Skip to content

Vintage Glass Gardens’ Reimagined Silver Service is for the Birds

One-of-a-kind birdhouses serve a repurpose.

By Nia Martin July 27, 2017

Vintage-Glass-Gardens-9_NEW

This article originally appeared in the July 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.

Not everyone can look at a vintage silver teapot and see the potential for something new. But Lake Forest Park–based Suzanne Quirk can—and did. The owner of Vintage Glass Gardens (pieces available at garden shows or by appointment) has put pieces from silver services and birdhouses together like peanut butter and jelly. Her one-of-a-kind birdhouses range from small to large ($75–$125), from sugar bowls to coffee urns, with teapots in the middle. Meant for smaller birds, such as chickadees and wrens, the birdhouses are designed by Quirk’s mother, Neoma Hoefle, and built and assembled by Quirk’s father, Dave. All the houses are cleaned, given drainage holes and sealed spouts so rain cannot enter—keeping our feathered friends comfortable and dry year-round.

 

Follow Us

Coasting Into Calm

Coasting Into Calm

After purchasing a weather-worn, ant-infested cabin on an Oregon beach, a Seattle couple hires a regional team to transform it into a stylish weekend retreat.

When architect Andrew Montgomery first pulled up to his clients’ house in Arch Cape, Oregon, there were logs in the driveway, courtesy of the sizable swells that come with the coast’s king tides. At just 28 feet above sea level and as close as you can get to the water without being on the beach,…

Blueprints for Building Community

Blueprints for Building Community

After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.

Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.

It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…

Collaborating Cultures

Collaborating Cultures

Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.

For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…