Craftsman in Blue

This Craftsman home on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle needed an addition to give the family room to grow and play (dogs included). But, the homeowners wanted to ensure that building onto the house wouldn’t cause it to look out-of-character with the neighborhood of traditional homes. The new construction would need to blend with the old, respecting the existing details that give the 1907 home so much of its charm.

Plus, the design had to balance the need for additional interior space with the desire for a great backyard for entertaining, outdoor play, parking and storage – all on a tight urban lot. It turned out to be a classic Craftsman remodel for a classic problem: what to do when you start a family in the city.

To gain enough space, we designed an addition that applied to all three levels, from the basement to the existing second floor.

On the first floor, this allowed for a much more open layout, with the kitchen, family room, and eating nook blending into the slightly more formal dining and living rooms. The upper floor has enough bedrooms for the whole family, and the basement has room for a great playspace, a future piano area, and a guest suite.

Since the addition is on the west side of the home, the family room and kitchen connect easily to the backyard, via a generous covered porch that shelters the interior from the harsh western sun.

Now, with the space they need – designed with materials they helped carefully select – they can enjoy the many new years of life they’ve given their classic Craftsman home.