Although this West Seattle home had a fantastic location on a sloped lot near a city park and a good amount of square footage, it felt fragmented inside thanks to a string of piecemeal remodels since its construction in 1975. The most recent owners wanted better flow between the rooms, and connection to the incredible water views.

SHED Architecture + Design stepped in with a remodel plan that draws on the homeowners’ past experiences. “Having lived in Japan, they enjoyed both traditional and contemporary design elements, from the concept of the tea room to Studio Ghibli to contemporary Japanese architecture,” notes SHED. “They sought a balance of old and new, crafted and minimal.” The clients’ former professions as circus performers also came into play, as it gave them an “affinity for open, dynamic spaces,” says the firm.

To that end, SHED significantly streamlined the home by first unifying the exterior façade, and then organizing the new interior plan around the idea of the “big top,” which is the primary tent of a circus.

Before: Exterior and Entry Sequence

After: Exterior and Entry Sequence

Prior to the remodel, it was difficult to find the front door and the existing driveway was a tight turnaround. SHED took steps to create an entry sequence that was much more fluid. Since changing the house’s footprint wasn’t an option, the driveway was enlarged and the closed garage was converted into an open carport for easier maneuvering. The spiral staircase stayed in place, but received a new bright orange plate at the street level for better wayfinding. This was followed by a new landscaped walkway that leads to the front door.

Per the firm: “To create a sense of arrival within the home, a genkan (a traditional Japanese entry area) was located inside the front door with a bench and closet, with a clear view of the stair ascending to the main level of the house.”

On the main floor, the living room, dining room, and kitchen were cut off from one another, and too many window mullions bisected the views to the exterior. Here, SHED tapped the metaphor of the circus big top, by reimagining the centralized fireplace as the tent pole around which everything else is organized.

“Figuratively, the centrally located hearth served as the mast that pushed up a gable roof tent to create a large lofted space,” says the firm. “Taking the analogy further, this tent sheltered three rings of the program – dining room, living room and music room – under one big roof.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

SHED also expanded the uppermost level to contain a lofted office nook perched above the main floor, and a new main suite. This completes the “big top” analogy, says the firm, as “in the office loft, one sits looking down over the three rings below and out to the forest and sea, with the orange flue of the hearth expressed as the mast supporting the tent.” The richly appointed main suite also has a tatami nook and Japanese soaking tub, in keeping with the owners’ appreciation of Japanese culture.

Before: Third Floor

After: Third Floor

Check out these other Before & Afters:

Before & After: An Eichler Swaps a Chopped-Up Layout for Connected, Colorful Spaces

Before & After: A Timeworn Midcentury in Connecticut Gets a Moody Makeover

Before & After: A Portland Victorian Goes Into Full Glam Mode

Project Credits:

Architect: SHED Architecture & Design (@shedarchitecture)

Builder: Dowbuilt

Structural Engineer: Todd Perbix

Metal Siding: Vashon Sheet Metal

Concrete: Bayshore Concrete

Steel Fabricators: Alpine Welding

Envelope Consultant: RDH Building Science

Window/Doors: Washington Window and Doors

Cabinets: Whidbey Design Works

Solar: Artisan Electric

Photography: Rafael Soldi Photography, Tony Kim (aerial)