Livingroom Landscape is a Seattle-based team of designers and horticulturists founded by Jay Paganini and Kelly Tivnan in 2021.
Their unique combined experience encompasses many elements of the design world, not limited to landscape spatial design, plant and garden design, local biodiversity, and fine arts. Their goal is to collaborate with their clients to create urban meadows, unique outdoor spaces, and gardens that bring people closer to nature on a daily basis. These outdoor spaces allow people to experience the restorative quality of plants and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
We caught up with Jay and Kelly at one of their recently completed projects, Hawthorne House, located in Seattle by Seward Park. The goals of this space were to create a low-maintenance, drought-resistant, and pollinator-friendly design that complimented the house’s mid-century architecture. They have a commitment to sustainable practices with a focus on techniques that are gentle and collaborative considering the local climate, site-specific requirements, and the aesthetic goals of the individual clients. They are currently accepting new design and landcare clients. Reach out to them directly to learn more about the services they offer or to schedule a garden design consultation.
GW: When did the two of you meet and what inspired you to start Livingroom together?
KT: The first time we met was in 2018 at the Seattle Art Fair. A mutual friend introduced us there. At the time, I was visiting family in Seattle and Jay had just returned to the area from living in South America. A friend emphasized how we had to meet, because of being expats having lived abroad. In 2019, when I officially migrated back to Seattle, I was reminded of Jay and we met up and we immediately connected not only as creatives, but we bonded over our similar past lives and familiar histories. We realized we shared an appreciation of design and a love for healing spaces. Ironically, over the pandemic we both independently shifted our focus to the outdoors, to garden design, horticulture, and permaculture. Coincidentally, when I started the Holistic Landscape Design program at Bastyr University Jay was already working under her mentor as a residential gardener. Upon graduating, I bravely asked Jay to join me at my Garden Creator Booth at the 2021 NW Flower and Garden Show. We used that as an opportunity to launch Livingroom Landscape and…
JP: We haven’t looked back! And like Kel mentioned healing spaces, we’re doing it, we just didn’t consider that it could exist outside.
GW: We love your natural approach to landscape design. What are your favorite elements of what you do? And how are the services offered at Livingroom different from other landscape design companies? Who are your target customers? What kind of projects are you most excited about working on?
KT: Thanks! Our collective belief regarding our approach to garden design integrates our genuine love for plants and creating healing spaces. We paint with plants, developing layers, textures, and seasonality. We deeply consider our clients’ aesthetics and ultimately we attempt to empower them to interact with a uniquely curated space. Our practice is rooted in nurture and nature. We also enjoy leaving it better than we found it. Maybe the difference between us and a lot of traditional landscape companies out there is that we are women-owned, and just the two of us. We like to keep our business modest and intimate.
JP: That said, we truly enjoy all types of projects, from petite intimate gardens to expansive properties that we continue to care for as the landscapes mature and flourish. Hawthorn House, where we are right now, for example, we’ve watched this garden flourish over the last few years and have created a relationship with it and our clients, and that’s really important to us. Also, and fortunately, our passion for learning keeps us engaged, and gardening is an ever-evolving experiment! Each project offers us insights that allow us to grow with every new challenge.
GW: Tell us more about your studio and nursery in Carnation. What are some of your goals for this space?
JP: (Laughing) Our studio and nursery space in Carnation is very much a work in progress. It requires a significant investment of time and energy, something that's often challenging to manage as small business owners juggling multiple priorities.
KT: Luckily, we found it and it is a place where we go to primarily work on designs. What we love about it mostly, is that we planted a show garden there, which is filling in nicely after its first season. It will eventually be a place to buy plants and materials for gardening but in the meantime, it's nice to have a place to work out of and to store our plants for projects.
JP: Currently, it's not open to the public, but stay tuned, we’d love to have you out there once we’re ready for visitors.
GW: How would you describe your personal style? What are some of the core elements you look for when selecting pieces for your wardrobe?
JP: Certainly a capsule. I don’t own very many items of clothing, and my style is very, as Kel would put it, “universal, and pragmatic,” I would add classic, and comfortable. Having spent much of my twenties and thirties in Europe and South America, two regions with very distinct cultures and climates, my wardrobe needed to be adaptable and float between environments. These days, much of my time is spent outdoors in gardens, in stables, and playing with my niece, so I favor honest, durable materials, and nothing can be too delicate or precious.
KT: Well, I think I have a functional and minimalistic relationship with much of my clothing. Comfort and materials are important to me. I like knowing where my clothes come from and how they are made. I like quality and a good story. I also try to avoid a manufacturing’s heavy footprint and seek items that will last a long time. I know what I do whether gardening or painting or playing around, I have the potential to get dirty. So, I have a classic curated and cozy vibe and a not too sacred look for “work” and I love the opportunity to dress up too! I also realize I have a specific influence from growing up here and thrifting to living in Berlin for over a decade. I like combining old and new pieces together. I like pops of color or pattern every once in a while as a sort of optical celebration. Typically, I wake up and look at my wardrobe and will select what to wear based on my feelings about a color. I have a nickname that has followed me around between people that know me well, I’m called “monochromatica” in these moments when I wear tones of one shade, a random gradation all at once, from socks, underwear to shirts and pants.
GW: What are your favorite elements or aspects of living in Seattle / PNW?
JP: For me, it's all about my family. Being here means being home, and after spending so many years abroad, I'm finally able to spend more time with them. We're incredibly close, and that connection is something I deeply cherish. But beyond that, the Pacific Northwest, Washington in particular, is breathtaking. I’m constantly in awe of its natural beauty and the vast diversity of its landscapes. It feels like every time I look around, there's something new to appreciate: the rugged coastlines of the peninsula, the temperate rainforests, the expansive agricultural fields, and the alpine meadows of the Cascades. Then there’s the Eastside, where my grandparents and now my aunties live, with its dramatic scablands and pine forests. It’s a place that defies description because it’s so emotional, and I often find myself at a loss for words trying to express just how much it all means to me.
KT: Like Jay, I also returned to be closer to my family. But hello, the nature!! There is so much biodiversity here. I love the proximity to the mountains and water. Landscapes can be emotional, and nostalgic… Something in the scenery in most seasons has the potential to get me every time I take a moment to reflect in it. The colors, sounds and textures found from the river to the forest floor to the city. I like having a balance between all kinds of landscapes, but mostly, unless the architecture or design is stunning or cozy, or the food is really good. I gravitate towards saying the Nature here is the best. We’re also lucky to live in a very fertile area. We have some amazing local farms that grow some incredible produce. That obviously is a favorite detail about where we live that inspires me.
Connect with Livingroom Landscape
lvngrmlndscp.com/
Email: hello@lvngrmlndscp.com
Photography by Ben Lindbloom
View Jesse Kamm styles featured on Jay & Kel here.