This stately Four Square home, set on a prominent corner lot in Capitol Hill, has been thoughtfully reimagined to enhance light, views, and indoor-outdoor connections. While the ground floor layout remained largely intact, the kitchen was completely transformed, and a new powder room was added. A redesigned staircase now flows seamlessly through all three levels. Upstairs, a new primary suite and two additional bathrooms modernize the second floor, while a reworked roofline on the third floor increases head height, making the space more functional with the addition of a small bath and laundry. Though the basement was previously remodeled, extensive structural updates were required to support the home’s improvements. Rich in detail, the interiors feature custom touches like a bespoke pantry armoire and salvaged pocket doors sourced from the East Coast, blending timeless character with thoughtful modern updates.

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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 upgraded a very typical ranch-style home with a second story primary suite addition, as well as a gut renovation of the existing ground level. We were able to create an open great room space the entire depth of the house, as well as a new backyard patio adjacent expanding this living area. The second story addition of a primary suite, whose bedroom was also focused toward the expansive backyard, was placed above the great room, allowing us to preserve some of the existing roofline, as well as the existing foundations while completely transforming the look and function of the house.

 

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Situated in Seattle’s Mt. Baker neighborhood, this project transformed a single-story house with a basement into a 5,000-square-foot, four-level residence while retaining its original footprint.

The basement was redesigned into a self-contained, 1,000-square-foot Attached Accessory Dwelling Unit (AADU). This unit includes two bedrooms and occupies the entire basement level, aside from a small mechanical and storage areas allocated to the main house.

The first level serves as the central living space, featuring an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area that takes full advantage of Lake Washington views. This floor also includes the main entry, a guest bedroom, a powder room, and a private office.

The second level is dedicated to private family living, comprising a spacious primary suite, two children’s bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a laundry room, and a flexible play area.

The top level, subtly integrated into the roofline, houses an expansive lounge with access to a large deck offering panoramic views of Lake Washington, making it ideal for relaxation or entertaining.

A double-height entryway connects the first and second levels visually, while an open riser staircase provides a seamless flow across the three main floors, emphasizing the vertical integration of the design.

The house was designed to incorporate a large south facing solar array, significantly greater than code required insulation, and an HRV system for constant filtered fresh air supply to the house.

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Located in the Arroyos Heights neighborhood of Seattle, this project transformed a mid-century single-story home with a partially finished basement into a modern, energy-efficient two-story residence, with a remodeled basement space. A 600-square-foot second-story primary suite addition now crowns the home, offering sweeping views of the Puget Sound and serving as a focal point of the redesign.

The main level was reconfigured to create an open-concept layout, connecting the living, dining, and kitchen areas for a more cohesive and inviting space. A new view deck was added to the front of the house, maximizing the home’s connection to the stunning vistas.

The new second level features a vaulted-ceiling primary bedroom with sweeping corner views to Puget Sound. The primary bathroom contains a walk-in two-person shower, separate water closet and walk-in closet.

The basement underwent a complete remodel, now housing a guest bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, a laundry room, a family room featuring a wet bar, and a dedicated office space. These updates provide versatility and expanded living areas suited for the owner’s various needs, and separate spaces for their visiting guests.

Exterior improvements include regrading the front yard, replacing rockeries with retaining walls, and designing a revised pathway to the front entry, ensuring a polished and welcoming outdoor experience. Additionally, the home was designed with sustainability in mind, featuring insulation that surpasses code requirements and large solar arrays on the south and west-facing roofs.

 

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Many of our jobs are for repeat clients, and this project is an example of just that. A previous client of ours (we designed their primary home) asked us to see how they could add two additional bedrooms and a bathroom to their vacation home in Breckenridge, CO. Of course, we jumped at the chance to visit one of the best ski resorts in the nation and to help our clients solve some problems with their home.

Along with the additional bedrooms and bath, they wanted to remodel and enlarge the daylight basement bathroom. Along with the family/media room, the basement also contained a bunk room for the kids to sleep. The existing small adjacent bathroom made it difficult for more than one kid to get ready at one time. Considering the bunk room sleeps up to 6 kids (and sometimes more) we were given the challenge to design a bathroom that could accommodate multiple kids at once.

