A sparkling cuvée bubbles in delicate wine glasses set atop Quynh-Vy Pham’s kitchen island as her two Pomeranians, Calvin and Louie, snooze under the dining table. The soft sounds of news radio murmur in the background.

“Oh, I have this in my fridge,” Quynh-Vy casually mentions as she pulls out a positively artful cheese board. Slicing a baguette, she assembles a mouthwatering toast of roasted tomatoes and chèvre while chatting about the storied history of her recently renovated home in Seattle, Washington’s Leschi neighborhood. The night unfolds effortlessly, with Quynh-Vy presenting one simple yet beautifully prepared dish after another, the food and drink merely the garnish for the conversation and connection she so clearly relishes.

It’s a type of down-to-earth hospitality that Quynh-Vy’s family has been cultivating for more than 40 years at their collection of award-winning Vietnamese restaurants and a bar in Seattle, where they are known as the First Family of Phở. Entertaining was also the guiding light of the renovation led by local firm Shed Architecture & Design, whose offices are kitty-corner from the family’s first restaurant in the Little Saigon neighborhood. “I told Shed I wanted a house I could entertain in and a big kitchen,” says Quynh-Vy. “But not because I’m a chef! I’m a restaurateur.”

$72,128 Space Theory System	$19,829 Countertops & Backsplash	$7,075 Flooring
$3,040 Lighting	$5,000 Paint/Stain	$29,230 Appliances
$8,758 Plumbing	$21,759 Contractor Fees
Grand Total: $166,819

Quynh-Vy inherited the property from her brother, Khoa. It was originally built as an artist studio in 1927 before becoming a Baptist church in the 1940s. Khoa bought it in 2016 after eyeing it for years. “During the open house, he sat outside and told everybody who came in that it was already sold,” says Quynh-Vy with a laugh. She decided to complete the renovations in Khoa’s memory after he died in 2021 and make it her primary residence.

Working with Shed principal Prentis Hale and architect Rebecca Marsh, Quynh-Vy set out to create her ideal bachelorette pad. “She gave us the task of making a small house feel large and able to accommodate big parties,” says Hale. The pair bumped out the back of the existing 1,000-square-foot structure to accommodate Quynh-Vy’s dream kitchen, and they added a second story with two bedrooms to bring the total area up to 1,860 square feet. “Quynh-Vy wanted living spaces that could be easily expanded,” says Marsh. “When she’s in entertaining mode, all the spaces on the lower level flow together and open to the rear yard.”

“I can host up to thirty people without a problem. The house is compact—but it is mighty!”
—Quynh-Vy Pham, resident

In the kitchen, besides an open and unpretentious design, Quynh-Vy’s top priorities were a plumbed space for her cherished La Marzocco espresso machine and a mix of closed storage and open shelves, where she displays her collection of cordial glasses and ceramics. The team worked with Seattle-based kitchen systems company Space Theory, both for cost savings (the designers estimate not going fully custom saved about $35,000) and its playful aesthetic. “We were looking through their catalog of cabinet colors, and I said, ‘Shall we do pink?’” Quynh-Vy recalls with a smile; her family has used the hue as a signature color in their restaurants since the 1980s.

Now, the kitchen is where Quynh-Vy most often finds herself with family and friends, just as she expected. “It’s really about getting together and hanging out,” she insists as she pulls espresso shots for an after-dinner affogato. “Food is just a by-product.”

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Shed Architecture & Design / @shedarchitecture

Builder: Ambrose Construction

Structural Engineering: Todd Perbix

Landscape Design: Mark Maclachan

Kitchen System: Space Theory

Steel Fabrication: Twisted MetalWorks

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