Reinventing a House and Yard to Enjoy the View
Blue Ridge View Home
Close collaboration between design team, homeowners, and the contractor led to beautiful custom features in this residential remodel.
The owners of this stunning view home knew they’d found something special, but their new home was stuck in the 1980s and the yard had never been adequately designed at all. Eager to make it their own, they turned to our collaborative team of designers to develop the timeless sensibility they wanted in their forever home. As often occurs, they approached us with a general vision for modest updates for their home. As the design took shape, however, more possibilities opened up to create the truly made-for-them home they couldn’t resist. The resulting project highlights our integrated approach from the outside in.
The number one goal for this home was to bring it out of the ’80s and into a modern but timeless aesthetic. Outside, the clients were mindful of their neighbors and wanted to preserve the neighborhood charm while increasing the usable space for their two young children. This meant simplifying the façade in place by whitewashing the lower brick to match the wood cladding at the second story. New black-framed windows build drama, while custom cedar garage doors add warmth and balance to the high-contrast palette.
In the front yard, they prioritized making a connection to the neighborhood: to be fully present, rather than a house and yard hidden away. Carefully editing the existing plants, we created an open lawn and patio that feels comfortable and welcoming. Though small, these exterior upgrades set the stage for more significant updates within. Inside, no room was left untouched, with a thoughtful and consistent design theme throughout.
A Fresh New Face
A new exterior color scheme breathes new life into what had been a dated street presence: custom wood garage doors, bright white siding and trim (including painting the brick), and new windows in a contrasting dark frame. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
A Fresh New Face
A new exterior color scheme breathes new life into what had been a dated street presence: custom wood garage doors, bright white siding and trim (including painting the brick), and new windows in a contrasting dark frame. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
A Deck with a View for Days
With endless views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, this deck was transformed into an open and inviting space, complete with visual warmth from natural wood accents, and actual warmth from infrared heaters. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
A Deck with a View for Days
With endless views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, this deck was transformed into an open and inviting space, complete with visual warmth from natural wood accents, and actual warmth from infrared heaters. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Folding Glass Doors
Folding glass walls between the deck, kitchen, and dining room create easy and inviting passageways from indoors to out. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Folding Glass Doors
Folding glass walls between the deck, kitchen, and dining room create easy and inviting passageways from indoors to out. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Blue Ridge View Home
Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
The kitchen sits center-stage as a striking tribute to the clients’ commitment to beautiful yet functional family living. A large central island anchors the bustle of an active kitchen. Set between a dining area and living room space, all three zones flow seamlessly together as the heart of the home, designed for gathering. Oriented toward their sweeping Puget Sound views, each space shares a captivating pull to the outdoors. Folding glass walls opening to a spacious deck, allowing the “room” to blend from inside to out as a larger space.
Flooding the Room with Light
Floor-to-ceiling windows flood this room with natural light, all while ensuring the family never misses a glimpse of that view. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Flooding the Room with Light
Floor-to-ceiling windows flood this room with natural light, all while ensuring the family never misses a glimpse of that view. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Feature Island
A spacious island — outfitted with blue cabinetry to break up the white walls and wood finishes — serves as a functional and timeless centerpiece of the kitchen. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Feature Island
A spacious island — outfitted with blue cabinetry to break up the white walls and wood finishes — serves as a functional and timeless centerpiece of the kitchen. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Living Room
Though situated as a cozy lounge anchored by the fireplace, the open concept on this level means kitchen and living room flow together seamlessly, making the space perfect for entertaining as well as family time. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Living Room
Though situated as a cozy lounge anchored by the fireplace, the open concept on this level means kitchen and living room flow together seamlessly, making the space perfect for entertaining as well as family time. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
The family’s private quarters also benefited from streamlined updates. Mirroring the palette of the home’s exterior, white with black accents paired with natural wood materials prevail. Clever built-ins providing space for display and storage enhance the desired sense of order and calm as you enter the primary bedroom suite. The primary suite bathroom features a large double vanity dressed in the same blue as the kitchen island. Sleek, yet welcoming, the five-piece bathroom is enlarged by an eye-catching double shower and a stately clawfoot tub. Subtle contrasting grout adds depth and warmth to the otherwise classically white bathroom with plenty of spa-like natural light.
