details of home

fences and gates

2011-02-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a collection of gates within fences. We had put a fence in next to the Karina. Nothing fancy. Some of these shots and those I'll post later this week, were taken as inspiration, but cost ended up dictating that design.

happy new year!

2011-01-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning dreaming about our next house. We are not sure when we will actually build it, but I have started to design it. Some of my first thoughts are how I want the space to feel. Open, airy, spacious yet cozy, warm, light filled, efficient, comfortable, inspiring, beautiful. How to make a home feel like your favorite old sweater while at the same time the feeling when you put on that new outfit you look fabulous in. To wake up everyday smiling. I actually do have that in our place now, when I wake up with the sun and not the alarm.

So through the gate I go and I'm looking forward to sharing my process again...much in the beginning is drawing inspiration from the world around me.

kitchen bar top

2010-09-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

The kitchen bar top is a major feature of the design of the Karina kitchen and one of the trickiest to pull off cohesively because there are many different materials coming together as well as it being a part of 3 rooms. We chose Lyptus butcher block for the counter top because of it's warmth and similar richness as the floor.
We could have continued the drywall onto the 1/2 wall from the living room side, but I wanted to continue the front paneling of the peninsula around the side.

To keep costs down and to make it more simple to build, we did not wrap the Lyptus top into a L shape, but changed materials to a painted trim top. The 1" trim top dies into the 1-1/2" thick Lyptus, while allowing the skirt trim directly below to wrap and be continuous to become like a window sill detail as it goes into the living room.

That same skirt trim turns the corner and then dies into the backsplash. The backsplash is the Chroma countertop material. We changed the outlet color to black and used stainless steel covers to better go with the counter & appliances.

Getting the right height was important...one for perch-ability (see the last photo), but also mechanically so that outlets could be included in the backsplash. Neil built a 41" high wall + the 1-1/2" counter. This is the right height to lean against. Even though there is enough overhang to pull a bar stool up to it, we thought of it more as a lean-against counter and buffet. It also hides dishes and the counter when sitting in the dining area and living.

please have a seat

2010-09-22T06:34:00.001-07:00

This is one of 700 photos I took of the Karina in the last days before we closed on the sale. I have been going through my photos recently coming up with the top 40-50. I can't put my finger on why, but I really like this shot. Maybe it's because I'm sitting down so the point of view is more relaxed.

next up - the empty lot

2010-09-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

It’s been 8 weeks since we sold the Karina. I didn’t realize that I needed the break that you all may have noticed I took from the blog. I hadn’t planned on it, but that’s the way things happen sometimes. A break not just from the blog, but just from thinking about the house and garden. As much as I loved creating it, it also felt wonderful for the perfect buyers to come along and make it their home.

I must admit though, it didn’t take me long to start sketching out the next house. I thought I would need a longer break, but it has already started to form in my head. I wake up thinking about it and I daydream about the details. We still own the lot next door to the Karina. That’s one of the reasons why we ended up selling the house, it was just too much for us to carry financially…2 ‘Seattle’ lots and a new house…well too much in this economy. This next one will be smaller and I’ll do a custom design. I have more time to invest in the design, since we do not have a construction start date in mind. There are still lots of unknowns, but I plan on keeping up with the blog. Not just talking about this next house, but sharing other projects and details that relate to home design.

nytimes living rooms column

2010-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

There is a new column in the New York Times that I have been enjoying reading each week and today's "What’s Cooking in Kitchen Design?" talks about the evolution of the kitchen. Another recent one "Home for Life" talks about the trend towards smaller homes. The author also talks about what's really important in looking for a new house since it will become your HOME not just an investment.

From NYT Living Rooms: "A house is more than just a shelter from the storm. How we shape our homes, and how we behave within them, speak volumes about our history, our values and our way of life. Living Rooms explores the past, present and future of domestic life, with contributions from artists, journalists, design experts and historians."

the karina has sold!

2010-07-09T17:24:00.001-07:00

I just watered the plants over at the house for the last time. We are no longer the owners of the Karina. It's been a stressful last couple weeks as we go through the process of accepting the offer, the inspection period, the appraisal, financing contingency, and all the signing. We were so afraid to jinx it, we just weren't talking about it or even letting ourselves think about life without the additional mortgage. We haven't met the new owners yet, but hopefully we will soon. Someday we hope to be their neighbors when we build on the lot we still own next door....but that's after a much needed break.

