This article will appear in the January 2019 issue as part of Remodel & Refresh's cover story. Click here to subscribe.
Light and space are limited resources for many people living in urban Seattle, but Walt Mason and his husband, Sam, were passionate about both.
Tucked away on a corner lot on a charming street in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, the 1911 Craftsman bungalow was purchased by the couple in 2005, and by 2016 it was due for an update.Take advantage of ideas from websites such as Houzz.comThe couple hired architect Nazim Nice of Motionspace Architecture and Design to help them tackle a number of renovation projects throughout their one-story, 1,604-square-foot home.
Nice did some work on the home's entrance and finished basement, but focused on the living and dining areas, which needed special attention, as well as the kitchen, which had poor lighting and was somewhat isolated. The homeowners wanted each room to have character, while also allowing people, light and sound to move more smoothly from the front to the back of the house.
in front
Photo credit: Walt Mason
rear
Color Play: Design and color consultant Emily Lauderback coordinated the palette around the kitchen's red stove, updating the room while maintaining a charming vintage feel.
To open up the previously small and closed kitchen, Nice removed the wall that separated it from the dining room. He also added 21 square feet of space off the north wall to make the back of the kitchen square.
Instead of an island that takes up a lot of space in the middle of the narrow kitchen, Nice chose to have peninsulas at each end. The Neolith counter at the back of the kitchen extends to the back deck with the help of Nanawall SL60, creating an indoor/outdoor space. The NanaWall SL60 is a sliding/folding aluminum and glass door system that Mason says “opens easily, closes securely, and latches.” It locks securely, and when closed, it prevents drafts from entering even in the rainy Seattle winter.
From old to new: the old cabinets are from two different eras, so new ones were essential
Tear down much of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, opening up space for a more modern flow
in front
Photo credit: Walt Mason
rear
A Nana wall installed at the back of the house added light and helped make the space appear larger.
Other details, including custom cabinetry, a farmhouse sink, lighting made from glass telegraph insulators, and a restored 1940s O'Keeffe & Merritt stove, maintain vintage charm while adding to the convenience and functionality of a modern kitchen. I am.
“The kitchen remodel changed the look and feel of the whole house,” says Mason. And even though minimal square footage was added, “the house feels twice his size. And we have all the natural light and connection to the outdoors, which we truly love.” There is a connection.”
