When a couple of creatives snapped up a residence in Seattle’s woodsy Denny-Blaine neighborhood, it was a 1990s postmodern structure with bright-red cladding and tiered cornices. It wasn’t exactly the duo’s style, but they saw the potential for turning the house into a calming, modern retreat. Working with the local firm SHED Architecture, the owners, their three kids, and two dogs now occupy the three-story home they describe as like living in a treehouse.
One of the main reference points for the 2,820-square-foot abode was the distinctive architecture of the Sea Ranch community along Northern California’s rugged Pacific Coast. The couple wanted to bring in a purposeful sense of simplicity and harmony with the environment, and the home’s compact footprint makes use of natural materials like ash built-ins for storage and display and open-gap cedar cladding along the exterior. There are touches of Nordic minimalism and Danish hygge on display, thanks to the largely neutral color palette and warm accents such as a reading nook on the upper level and a freestanding fireplace in the living room.
The kitchen is the main gathering space, flowing through to the dining room and the deck.
Rafael Soldi
Among the biggest changes during the redesign was the expansion and reorientation of the kitchen, which the family now uses as the main gathering place when hosting friends and family. A small den in the original floor plan was taken out so that the kitchen could face west and spill through to the dining room and the full-length deck. Overlooking a private, wooded part of the property, the deck is lined with a built-in bench and custom planters that bring greenery in even closer proximity to the residence.
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On the upper level, the primary suite was renovated for added privacy and to better frame the poplars standing at attention outside. A skylight is positioned above the bed, flooding the bedroom with natural light and brightening up the blue accent wall behind the headboard. The primary bathroom, meanwhile, is done up in gray tile from floor to ceiling, with privacy glass partitioning off the bathtub. There are an additional two bedrooms up here, along with an office/bedroom on the main level and a surprisingly chic Murphy bed in the lower-level family room/guest room.
The primary suite was redesigned for extra privacy, with a leafy view out a stand of poplar trees.
Rafael Soldi
To complement the stylish design, the home was also built with Passive House strategies in mind. With net-zero targets in place, the residence includes a nine-kilowatt solar array, high-efficiency systems, continuous exterior insulation, and whole-house electrification.
Click here to see all the photos of the Seattle home.
Rafael Soldi
Authors
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Tori Latham