Karina - interior colors

2010-07-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

This picture captures our main interior color scheme. All of the interior wall color is Benjamin Moore HC-172 revere pewter. The white trim color was the best match to the vinyl window color. The floors are Tigerwood. The cabinets are maple. And the accent door color is Benjamin Moore 1309 moroccan red. You can find the exterior colors listed here.

port townsend homes

2010-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

We finally went away for a weekend last Friday. Our friends Nancy and Scott have recently moved to Port Townsend and they invited us out. What wonderful hosts they are! We ate delicious home-cooked meals with fixings from their garden and freshly caught King salmon that melted in our mouths. They live close to town, so we were able to walk most places. Port Townsend has some lovely old Victorians and many small houses to draw inspiration from.

greenwood ave cottages - ross chapin architects

2010-06-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

This project was completed in our office just before I started working there 7 years ago. I actually visited it under construction because I was interested in housing communities and this was a unique project. I often look back on these pictures which were taken a few years ago, because it captures the cottages and their gardens at such a perfect time. About 3 years after completion. Before that the gardens are too freshly planted and haven't filled in....going back today they are just as beautiful, but much fuller.

I just can't seem to get gardening off my brain. I have realized that it is a never ending project. Not just the maintaining, but the adding and tweaking. I've had so much fun working on ours at the new house...I'm realizing that I need to put some time in at our Genesee house as well. These photos are a constant inspiration. The owners have really put so much passion into their individual gardens. Typically in our projects, the developer puts in all the plantings outside the 2' private yard fence. You can barely see the cedar fence depicting what is commons and what is private, as the plantings have grown. It's all about the transition from the public realm to the private.

madison valley - cafe flora

2010-06-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons we bought the property that we did, was of course it's location. Madison Valley is just minutes to downtown, it's surrounded by Capital Hill, Montlake, Madison Park and Madrona and it's home to some of my favorite shops and restaurants. In particular, Cafe Flora. Cafe Flora is the premiere vegetarian restaurant in Seattle and it was the location of our first date. Neil has been a vegetarian for 16 years. Even though he does eat wild salmon and the occasional fish & chips, he has slowly cut out dairy and he doesn't do eggs. Looking back on that first date, I was quite lost when looking over the menu...at the time I thought I was still allergic to nuts and there was a bunch of other vegetables that I "thought" I didn't like. I have since learned to embrace all kinds of veggies and new foods. Eggplant, beans, zucchini, squash, kale, asparagus, broccoli...actually the list is endless....for growing up in the "Garden State" I wasn't much of a veggie eater except the basics like potatoes, corn and peas. A few years ago I picked up their cookbook. It has helped expand my homecooking...it's so easy to keep doing the same recipes over and over.

"Since opening its doors, Cafe Flora has been at the forefront of utilizing local, organic and sustainable produce and herbs and building strong and direct relationships with Washington farms. It's culinary team draws inspiration from international culinary traditions along with the availability of an abundance of locally grown produce to create imaginative and dynamic vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cuisine." - text & photos from Cafe Flora

Cafe Flora has been a wonderful place to experiment and try new combinations. We have been back many times over the years with family and friends and recently discovered their happy hour weekdays 3-6. Nothing beats being able to stroll down the street for a meal or drink.

house update

2010-06-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm still here! Sorry about the absence. It's been a busy few weeks. We decided to list the house with Windermere after trying to sell it ourselves and have been overwhelmed all over again with the details.

Stay tuned...I have a whole series of posts that I want to do and plan to get back at it on a more regular basis starting tomorrow!

typical seattle day

2010-05-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Another rainy day in Seattle...sitting here drinking my tea I can watch the rain flow down through the rain chain cups out on the porch. I guess the one good thing is, I don't have to water our new plantings! And our grass is coming in beautifully. We had to purchase a mower it was coming in so fast. I originally wanted to get a hand push, but we decided on an electric one instead.

It definitely helps on these wet days to bring a little springtime inside. These are fresh from the garden. A mix of lavender, dusty miller, and strawflower.

groundcovers

2010-05-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

I chose a variety of ground covers for different sun exposures and to provide a variety of texture around larger plants. Above is Phlox with Ogon Sedum in the background. These are located out front near the rockery. The Ogon Sedum is doing really well. It looks like it has doubled in 2 months.

The other ground cover that has doubled is the Mother of Thyme. Here it is next to the Nandina.
I'm thinking of getting more since it's doing so well in the direct sun. Here it is moving up the concrete stoop.

On the other side of the stoop I planted New Zealand Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida) These are under the Nandina Firepower in front of the porch.

