Our custom residential posts.

Ask a Designer, Custom Residential

Jeff’s (Current) Top 10 Design Elements to Watch For

After years of experience, we designers start to see trends and patterns and are able to “read” floor plans quite quickly to determine what will, or will not, work. Of course, things change with time, so, until the next installment, these are Jeff's current Top Ten “hot-button issues” to look out for when designing your home.

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Custom Residential, News, Sustainable Practice

B&V’s First Built Green Certified Project

Great news! It’s been a long process, but we just received confirmation that our Ballard Locks Residence, built by Hammer & Hand, has qualified for a 4-Star Rating in the Built Green program! Built Green practices are designed to provide homeowners with comfortable, durable, environmentally friendly homes that are cost-effective to own and operate. Cheers!

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

Building the Lego Room

Who says grownups can't have truly epic lego rooms? Your house is YOUR house: build something to support what makes you happy. At Board & Vellum, we love to embrace the individuality of our clients, and we hope Jeff's famous lego room inspires you to embrace your passions just a little bit more.

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Ask a Designer, Custom Residential

Does It Make Sense To Add a Second Story to My House?

In this crazy Seattle real estate market, we get a lot of questions about whether or not it makes sense to add a second story to a house. It's not a simple “yes or no” answer, but we’ve found that considering these several factors can help you decide if adding up is right for you.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

Stay Focused

In the digital design age, we are so inundated with beautiful images and “professional” opinions that it can be tremendously difficult to make confident decisions when you are designing your own home or remodel. So how do you approach your design project? Stay focused on what really matters to you and your family, just you.

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Custom Residential

An Island Nest

Explore the avian inspiration behind the design for this contemporary home on Mercer Island. With an exterior envelope designed based on “Passivehaus” principles, radiant floors, and a smart natural ventilation approach, this house creates a comfortable, allergy-free environment. Construction is scheduled to begin in April of 2015, so check back for photos of the finished house!

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Our Story

Board & Vellum is vibrant design firm built on the idea that an informed and engaged team leads to better design and happy clients. We wouldn’t be where we are today without passion and hard work, and those same two things keep us going strong today.

Our Process

Bringing your project from “idea” to fruition is a little different at Board & Vellum. We give personal care to each of our projects, and you’ll be in the loop every step the way. The bonus: we are an integrated firm, so each project has access to plenty of great knowledge — and that leads to better design.

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