s animals not only walk into bars, they speak in metaphors. But one thing they are not is political.

“I can dabble in certain social issues without being too partisan. Right now, I’d really like to be more political, but people don’t open the comics page to see my personal opinions. They read comics to get a rest from editorial commentary. Still, why bother if the cartoon isn’t saying something purposeful? It’s a tough job telling the truth without making people mad,” says Coverly.

Ironically, it was the pinnacle of incendiary cartoons, The New Yorker, that seduced Coverly into social commentary as art. “I started drawing for my high school newspaper. My journalism teacher brought in The New Yorker and suggested I take a serious look. The brilliance tipped me over into the realization that a great cartoon can deliver an ugly truth gently, with a smile,” Coverly explains.

Serious- there’s that word again.

Gentle is another word Coverly uses more than once to describe his work.

“It’s a full-time job. Every day, I go to

“A cartoon is not a stupid joke,” says Coverly. “I start with an idea about 36 www.idahomemagazine.com

my office and start with an idea –(i.e. like an international affairs pedagogue who has never traveled that morphs into a cow cartography cartoon on the opposite page)- I gently push my thoughts in that direction. I call it purposeful daydreaming and my daily ritual. Did you know Beethoven used to get up every day, walk by the river, compose from 2pm-5, and then get drunk. That was his ritual. My point is- I’m not walking around the grocery store and BAM! An idea about a neurotic squirrel hits me and I run home and draw a great cartoon,” Coverly shrugs. “Besides, I’m not even that funny.”

Thousands of loyal readers of Speed Bump cartoons are sure to disagree.

Seriously.

Dave Coverly’s work was named “Best in Newspaper Panels” by the National Cartoonists Society in 1995, 2003, and 2014. In 2009, the same organization gave him its highest honor, the prestigious Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.” Coverly’s cartoons have also appeared in The New Yorker, USA Today, The New York Times, Newsweek, Esquire, Ranger Rick, Jr., and have been a regular feature in Parade.

SPECIAL THANKS to Dave Coverly for sharing his cartoons with IdaHome readers!

Check out more of his bestselling humor at www.speedbump.com www.idahomemagazine.com

37

THE BUSINESS OF TRUCKING

The Wheels of Tech Keep America Moving

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

Whether you’re a carrier or a broker, Truckstop. com promises to save you time and money by utilizing technology to digitally manage your business. They’re what’s known as a digital load board, which is a marketplace where truck owners/operators, shippers, and freight brokers gather to figure out how to keep freight moving. The company also offers TMS software, cargo insurance, truckload payments, spot market rates, and additional freight solutions.

If you’re not in the industry, this may be news to you-Truckstop.com, which is headquartered in tiny New Plymouth, was founded in Idaho in 1995, but many Idahoans aren’t exactly sure what’s going on there. “Our name is a bit of a misnomer,” laughs CEO Paris Cole. “We don’t actually own any truck stops--we’re a technology company.”

Cole grew up in Caldwell, and, though he has traveled and lived elsewhere, was happy to get back to his home state. “This is where my roots are. My wife and I, our families, they’re both still in Idaho. I love the lifestyle,” he says. It’s also a great place for startups--business friendly, and now brimming with talented, motivated professionals--350 of which work for Truckstop.com.

They’re a company poised for growth, and they’ve 38

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already grown so much. Just last year, Truckstop.com caught the attention of Iconiq Capital, a San Francisco private equity firm who made a serious investment that made Truckstop.com one of the most valuable tech companies in the state. Prior, the company was privately held until 2016, when Bregal Sagemount offered a minority equity investment.

Cole explains that it can be tricky to raise capital in Idaho, since most of the capital centers are on the coast-New York and San Francisco being the primary hubs. “It can be a challenge to get those firms to take notice,” he says. At a certain point though, Truckstop.com was hard to ignore. Now, they’ve got offices in Fruitland, Boise, Phoenix, Chicago, Toronto, Hebron, North Dakota, and Fox River Grove, Illinois and around 550 employees in total.

Cole says that, for most people, not much changed when Truckstop.com started working with Iconiq.

