From cramped, dark and outdated to open, bright and contemporary, this 1950s Seattle home underwent a significant transformation for a growing family of four. The few, two local college professors, wanted space for both young children, their exquisite art collection and their scholarly pursuits. Alison Hogue and Richard Floisand of Floisand Studio added over 1,200 square feet to the house, reworking the floor plan along with including a new dining space and a cellar while still maintaining the home’s existing walls and footprint.
at a Glance
Who lives here: A pair of professors and their two young kids
Location: Seattle
Size: 3,192 square feet; 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms
That’s interesting: The home’s unique brick facade and footprint were preserved, despite the addition of over 1,200 square feet.
Floisand Studio
Hogue and Floisand used soft timber finishes and light colors to keep the house feeling warm and comfortable. All the walls were painted white to emphasize the customers’ artwork and assist light permeate throughout the whole house.
Floisand Studio
Art was a main focus in the house. In the dining area, a large art wall has been put above a very low window that overlooks the garden. The piece is framed by a part of the home’s old outside brick wall and lit naturally from a skylight above. The very low window is a popular sunny place for the pet.
Floisand Studio
Hogue and Floisand used vibrant Ikea cabinetry in the kitchen to get a lively touch. To keep the kitchen easy and open, they installed floor-to-ceiling cabinetry on just the north end of this space.
Countertops: black absolute honed granite; backsplash: Carter Glass mosaics
Before Photo
Floisand Studio
Kitchen BEFORE: The home’s unique kitchen felt dark and restricted. Outdated upper chimney took up too much space and just did not work with the home’s new look. Because this is a family residence, it was very important that the kitchen was open and connected to the living and dining spaces too. There was no island in the original space.
Floisand Studio
House numbers were placed on the home’s front walkway to greet visitors to the contemporary and spacious entrance.
Floisand Studio
The new floor plan was organized to signify a vertical flow — a staircase in the middle of the house now connects the three floors to the primary living space. Strategically placed skylights above the stairwell help disperse light.
Floisand Studio
The scholarly couple wanted their house to have tons of space to showcase their artwork collection and good, quiet spots for research and writing. A serene living area with a clear outdoor view offers the ideal place for reading and thinking. The stained alder stair railing generates visual separation between this space and the entryway. A waxed, hot-rolled steel fireplace surround adds texture to the austere walls.
Floisand Studio
Cedar siding has been added to the outside of the dining area to add richness and warmth to the outside palette. The remaining new addition is covered in gray-painted HardiePanel.
Floisand Studio
The family maintained the home’s street-facing low profile so that the new arrangement would feel at home with the size and scale of the neighboring houses. However, they also wanted to enhance the home’s southern view of Mount Rainier on the other side of the home. The next story of the home was designed with a sloped shed roof, which embraces the very low profile on the road side but climbs to the south west and highlights the view on the opposing side.
Floisand Studio
Exterior BEFORE: The home’s present brick facade was kept as a means to save money on the new construction. The property’s footprint is largely the same, with the exclusion of the new additions. Hogue and Floisand were careful to choose a palette of cheap but durable substances that could play off the home’s exposed brick walls.