Along the path I wanted a strip of low planting before the grass to keep the grass out of the path. I alternated between Saxifraga “White Pixie” and Mother of Thyme (Thymus serpyllum). Both have done really well and the thyme will eventually have lavender flowers.

Under the Red Twig Dogwood, I planted Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) which also does well in full sun. I had raised the bed to give the area more of an accent. The trick with this plant will be to keep the off spurts on the mound and not out into the grass.

To cover a larger area, I chose Perwinkle (Vinca minor 'Bowles').

karina description

2010-05-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Beautifully crafted, thoughtfully designed, all new home in Madison Valley. Two blocks to neighborhood stores & restaurants, including Cafe Flora & Essential Baking Company. Around the corner from the Arboretum and minutes to downtown and 520. Oriented to the south, this sensibly sized home is filled with natural light.Wrap around back deck opens to south patio. Main floor bedroom, bathroom off master, wool carpeting upstairs, custom maple cabinets, 9' and vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets, ceiling fans, upstairs washer/dryer, alley access with off street parking. Attention to detail throughout the house.

Green Features
• 4 star Built Green/Energy Star/Third party verified (by the O’Brien Company)
• A compact, well designed home is more energy efficient. A major impact from building homes is the extraction, processing, transportation and maintenance of building materials and the long-term energy use.
• Exceeded Energy Star home requirements – Energy Star homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to Washington state energy codes
• Increased insulation effectiveness with BIBS (Blown-In-Blanket-Insulation) in the walls – Blown-In System fills all the voids around electrical wiring and plumbing pipes providing more effective insulation and improved sound control
• Energy Star appliances
• Non-ducted natural gas stove heating system. Use of ceiling fans. Improves air quality and energy efficiency - Supplementary convection heaters & thermostats in other rooms
• Blower door rating exceeding Built Green targets – house is built tight and fresh air comes in where designed to come in through the window vents, not through the crawl, walls or attic.
• Energy efficient compact fluorescent light fixtures in at least 50% of sockets
• Lighting dimmers for better light control and to save energy
• Lighting timers and compact fluorescent used for exterior lights to save energy
• Maximum use of engineered building products – minimal use of old-growth wood
• Low VOC paint on all major surfaces for better indoor air quality
• Used formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation for improved air quality
• Up to R-49 EcoBatts in the vaulted ceilings (code is R-38)
• Large front porch and south facing, wrap-around back porch with usable room for outdoor living
• Centrally located water heater to save energy
• Light-colored interior finishes and skylights for natural lighting
• 100% wool carpeting installed by tacking - no glue for better indoor air quality
• Brought in 20 yards of Cedar Grove Compost to amended the soil
• Installed materials with longer life cycles – fiber-cement siding, porcelain tile, 50-year roofing

House Features
• Cable ready and Cat5 wiring in every bedroom, living room and kitchen
• 800 sqft extra deep crawl space with concrete slab for dry storage
• Chroma quartz countertops – highly heat, stain and scratch resistant needing little maintenance
• Custom maple cabinets featuring “soft close” hardware, pullout pantries, recycling center pullout
• First floor bedroom and full bath allows for one story living – or used as home office or guest suite
• Large walk-in closets in every bedroom provides ample storage
• FSC Brazilian Tigerwood floors, 100% wool carpet, porcelain tile
• Bottom up/Top down blinds maximize privacy, light and options
• 2nd floor laundry, attic space, ceiling fans, skylights

For more photos and info click here.

the karina

2010-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

back yard

2010-04-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

I've been so focused on the front, I have not shown pics of what we have done in the back. Neil put in a compacted gravel parking area for 2 cars. It feels pretty solid, but since it's pervious, the water drains right through.
Our stepping stones were picked out at Pavingstone Supply over in Ballard. They have a large selection and they also supply pavers like we used on the patio, but ours came directly from Mutual Materials.
The back stoop has 2 fish tiles like the front stoop leaves from Seattle Tile.

first floor bathroom - details

2010-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to follow up and give more product callouts and lately I've had a few nudges, so I thought I'd start with the downstairs bathroom. We settled on the American Standard Ravenna Pedestal Sink that we saw at Morgan's Plumbing Supply. It has clean lines, room for soap and flowers and of course the built in towel bar.

The faucet is Grohe Concetto

The mirror is actually just a picture frame from Aaron Brothers and Neil had the mirror cut to fit.

We do really like our Toto Aquia dual flush toilets.

