Morning Light Tudor

Two bedrooms and a bath were tucked under the steep roof of this existing Tudor-style home in Seattle, but the family needed space for a second baby, and wondered if the classic three-bedroom, two-bath program could fit. Much of the footprint of the existing upper floor was lost under the eaves as unfinished attic space, and even where it was finished out, it was inefficient at best.

By flipping the direction of the gable roof over the back portion of the house, and extending the existing gable roof along the front of the home, the design for the remodel recaptured space for the second floor, all the way out to the footprint of the first floor. With the floor space gained, the second level now features two kids’ bedrooms overlooking the backyard and sharing a hall bath, as well as a spacious primary suite that basks in the morning light. With neutral and natural finishes throughout, the overall feel is calm, light, and fresh: pairing the warmth of wood with the crispness of white tile and select black accents.

The new and revised roofs respect the existing Tudor character of the home with narrow, peaked dormers, as if the house had been that way all along. Windows are placed so that each has its own engaging view of the changing seasons, forging an improved visual connection with the outdoors. The shower in the primary bath, for example, has a window placed precisely so that it can take advantage of a little peek of the lake. And, rather than sacrificing windows to make way for a mirror, the primary bath features custom sliding mirrors that hide or reveal the windows behind.