The existing upper level of the home contained two existing bedrooms with their own en-suite bathrooms. A bridge over a large great room provided access to these bedrooms. The logical location of the new bedrooms was over the existing master bedroom and bathroom since this location could also be accessed from the bridge. This provided a generous total of 4 bedrooms upstairs plus 2 private baths and one new shared bathroom. In adding on over the master suite, a vaulted ceiling within the existing master bedroom and bathroom had to be removed. In its place, we designed a ceiling of tongue and groove pine framed in pine logs (picking up on existing details in the house). We installed a new window above the door to the deck so the owner could see the stars at night.

In a vacation home bathrooms are one of the most important spaces because people tend to get ready around the same time. The key to designing these two new bathrooms was figuring out how multiple people could use the space at once. To accomplish this, we started by locating the toilet in its own separate room accessed through a lockable door. Then we figured out how someone can shower at the same time. In the upper level bath, we cantilevered a bay off the side of the house to create a generous showering space with glass enclosure. This allowed the shower space to have a beautiful view to the woods and mountains. Installing an etched glass door between the sink area allows for light to filter through the spaces. In the basement bathroom, there wasn’t enough space to create a separate showering room, so we installed an etched glass door with a lock, made the shower compartment a bit larger than normal, and installed hooks inside the shower for a robe and towels. This allows a kid to use the shower while another can use the toilet and two others can use the sinks. Both vanities are designed to accommodate traveling guests with shelves for toiletry bags, extra linens, etc. We chose materials, fixtures, and finishes for both bathrooms to not deviate too far from existing finishes, but provide an updated and modern, yet rustic look.

 

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There were many problems with this craftsman home, but through adding a second story addition, and tweaking the floor plan, we were able to create a spacious and functional family home. The second story addition added much needed space for a growing family. The main level bedrooms were revised to create a larger shared bedroom for two boys, and a single bedroom for a girl. An adjacent bathroom was moved to create more space in the existing kitchen. We revised the kitchen, adding a new kitchen island, and replacing the countertops. The dining room was opened up to the expanded kitchen.

An unsafe and steep stair to the basement was replaced with a new code-compliant stair connecting all three levels. Large windows in the stairwell flood the interior with natural light. We positioned the new master bedroom at the rear of the home, to take advantage of views over an adjacent ravine and park. A gas fireplace creates a cozy nook for reading and relaxing. The master bath incorporates a large tiled shower, two sinks, and separate toilet room. Across the hall is a walk-in closet with its own laundry hookups.

 

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Over the years we’ve observed that West Seattle has some of the funkiest and also most interesting homes in the City. This existing home leaned a bit more toward the funky, having been previously remodeled on the lower level but not the upper. With an amazing west facing view of the Sound, we could tell this would be an opportunity to create something both special and interesting.

Our clients expressed a desire to construct a new second story with a master suite to capitalize on the amazing view but also gave us the challenge of limiting the amount of structural work necessary to accomplish this. The site also had its own challenges, being on a steep slope, which limited the possible area of development, and a high wind zone, which made modifications to the existing structure more challenging.

After examining our options and consulting with one of our structural engineers, we decided to construct the new addition mostly over an existing, very solidly built ‘bunker garage’. Due to its sturdy concrete construction we were able to locate the majority of the new addition over the garage without any modifications to the existing garage foundation. The new addition added two levels of covered decks which greatly increased outdoor living space facing the amazing view. Located on the top floor, the master bedroom faces the view while being nestled next to an existing pine tree, giving the feeling of being in a tree house.

Of course the main level was remodeled to match the craftsman aesthetic of the existing lower level, and we redesigned the deck stairway and main level deck to provide better access to outdoor spaces.

 

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This old Seattle cottage in Madison Park had good bones but needed some serious updating and rearranging of the floor plan. The existing stairs were too steep and dangerous and were not located in an ideal location. The basement was unfinished and the upper level was partially finished, but lacked a bathroom.

We started the design process by determining a new location for the stairs to connect all three levels of the home. A new dormer was incorporated into the roof to house the stairs and also to increase the head height for a new master bathroom addition. The entire upstairs was remodeled into one large master suite with deluxe walk-in closet and dressing area. On the main level, all the spaces were remodeled including a new kitchen. The basement was excavated and a new guest suite (that also functions as a family room) was developed. A laundry room was tucked into the basement as well.

Windows, siding, and roofing were replaced, and a new front entry cover and stairway was designed to make the house more appealing and attractive. The driveway and garage door were widened to allow normal size cars to use the garage.

 

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