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The new kitchen features green kit kat tiles, a terrazzo-effect rubber floor, white cabinetry, and cherry wood veneered cabinets. The client originally wanted teak cabinets, but 4 S Architecture recommended using cherry wood instead as it is more sustainable but has the same warm tones as teak. “We couldn’t get behind teak as a product so we used FSC certified European cherry that has less air miles than American cherry,” explains architect Julia Hamson. “The client was really pleased with the result.”

Marble counters, custom white oak cabinetry, and terrazzo tile flooring from Ann Sacks brighten up the kitchen. "Their light tones were the right balance of Southern California modernism with the warmer, highly crafted wood carpentry that the Puget Sound region is known for," says Wittman.

“Everything needed to be approachable and simple,” says Hilary. “The house reflects who we are.”

The bathroom towards the front of the building had a greater width than the staircase: rather than having a notch, Bader curved the wall. “It gave it flow instead of an abrupt change of direction.” That theme is echoed on the main level, with a curved ceiling in the kitchen to disguise a pesky bulkhead.

Paul pushed hard for a laundry chute from the third floor. The door is concealed in the custom bedside drawers.

The wood-burning fireplace on the main floor adds so much ambiance that Shelley says she finds herself wishing for cooler days so she can light it up.

“This house has so many fireplaces,” laughs Bader. Two gas and one wood-burning fireplaces were sourced from Fireplace Stop.

A vibrant yellow pocket door adds a playful splash of color in the bathroom/laundry area on the lower level.

Cover Architecture and EEK Studio designed the custom vanity, which was fabricated by Hardwood Habitat. The wood door conceals the toilet room, while a pocket door separates the bathroom from the bedroom. The terrazzo floor tile is from Cle Tile.

Mudroom cabinetry creates consistency with the rest of the house.

In the kitchen, a single Sektion wardrobe from IKEA is used to stow both clothing and various food and dining items. Throughout the apartment, Krajewski replaced the time-worn flooring, installing new white oak planks by Hull Forest with a buffed oil finish by Waterlox.

Modern kitchen includes triple-bay sink, gas range, and hidden storage.

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Hatchet Design Build took a contemporary approach with this kitchen while still drawing from the a traditional palette. The grain-matched walnut cabinets echo the walnut pocket doors elsewhere.

The children’s rooms both feature custom, built-in desks for studying and homework. “There’s a language of reveals and quirks and integrated pulls—handleless drawers and doors—that is consistent even if the form and function of the particular detail is different,” says architect Nicholas Fiore.

The master suite features a sitting area and timber built-ins. “Our team of trim carpenters practically lived in the house for a year,” says architect Nicholas Fiore. “The value of built-ins is multifaceted, and it runs from the ephemeral to the most pragmatic.”

The master bedroom opens to the northern balcony, which is set on a 10-foot-deep steel cantilever covering a patio below on the main level. “The primo swag built-in feature is the white oak lap-sided ceiling in the master bedroom,” says architect Nicholas Fiore. “As architects, we set as a goal on every project to experiment in our details and to try something new. Turning lap siding on its head—literally—completely frees it from its conventional usage, and provides a rich texture on the ceiling surface. It also serves to pull together a tricky space created by the variegated ceiling planes, which were a result of the challenges served up by zoning and district guidelines.”