I'll have to look to see if I can find the brand of this toilet roll holder.

If you already have a pedestal and like the towel bar location, they do make ones that are sold separately that attach to the wall like this.

the front yard

2010-04-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's good to look back and see how far one has come. This blog is good for that. The yard has been my biggest challenge. I have never been a gardener. Never lived in a place that had a yard like this. It's been overwhelming at times, but we keep plugging away at it a little here and there.

The grass is starting to fill in. We have been lucky with the weather and haven't had to water so much. We put down a seed from Swanson's Nursery called Play & Fun. It's good for high traffic and play areas. It does well in moderate shade to full sun and is drought resistant. It's a blend of 40& Elf Perennial Ryegrass, 20% Creeping Red Fescue, 15% Azcella Annual Ryegrass, 15% Longfellow Chewings Fescue, 10% Solera Tall Fescue.

I've been noticing some white spots on my pansies. Does anyone know what causes these? ahhh...My mom emailed me that it could be wind...which makes sense because they are more exposed up here.

garden inspiration

2010-04-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Last autumn I went on a house tour that took me to this amazing garden. It was a landscape architect's own home and it was just spectacular. I loved the mix of textures and colors. Some views like the one above, are as if they were painted with just the right pop of color.

Even this dead Allium looks more like sculpture.

pots + plants

2010-04-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking of planting a couple of pots on our back deck or patio and this is an inspiration outside of work at the wine shop in Langley. The mix of textures, heights and colors is wonderful.

porches + plants

2010-04-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

My tulips I planted in the boxes are popping up now. They are very fragrant when they are open. On a still day you can smell them when you walk on the porch. I never thought of tulips with a strong fragrance.

I had bought the rain chain over the internet at Overstock.com. There is also a website devoted to them that I looked at... http://www.rainchains.com/ There is a catchbasin under the rocks that links to the deep drywells in the front yard. We seem to be alternating between beautiful sunny days and days of soaking. Hopefully our newly seeded lawn is not drowning.

The concrete guy did a good job finishing the stoop. I had chosen these tile leaves at Seattle tile and we have fish in the back stoop.

The Nandina "Moyer's Red" seems to be doing okay. I was concerned because there are a lot of leaves on the ground around it. It seemed to be in shock for the first couple of weeks, but I think it's settling in now. The color is beautiful.

Neil put in a bench outside the back door. I have eaten lunch out here a few times with my back against the post. It's always in the sun.

bathroom details

2010-03-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

Neil has recently added a few built-ins in the main bathroom. He custom built the medicine cabinet with an outlet inside. We have this in our other home and it's very convenient.

Neil also just put in this shelf next to the toilet. All the toilets in the house are Toto Aquia dual flush. One flush is .9 gallons per flush and the other is 1.6. This allows for water conservation and lower utility costs. All the toilet seats are these "soft close" seats. You just push them shut and they slowly and softly close on their own...this helps keep peace in the home. :)

front walk

2010-03-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

editing

2010-03-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in the process of selling my apartment 2 years ago, to ready it for showing, I had to remove the excess stuff. I took away 20 some boxes of books, half my clothes and other miscellaneous "clutter". Counters were free of pottery and I could see more floor space than I ever had before. I still had my bookshelves filled, but gone were the piles between them and on all the improvised book stands in the corners and next to the seating. At this time the cats also moved over to Neil's. When I think of that home now, I still hear Neil's voice the first time he saw this edited version of my beloved apartment. "Why couldn't it have always been like this?" To me it always felt cozy and warm. To him a bit claustrophobic. I loved my clutter...it was my clutter...organized clutter as I always defend. But I too secretly loved this version. Since we are selling the new house, we have not move everything in. We are staying there, but the cats, the clothes, the TV and most of my "clutter" is still at the other house. What I did bring over is my favorite things, and my furniture. What I'm grappling with these days, is do I really need all that other stuff? Or more realistically what can I get rid of and not feel a loss when I do. I have books in boxes that have not seen the light of day for probably 10 years...but panic overwhelms me when I think of parting with them. That's when I realize I just need to edit. I'm good about editing my clothes and packing them off to Goodwill each season...I just need to do that with all my possessions. (Actually Neil would say I could do better..."Why do you need 20 sweaters?") I have read plenty of articles and "books" on decluttering, but the ones I find the most inspiring are the interior design books. The best ones talk about how to organize your stuff in a way that is beautiful and practical.

