Emerald City: Modern Homes in Seattle Part Two

All of the plywood, concrete, and steel surfaces inside the house were left unfinished. “We like to use natural materials in their raw state and minimize the use of synthetic surfaces and drywall,” says Mihalyo.

The floor-to-ceiling windows at either end of a Seattle boathouse allow light to stream through the entire 1,000-square-foot space.

Michelle Linden encountered a common real estate dilemma: a less than stellar home in a convenient and desirable neighborhood. Rather than scrap plans to be able to walk to the grocery store, live adjacent to a major bike route, and be close to friends, Linden decided to take on the fixer-uper.

The living room coffee table is Michelle's own design and the Salema sofa was purchased from Area 51, a Seattle purveyor of new and vintage furniture.

When the Zimmerman family settled in Seattle, Washington, in the late 1990s they bought a 1,100-square-foot Craftsman built in the 1920s. Fast-forward to today. Not wanting to leave their beloved neighborhood, but hurting for space, they enlisted the help of local design-build firm Ninebark to create a separate living area. Working from sketches that the residents had from their uncle, Gary Schoemaker, an architect in New York, Ninebark realized a refined structure that serves as a playroom, office, and guesthouse for visitors, complete with a kitchenette and full bathroom.

A rolling ladder made from salvaged wood and components leads to a small, yet well equipped, office.