Sitting jauntily on its block, this renovated residence in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood retained the original home’s footprint. The architect (and daughter of the homeowner) opened up the living spaces inside and overhauled the exterior and landscaping to give it a more contemporary presence. Cambium Landscape created the outdoor spaces which perfectly balance hardscape with greenery.
Rebuilding the rear addition gave Aleksandra a chance to play with its form, and make it contrast with the historic body of the Edwardian. Large glass doors lighten up the kitchen and connect it to the deck and backyard.
Aleksandra shifted and shortened the window to pack in usable storage around it. The cabinets are painted Rainy Afternoon by Benjamin Moore, combined with white oak boxes for contrast. “We were also badly hit by the material price increases during Covid,” says Aleksandra, whether it was kitchen cabinets or framing lumber. The couple were receiving quotes that changed week to week.
Los Angeles firm Chet Architecture crafts a deeply personal hillside home packed with primary colors—including a custom mural that now holds an even deeper meaning.
Solomon Troupe Architects designed this 430-square-foot backyard bedroom suite for the owners to retreat to when their family comes to visit.
Fuse Architects took a 1960s-built home in Pajaro Dunes, California, and renovated it as a retreat for their clients, a family of five. “The idea was to take the existing house and give it new life—one that met the needs and aesthetics of our designer clients,” says the firm. “Although the shape and form of the remodeled home remains relatively unchanged from its original design, we wanted to take advantage of the ocean’s proximity by opening up the walls and providing framed views of the coast line.”
Sunlight spills into the primary bedroom, illuminating a wall of custom Birch cabinetry. Hanging pendant lights complement the neutral palette, and free up side table space.
“Sometimes you go with emotions rather than logic,” says Woodhull founder Caleb Johnson. “I just wanted to renovate the little Pizza Hut look-alike my son told me looked like a blowfish.”
In the primary bedroom, built-in storage is ship-like and not particularly plentiful. “I’d rather live in 850-square-feet by the ocean and see the sunrise every morning than in 3,000-square-feet in the suburbs,” Caleb says.
The parcel of land that Audi Culver and Ivy Siosi bought in Bloomington, Indiana, was advertised as hunting grounds, but the couple envisioned a workshop for their furniture company, Siosi, and a home that would double as a showroom. After designing the dwelling, they rolled up their sleeves and pitched in on the nearly two-year build.
On one side of the house, a white central staircase leads to a split-level landing the Robertsons call "the reading room." "We needed a place to hang out and for the kids to read," explains owner Vivi Nguyen-Robertson. Awaiting the birth of the couple's son, she relaxes in a built-in reading nook in the library.
The cozy living area features a refurbished Børge Mogensen chair and a Recover sofa from Bolia. The coffee table was sourced from Jotex.
Almost every room in the extension has direct access to the outside so the relationship with the grounds is immediate. In addition, carefully considered windows frame views of the surrounding landscape—especially the large window facing the valley in the first-floor living space. “It’s incredibly joyful to see how the views, smells, and emotion of being in the extension changes throughout the different seasons,” says architect Je Ahn. “It’s very tranquil and a retreat in the true sense of the word.”
<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">Chet worked with interior designer Ghislaine Viñas to revamp the interiors, mixing old and new. "The goal was to create a uniquely eclectic space that allowed their individuality to shine,
Jeff Waldman and Molly Fiffer built this 200-square-foot cabin on the site of their 10-acre property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their previous cabin, which they also built by hand, was destroyed in a forest fire in 2020.
Molly and Jeff built the outdoor picnic table by hand.
Homeowners Alaina and Ryan sourced the furnishings and dining area artwork. The furniture is by West Elm and the artwork is by Cold Picnic.
Uruguay’s beach towns dot the Atlantic coast northeast of the capital, Montevideo, becoming less crowded and developed the farther up you go. The second floor of Sticotti’s house floats above its neighbors to take in views of the ocean a couple of blocks away. It’s capped by a roof deck that the architect says is “great for watching fireworks.”
"These tiles have a handmade quality with texture and variation that reminded me of studio pottery, a favorite thing of mine to source and collect,
The home came with a planted courtyard, but the couple had limited time to properly care for it. The architects reduced the planted space and added flooring, creating a solace closer to a patio.
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