Favorites

Curtis swapped out the flooring for a handmade ceramic tile, and used a rich dark wood for the counter. The existing cabinet bases were repainted.

The powder room—which features Photowall wallpaper, a glitzy Restoration Hardware chandelier, and a concrete sink—provides an opportunity for glamour.

Floor Plan of the Wetzel Residence by Two by Two Architecture Studio

New lye and soap-stained Douglas fir covers the floors, lightening up the room, which is a favorite spot for the couple. “It’s the hub of the house,” says Jake.

Before: The group kept the original living room and its historic elements, like the brick fireplace and decorative windows.

A linear window with its sill dropped to the floor creates connection to the side yard. “We incorporated all these new windows in order to stream a lot more light into the house,” says Bassett.

A preserved brick support column is juxtaposed against a streamlined kitchen, with Corian counters and a marble slab backsplash.

Before: The kitchen was small and cramped, so the team relocated it downstairs.

The group continued the weathered steel elements throughout the landscape, designed by friend Catherine Howell, such as in the planter beds at the “afternoon” patio, which faces West.

New concrete pathways, all built by Jake and Antony, are arranged around an artful tool shed, which has a weathered steel wall punched with a pattern from the Faroe Islands in Denmark, where Sigrid is from. “That was a nod to Sigrid’s heritage,” says Bassett. The shed also acts as a privacy screen for the patio below it.

Before: The large, graded lot was a plus, but also a challenge to landscape.

“We definitely wanted to preserve the character of the home and make sure that it always fits the neighborhood,” says designer Jenny Bassett. To that end, the team kept the front façade intact, only repainting and adding new landscaping. The fireplace in the living room was also retained, so wood is stored in the front yard for easy access.

Before: Over three years, Jake Wetzel worked with friends and neighbors to overhaul this 1930 cottage in Kamloops, British Columbia, where he and wife Sigrid live.

Natural light from the garden fills the parlor-level kitchen.

A sleek, metal-clad island topped with Paperstone plays a starring role in the roomy kitchen, which has bleached oak and off-white Lapitec cabinets.