Seahawks pride shines bright at Othello home

California native Sharon Ensz sometimes gets accused of being a bandwagon Seahawks fan.

But the Othello woman says her love for the star-studded team blossomed years before it made back-to-back runs to the Super Bowl.

And to prove her allegiance to the Seahawks, Ensz, with help from her husband, Roger, decided to get creative.

The couple transformed their three-bedroom, 2,200-square-foot home into a Seahawks-themed property that includes custom paint jobs, a massive hand-drawn logo and intricate yard decorations.

To say the home on East Oak Street sticks out from others in the neighborhood is an understatement.

“I was nervous at first that it wasn’t going to look cool,” said Sharon, who started the transformation more than a year ago. “It’s pretty unique with the colors. We have the corner house, so we feel special.”

Sharon moved to Washington a little more than a decade ago and married Roger in 2004. She has always been a football fan — something she got from her father — but never rooted for any of the teams in California, choosing instead to cheer on America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Shortly after getting married, the Enszes became Seahawks fans, following the team as they were led by quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck and coach Mike Holmgren. However, it wasn’t until the Seahawks made their more recent runs to the Super Bowl that the Enszes decided to take their fandom to another level.

Inspired by a Facebook post showing a Seattle-area home painted in Seahawks colors, Sharon asked Roger if they could give their place a makeover.

“I was surprised he said yes,” Sharon said.

Roger is a contractor who used to build homes before focusing on remodels, so his knowledge and skills were relied on heavily as the couple began the transformation process, Sharon said.

They toyed with different shades of blue until they found the perfect match. Roger then spray-painted the home, and they added white trim. The doors were painted neon green. The painting project took about two days.

Roger then waited until the sun began to set and used a projector to display a logo — fierce-looking Seahawk eyes — on the top floor of the house. He traced the image and hand-painted it.

A large 12, the number used to represent Seahawks fans, was painted on the garage door with an overlapping team logo.

After the better part of a week, the Enszes had one of the best Seahawks-themed houses in all of the state.

Neighbors and others instantly started stopping by to take pictures of the masterpiece.

“Most people like it,” Sharon said. “We have a guy who is (an Oakland) Raiders fan across the street; he doesn’t like it. But most people like it.”

Sharon has continued to add the theme during the past year or so. There are Seahawks flags, neon green plant pots, a team-colored windmill and bench, and a fence that matches the house.

And the Enszes have four-wheelers painted in Seahawks colors. Sharon’s pickup also is decorated.

Although there is no mistaking that the Enszes are Seahawks fans by looking at the outside of their home, Sharon said there’s barely any team memorabilia inside.

People from across the state and Northwest routinely stop by to take pictures and chat about the team, Sharon said. She hands out Skittles, the favorite candy of star Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

Despite some friendly jokes from friends after a Seahawks loss, the Enszes have no plans to change the theme anytime soon.

They plan to watch the divisional-round playoff game Jan. 17 against the Carolina Panthers in the comfort of their home.

Sharon is confident that if the Seahawks can get by the Panthers, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a third trip to the Super Bowl is in her team’s future.

“I think we can go all the way,” she said.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Seahawks pride shines bright at Othello home."