Serene Primary Suite
With white walls, natural wood finishes, and a fireplace tiled in a neutral gray, the primary bedroom suite stays true to the home’s new modern and timeless aesthetic. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Serene Primary Suite
With white walls, natural wood finishes, and a fireplace tiled in a neutral gray, the primary bedroom suite stays true to the home’s new modern and timeless aesthetic. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Cool and Calm
Blue cabinetry resurfaces here, providing a satisfying accent to the white walls and countertop in this five-piece primary bathroom. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Cool and Calm
Blue cabinetry resurfaces here, providing a satisfying accent to the white walls and countertop in this five-piece primary bathroom. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Primary Bath
A glass ensconced double shower, flanked by a stately clawfoot tub, complete this bathroom where you can enjoy a little spa-like luxury along with your view. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
Primary Bath
A glass ensconced double shower, flanked by a stately clawfoot tub, complete this bathroom where you can enjoy a little spa-like luxury along with your view. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.
The mix of indoor and outdoor spaces creates unique and welcoming areas to enjoy with friends and family year-round. The updated basement is now home to a bar made for hosting Sunday football parties. In the backyard, a new retaining wall allowed us to flatten and expand the lawn. This created enough extra space to add raised planters for gardening and a paved fire pit area.
The fire pit is surrounded by comfortable furniture, which creates a cozy space to enjoy the sunset, while a covered deck with built-in heaters extends the outdoor season. Refined plantings and a low fence around the perimeter invite play and relaxation for both children and parents, and leaves room for flexibility as the family grows.
The active participation of the homeowners in the design process led to other delightful additions, like the peek-a-boo window between kitchen and entry, custom floor-to-ceiling nightstands in the primary bedroom suite, a sleek and modern relocated stair, and an enclosed outdoor storage space that blends into the background. No detail was too small.
From technology integration throughout the home, to infrared heaters on the deck, to thoughtful lighting choices, no stone was left unturned to make this home really feel like it was made specifically for them. Ultimately, that care for detail and comfort means the spaces delight not only them, but their guests, friends, and family.
Summer Blooms
Thanks to the addition of a retaining wall, the backyard was completely reinvented, allowing for a flattened lawn and plenty of space for summer flowers. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Summer Blooms
Thanks to the addition of a retaining wall, the backyard was completely reinvented, allowing for a flattened lawn and plenty of space for summer flowers. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Hydrangea Hedges
A thick row of hydrangeas are the centerpiece of this backyard’s plantings. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Hydrangea Hedges
A thick row of hydrangeas are the centerpiece of this backyard’s plantings. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Casual Fire Pit
No backyard patio is complete without a fire pit. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Casual Fire Pit
No backyard patio is complete without a fire pit. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Patio Living
Comfortable outdoor furniture circles the fire pit tucked into the a nook at the base of the deck stairs, making this corner of the backyard perfect for roasting marshmallows on summer nights. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Patio Living
Comfortable outdoor furniture circles the fire pit tucked into the a nook at the base of the deck stairs, making this corner of the backyard perfect for roasting marshmallows on summer nights. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Raised Planters
Decorative grasses in raised planters offer a low-maintenance screen along the edge of the lower deck. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Raised Planters
Decorative grasses in raised planters offer a low-maintenance screen along the edge of the lower deck. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Bird’s-Eye View
Thanks to two decks, raised garden beds, a fire pit, and a mix of bright, attractive plantings, this is nothing short of a dream backyard for this family’s forever home. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by B&V Team.
Bird’s-Eye View
Thanks to two decks, raised garden beds, a fire pit, and a mix of bright, attractive plantings, this is nothing short of a dream backyard for this family’s forever home. Blue Ridge View Home | Photo by B&V Team.
Notes & Credits
Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture by Board & Vellum.
This project was built by Proform Construction.
Lighting Design Consultation by Luminous NW.
Photography by Andrew Giammarco Photography, Tina Witherspoon, and the B&V Team.
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