Remodels

“While the house enjoys its inner garden and cloister-like character, a major aim of the project was to give back to the neighborhood through the creation of a public green space along the property line,” says Ryan. “To do so, large sections of the sidewalk around the house were removed and converted to lush planting beds, which the owners tend.”

A backyard view of Dana Ferestien and Megan Landis’s Craftsman home in Seattle before the renovation

The main bedroom has Douglas fir rafters.

The elevated porch captures prevailing breezes and provides close-up views of the mature trees in the backyard.

A built-in slatted oak panel seals off the kitchen, creating a peaceful and visually enchanting space for those first walking into the home.

Windows are deeply recessed into the home's original masonry walls, which are thick and solid. Martins | Afonso Atelier de Design opted to clad the frames of the windows with wood and create sitting nooks that take advantage of this depth.

Fortunately, the damaged exterior and dismally dark 1970s interior didn’t scare away NMT Financial, who were captivated by the home wrapped around a massive oak tree embedded into the inner courtyard. Oakland-based See Arch was hired to restore the home’s modernist character while updating the dwelling to contemporary standards.

The knotty cedar cladding from Crenshaw Lumber was pretreated with an ebony stain from Timber Pro UV—twice on both sides—prior to being brought to the site, where it was left for eight weeks so that it could adjust to the moist seaside air before installation. “Cedar siding swells or shrinks when it gains or loses moisture while it reaches equilibrium with the content of the surrounding air,” says Michael. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

To make the home feel bigger without enlarging the footprint, we removed the large central room divider to create a bright, open space.