1950: Roland Terry and Pete Wimberley collaborated on the original design. Terry wanted a timeless place of Frank Lloyd Wright discipline and subtlety, while Wimberley dreamed of a restaurant where guests would feel comfortable kicking their shoes off under the table. Together they created an architectural icon that captures the beauty of the Northwest with breathtaking splendor.

1984: Famed interior designer Jean Jongeward led the team that gave Canlis its first major facelift in over thirty years. Jongeward wanted to show off the depth of Northwest textiles. She blended wool and copper to create stunning fabrics to accent the Irene McGowan copper fixtures throughout. Some of these originals are still in the restaurant today.

1996: When architect Jim Cutler was asked to do a major remodel and expansion, he chose to reveal the building’s original structure, to release what was hidden inside. Dark paint was stripped from the massive old-growth cedar beams; stone columns were allowed to extend upwards to the full height of the restaurant; light and landscape from outside flooded in through a new translucent wall. The forty-six year old building came alive with a new vitality.

2005: Nationally acclaimed home designer Doug Rasar brought serenity and warmth to the most recent re-design. Creating a zen-like connection that brought the outdoors to interior spaces, Rasar used handmade organic wall coverings and installed gardens by David Pfeiffer. As a result, every surface, every stitch, every detail are echoes of man’s clever submission to his natural environment. After 55 years, Canlis continues to define the essence of Northwest design and architecture.

Special thanks to: Doug Rasar, Jim Cutler, Stephan Gulassa, Donghia, Holly Hunt, Winston Wachter Gallery, Honeychurch Antiques, Isamu Noguchi, Glant Textiles, Fortuny, Cannon & Bullock, and Deb and Randy Brittan of Village Interiors.