Perched on a scenic corner lot in West Seattle, this replacement home embraces sweeping Puget Sound views while enhancing functionality and flow. By shifting the entry to the long side of the house, we optimized the layout and created a more welcoming arrival. An L-shaped front garden and fenced rear yard provide inviting outdoor spaces, while the home’s existing two-car garage now supports a large solar array. Inside, a custom staircase connects three thoughtfully designed levels. The open-plan main floor centers around the view, with expansive sliding doors leading to a heated deck. Upstairs, the primary suite enjoys the best sightlines, while two additional bedrooms and a spacious laundry complete the level. A hybrid insulation system and all-electric Mitsubishi heat pump ensure year-round efficiency and comfort. The basement offers a generous family room, guest suite, office, and storage. This home balances sustainability, practicality, and stunning Pacific Northwest views.

 

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Nestled in a heavily treed residential area of Kirkland, Washington, this new home gracefully replaces a modest single-story dwelling on an expansive 9,500 SF lot. Designed to offer over 4,600 SF of luxurious living space with an oversized three-car garage, this custom-built home parallels the northern boundary of the site, ensuring the primary living areas are bathed in southern light.

A striking entry space with custom stairs elegantly separates the front arrival from the rear autocourt. The main level connects seamlessly to an upper lawn area, creating a harmonious indoor-outdoor flow. Emphasizing sustainable design, all viable trees were preserved, with only one non-viable tree removed. Inside, the main level features a front-facing office and open living, dining, and kitchen areas that extend to the generous covered patio with outdoor heaters. The upper level boasts four bedrooms, including a versatile room at the top of the stairs, ideal for TV, guests, play, or homework. The primary bedroom offers serene privacy at the rear, complete with a spacious bathroom and custom closet system.

 

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Located just blocks away from Capitol Hill’s picturesque Volunteer Park, this triplex blends new and old to fit into its historical context. Originally on the site was a dilapidated rental with a failing foundation. The property has been thoughtfully reimagined to optimize the LR-2 zoning while honoring the charm of its early 1900s neighboring homes. Positioned between two single-family houses, we minimized the building’s scale by employing a steeper front roof pitch, creating a harmonious blend with the surrounding structures even though the building is a full story taller. The building features a 3 bedroom 2.25 bath owner’s unit occupying the top two floors, a 2 bedroom 2 bath rental unit occupying the ground level, and a 1 bedroom 1 bath occupying the daylight basement. An elevator connects the owner’s 1 car garage to the upper floors. The design of each unit enjoys its own private outdoor space. Collaborating with Francine Day, we designed the landscape to meet Seattle’s Green Factor requirements, incorporating drought-tolerant plantings for sustainable urban living. On the interior, large windows and window bays, and carefully designed spaces make the most of the narrow site. Constructed to Built Green 4 and 5 star standards, the triplex not only features green materials, but efficient mechanical systems and superior insulation, along with a host of other green features.

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Perched above Lake Washington in desirable Holmes Point, this 1977 Northwest contemporary home had good bones, but needed to be remodeled. The unique reverse floor plan, featuring living areas above and bedrooms below, was ideal for our clients and captured the views from the most frequently used spaces. The inefficiently designed kitchen that was located behind view blocking walls was reimagined to integrate seamlessly with the main living areas, offering panoramic views of Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains. On the middle level, the cramped primary bathroom was transformed into a luxurious space, with a large double vanity, walk-in shower, and soaking tub, all adorned with high-end finishes. The central stair was reworked with new treads and risers and railings. Additionally, the home’s mechanical systems were updated to ensure optimal functionality and comfort, which is challenging in a 3 level home with open staircase. The exterior was refreshed with new siding and a new paint scheme. This thoughtful remodel brings the property up to date, enhancing both its aesthetics and practicality while maintaining its original Northwest Contemporary character.

