A Midcentury Home Receives a Subtle Update in a Historic Community Near Seattle

The Hilltop Community in Bellevue, Washington, has deep connections to the Pacific Northwest. Built near Seattle in the 1950s by a small group that included many local architects, the residential development was established to provide its residents with a sense of community and a strong relationship to the landscape. 

"There are approximately 40 houses that make up the community, all of them designed with a contemporary aesthetic and a thoughtful connection to site," explains architect Robert Hutchison, whose eponymous firm is based in Seattle. Among those homes is a 1954 residence by Pacific Northwest architect Wendell Lovett, who was born in Seattle and became known for his nature-oriented midcentury designs.

When Kasey LeClercq and her husband, Nick, first saw the Hilltop House, it was love at first sight. "We knew it was the place for us [from] the first time we set foot inside," declares Kasey.

Kasey, a certified yoga instructor, and Nick, a builder and general contractor, loved how the home managed to feel cozy and open at the same time. The couple were also captivated by how the midcentury house incorporated—and respected—the verdant Pacific Northwest landscape. "We knew we wanted to be here for a long, long time," says Kasey. So, from the very beginning, it was extremely important to the homeowners to create a functional layout that could grow with their family.

Prior to the 2019 renovation, the single-floor home featured three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as an open kitchen, dining, and living area. There was also a detached garage connected to the structure by a breezeway, in addition to a large, open room at the west end of the residence. While the original layout worked sufficiently for Kasey, Nick, their two young children, and their dog Buba, the couple eventually decided that the west wing felt underutilized and isolated from the rest of the house.

To rethink the layout of that area, Kasey and Nick called upon Hutchison, who quickly determined a way to retain many of the home’s original elements while also updating the floor plan to suit the family’s needs. 

Kasey and Nick were adamant about honoring Lovett’s original design, which incorporated exposed beams, wood roof decking, and multiple glass windows to create long sight lines through the residence. "What was most important to us was to preserve and expand the structural rhythm of the house, which is based on an eight-foot structural bay," Hutchison says.

With that in mind, Hutchison started making subtle adjustments throughout the home. The west end "became the obvious place to meet Nick and Kasey’s request for a new kids’ wing," notes the architect. The area offers privacy and separation from the primary bedroom but is still connected to the kitchen and living spaces at the core of the home. It also allows access to the yard, which serves as an extended play area.

Robert Hutchison Architecture expanded the original west end of the Hilltop House by about 300 square feet to accommodate a two-bedroom, one-bathroom suite for the children with a playroom that opens out onto a front deck. The east end of the house—which originally contained all three bedrooms—now holds a reconfigured primary bedroom and bathroom, as well as an additional bed and bath.

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"Architecturally and structurally, we tried to replicate the original materials," explains Hutchison. The subtle renovation incorporated elements such as wood windows and floors, painted drywall, and exposed roof rafters and decking. Hutchison was even able to extend the original roofline to the new kids’ wing, despite some challenges presented by requirements for thicker insulation in the current building code. (Hutchison’s solution was to step up the roof thickness where the extra insulation was needed and keep the roof thin at the outdoor overhangs.)

Other structural updates to the Hilltop House include new cabinetry in the kitchen and a defined mudroom entry from the backyard. All in all, Kasey and Nick got exactly what they were looking for: A functional remodel that still feels loyal to the original 1950s home. "Even from the outside, every part of the remodel was in honor of the design that [Wendell Lovett] created," says Kasey. "The hope is that you wouldn’t be able to tell that there’s a contemporary addition." 

Related Reading:

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A Midcentury Home Renovation Celebrates Its Striking, Open-Truss Ceiling

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Robert Hutchison, Robert Hutchison Architecture / @robhutcharch

General Contractor/Builder: Nick LeClercq

Structural Engineer: Bykonen Carter Quinn

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Robert Hutchison Architecture and Nick LeClercq

Interior Designer: Kasey LeClercq