Back when this home was first constructed in 1955, the mature trees around it may have still been considered young—or at least closer to it. It was built on a wide swath of land alongside others just like it in a neighborhood in northeast Seattle. Its low-slung profile took advantage of the ability to spread out, while its classic pitched roof defined the interior spaces.

Lydia Anne bought the property after appraising its good bones—and as a project consultant for new construction and renovations, she knew that a few tweaks here and there would keep them intact while still adhering to her needs.

“This is a midcentury ranch, through and through,” architect Tim Hammer of Cast Architecture says. “The original plan was simple and intelligent, but there was room for a few improvements to make it a better fit.” He and the owner didn’t want to diminish its character—or impede its connection to the outdoors—but they wanted to create a more spacious kitchen, a second bathroom, and a new laundry room.

“It required a small addition and surgical shifting of the interiors,” Hammer adds. “The renovation might be best understood as a riff on the original melody.”

Perhaps the only discordant chord amidst of all this harmonizing was the fact that the project started alongside the onset of the pandemic, forcing the owner and Hammer’s team to figure out solutions that accommodated shutdowns and supply issues. And yet, any reverberations from these headaches are absent from the calm home they finished a year later.

The design team opened the galley kitchen to the living space, and Lydia Anne proposed a slatted wood detail that would provide some privacy between the two areas as it harkened back to the home’s initial era. Maple ties the home’s interior design together, and the team paired it with a timeless black-and-white palette.

“The light hue of the wood, and the natural variation of the grain provide warmth and life to the spaces that might otherwise feel somewhat cold,” Hammer says.

The team also introduced south-facing windows in the living space to better connect the common rooms to the outdoors. The additional glazing showcases the surrounding trees as art. And once the house was finished, Lydia Anne mixed old and new pieces, like the family heirloom dining room table and entryway dresser, to make it seem as if this new chapter already had roots.

“We worked hard to preserve and enhance what was there when we arrived,” Hammer says. “The house was attractive from the start.”

More projects by Cast Architecture:

A Seattle Couple’s Home Honors the Eccentric Vision of Its Original Architect

A Family of Four Joins Hands to Build Two Tiny Homes in Washington

Project Details:

Architect of Record: Cast Architecture / @cast.arch

Builder: Carrig Construction

Structural Engineer: TSE Engineering

Landscape Design: Rich Landscaping