 

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Nestled on the edge of a Native Growth Protection Area, this 4,500 SF custom-designed home offers breathtaking views of Lake Washington from its upper floors and expansive roof deck. At the entry, a striking stairway serves as a focal point but also creates a visual barrier from the oversized six-car garage in the rear. The main level features an open layout with living, dining, kitchen, and breakfast nook areas. It opens to a view deck with a double-sided indoor/outdoor fireplace, while the rear opens to another deck with access to the rear yard and autocourt. Accessibility and aging in place are supported by a residential elevator serving all levels of the home. The upper level boasts four large bedrooms, all with walk-in closets, and a full-size laundry room. The custom staircase leads to a spacious roof deck high above everything surrounding it, offering stunning views of Lake Washington. The exterior is clad in a mix of durable cement board siding and natural materials, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.

 

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This house in Madrona was an exercise in maximizing the potential of a small lot.  With only 2,400 SF of area and substantial elevation change, the envelope was constrained, but the steep slope and corner location provided beautiful views of Lake Washington and Bellevue beyond.  The house bends in the middle, both to capture these views and fit on the irregular lot, with a lightwell and stair at the elbow distributing light from skylights above.  The roof of the house repeats this bend, tilting up at the East to allow for expansive glazing but continuing down on the West side, helping the scale of the house and providing area for solar panels. We used a reverse plan, with an open great room and roof deck on the highest level offering vaulted ceilings and sweeping views.  A buried garage connects to the house on the lower level, with a dumbwaiter used to help move groceries to the kitchen.

 

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Located on a street of historic homes in Capitol Hill, this 1,850 SF home built in 1922 has undergone a complete transformation. The interior finishes blend classic aesthetics with enduring durability, while the main level’s newly revised open floor plan offers modern conveniences. Key upgrades include a new powder room, redesigned stairs for a gracious transition to the dining area, and a revamped entry with coat storage. The dining room and living room locations were switched to provide better flow and furniture placement. Upstairs, one large bedroom was cleverly converted into two, and the bathrooms received a modern makeover. The basement now features a remodeled laundry room and ample storage space. The renovation was not just skin deep; it included a full replacement of mechanical systems, introducing both radiant heating and forced air conditioning. A commitment to sustainability is showcased with the addition of a large solar array and Tesla Powerwall batteries. The exterior shines brightly with a cheerful new color, completing this comprehensive renovation.

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This project for a developer in Kenmore created a modern farmhouse with plenty of connection to outdoor space. We worked around the existing large trees onsite, both one at the front yard which became the focal point of the curved driveway access and several behind the house which provide a beautiful backdrop to the double height living space and immediately adjacent covered outdoor patio. An open plan concept for the great room at the back of the house flows into the backyard outdoor space and provides a spacious feeling. Above the attached garage, this project also includes an attached accessory dwelling unit with a separate access allowing it to be used flexibly, either rented out, or as an addition to the main house.

 

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Nestled in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, this home originally built in 2016 boasts spectacular roof-level views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The original house already had a small roof deck but lacked interior space to enjoy the views from. When the owner’s contractor approached us to see if it was possible to design an addition within the height limit, we measured and studied the property, analyzed zoning codes, and confirmed the house’s existing two-level status with a basement. This enabled us to propose a dormer addition that complied with zoning code as well as Seattle’s fire sprinkler regulations required for a four-level home, but not for a three-level home with a basement. The new dormer integrates a large viewing window in an enclosed area that opens to an expanded roof deck. The exterior received a facelift with Shou Sugi Ban rainscreen siding, along with new windows and doors, transforming the home while preserving its original modern form.

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This project re-imagined a house in the Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle, completely transforming the look and connection to the site. In a three-story, 1300 SF addition, we added an attached garage, a new living space with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Lake Washington, and an expansive primary suite upstairs. The backyard was completely re-done, adding a patio with a fire pit and basketball court, in addition to a new stairs connecting the outdoor space with the living spaces above. We detailed the house exterior, completely refreshing and modernizing the look and adding an entry steel and glass awning and wood veneer panels. The project added windows throughout provide views and connection to the site. Completely re-done lighting, both inside the house and in the new backyard, tied everything together and added to the feeling of the finished product as a brand new house.

 

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