“Most investors are very hands off, meaning they don’t get into the day to day. The changes were in the longer term strategy of the business, which is where investors like to spend their time,” he says. “It’s a misconception that investors come in and dramatically change an organization. For us, working with Iconiq allowed us to essentially double our product and development teams over the span of about a month.”

Truckstop.com selected Iconiq because they had a

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

background working with major entrepreneurs on great products, and Cole says they know they could help accelerate Truckstop’s roadmap to bring exciting new things to customers more quickly.

As a tech company, speed and adaptability are important-when Cole started at Truckstop.com seven years ago, he says the transportation and logistics industry was considered a technology laggard. “Now that’s changed dramatically. All of our large customers are becoming technology companies--how it applies to their trucks and to their drivers. There’s been a significant mindset shift, and they’re looking at how technology can help business grow,” he says.

The industry will likely continue to change, but Cole says he’s not sure that humans will ever rely entirely on self driving trucks because of the potential for damage in the event of hackers. He says that Truckstop.com is positioning themselves to accommodate change, however it may look.

“Truckstop helped enable the For now, that change comes movement of freight in this by way of a global pandemic. For Truckstop.com employees, this has country, and I think it’s something that, until recently, people meant working 100% remotely, which Cole says has been smooth took for granted. But, because thanks to the professionalism of of things like supply chain each of their employees. For the shortages, people have a greater trucking industry, the change has appreciation for this industry, and been more pronounced. Flatbed we’re a vital part of that.” freight, which tends to be more industrial, dropped overnight.

Refrigerated freight spiked. “Then, all types of freight declined to levels that we haven’t seen since the Great Recession of ‘08 and ‘09. We’ve never seen that level of decline in such a short period of time in our company’s 25 year history,” Cole says.

But things are coming back--Cole says that freight volumes are increasing, and if they continue as is, may even exceed what they were in 2019. Like all of us, Truckstop.com is persevering, helping truckers move the freight that keeps us moving. “Truckstop helped enable the movement of freight in this country, and I think it’s something that, until recently, people took for granted. But, because of things like supply chain shortages, people have a greater appreciation for this industry, and we’re a vital part of that. We strive to help our customers--to make it easier for them to keep the country running. I’m extremely proud of that, and this little company that started in New Plymouth, Idaho,” Cole says.

Photos courtesy of Truckstop.com

www.idahomemagazine.com

39

SECRETS FROM DECORATORS

BY GUINEVERE ALLEN

C

lients often ask if it’s possible to

Crystal, Mirror and Light: The Illusion of Expansion

accentuate natural light in a home

while creating the illusion of space.

The expansion of urban living in the Treasure Valley appears to have finally realized a sweet spot between luxury and convenience as

Boise’s urban center expands its infrastructure and footprint.

The coveted ideal of land ownership as an inherent component of real estate investment is—in theory— compensated for by height and light in urban design.

Many loft spaces feature elevated ceilings of fourteen feet or more and copious amounts of windows. Drawing the eye upward helps to maximize the feeling of height in loft spaces, while pulling the natural light inward.

Custom built pieces, such as library walls, can help to visually expand urban interiors when designed from floor to ceiling rather than leaving space above something like a media cabinet. Likewise, window drapery can add tremendously to the illusion of expansion when installed just under the ceiling rather than above the window frame. Add crystal finials to drapery hardware that enhance and refract the natural light from outside. Try accent pieces that are made from metal (such as silver), rather than ceramic or wood, that will communicate with the light of your space by reflecting it outward.

Install large wall mirrors in strategic locations—such as opposite accent lights—to create the optical illusion of doubling the actual space while further reflecting the natural window light. Favor glass and nickel table pieces over wood. Mix antiques with contemporary accents and enjoy an expansive feel in an otherwise enclosed space.

All of these tips can help to create a feeling of expansion in urban residences that don’t offer outdoor spaces per se. Taking an eclectic approach can make this transformation fun and personal.

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Large wall mirrors opposite accent lights help create the optical illlustion of doubling the actual space while reflecting light.

Guinevere Allen has fifteen years of interior design experience and is currently a design consultant with Ethan Allen.

FRESH AIR. FRESH IDEAS.

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