One of my favorites that I reread this winter was Living in Style Without Losing Your Mind, by Marco Pasanella.

He talks of the basics of interiors like light, color and arranging furniture, but he also talks about expressing your individuality and how to do that. How best to work with and show off your collections and to be creative with small spaces. I love this coffee table that swivels up to become a dining table.

Another favorite is Rose Tarlow's The Private House. Mostly I enjoy her mix of textures and natural style.

Off topic, but someday I'll have a garden space like this...

This was in the book Meditations on Design, Reinventing your home with Style and Simplicity by John Wheatman. A book I just read, that I borrowed from the office. One of my favorite chapters of his was "Display the things you love."

bedroom lighting

2010-03-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of a central overhead light fixture in rooms...especially the bedroom. We have 3 switches in each upstairs bedroom. One to the outlets on either side of the bed; one to the wall sconce and the third to an outlet above the walk-in-closet. I have a string of Christmas lights up there and love the way they bounce light off the ceiling. The other thing this shelf above the closet does is make the room appear a larger. If the wall went straight up to meet the ceiling the room would have felt more closed in.

The walk-in-closet goes the whole length of the room and is quite large. Large closets are key these days. In the middle of the wall, we placed an outlet and on the other side we have a cable outlet, so a flat screen can be placed here with hidden controls. Or a nice painting.
It gives off such a nice glow. My mom made the lamp pictured here. She also made the afghan on the bed. That was one of our wedding presents. It's very warm and the cats love it when it's on my lap. I just read the Pillars of the Earth which has been on my bookshelf for a few years. What a treat. I was completely absorbed for 2 weeks in the 12th century.

pendants

2010-03-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

The light over the dining room table was our last fixture purchase. It was bought at Seattle Lighting. I had my eye on it for awhile, but was still looking around, just in case. We had debated whether or not to do a pendant or a track with pendants as we did over the bar. I'm glad we did just the pendant. Over the bar the track allows flexibility to add another pendant or a spot pointing into the kitchen if needed.

morning light

2010-03-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day it is here. Waking up in this home fills me with happiness...especially when the sun is streaming in like this morning. I had bought this orchid at the Northwest Flower and Garden show this year and it's perfect in this window. It gives off a slight fragrance which to my sensitive nose is just subtle enough.

I added this bathroom window specifically to catch the eastern light and it's fun to see the shadows and reflections bouncing off the shower glass.

We are to have a sunny spring weekend which is what I need to finish planting the 8 flats of ground covers I had bought.

built green - insulation

2010-03-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Many of the points we received for Built Green are for items not seen now that the house is finished. One of the big things that makes this house energy efficient and comfortable is the extra insulation we used as well as the air sealing. We used BIBS (Blown-In-Blanket-System) which is much more effective than push-in batt insulation in the walls and provides for a higher level of insulation (R23). It is far superior to batt in the walls because it fills in all around the electrical wiring and plumbing pipes. "Tests show that a mere 4% void area from a poorly installed batt causes a 50% increase in heat loss. The Blow-In-Blanket® System eliminates voids and does not settle." It also provides better sound control. Looking at this picture you can see how Neil used some advanced framing techniques. Simple things like insulated headers and ladder framing at interior to exterior wall intersections, increases the insulation area of the wall. The blocking to the right of the window is for the convection heater and there is insulation behind it. Also if you look closely you will see caulking along the plates and wood intersections. This seals the wall cavity from air leaks from the exterior to the interior of the house and is one reason we did so well on our blower door test.

We used scissor trusses for the roof structure and because of this had extra depth to increase the roof insulation up to R-49. Here we used EcoBatts. Since the cavities were not filled with mechanical items like the walls, it was fairly straight forward to use Batts. We had Chris of the O'Brien Company out to inspect before we put the gypsum wallboard.

home office

2010-03-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of commute to work (a little over an hour including a ferry crossing), but what helps is working from home 2 days a week. I am using the 3rd bedroom which is on the main floor as my office. Having a laptop helps keep it neat and portable. I need to clarify that the bookcases here were designed and made by me BEFORE I met Neil. On close inspection, they are not quite up to his standards...I've been told my carpentry skills are a bit "sketchy". Having this main floor bedroom with a full bathroom downstairs, gives one the flexibility of having one story living or using it as TV room, guest room or as I am, an office.

a crawl space to show off

2010-03-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

My first 7 years in Seattle I worked at Geise Architects and we did mostly remodeling work. The one part of my job I always dreaded was going into crawl spaces or attics to find out what the existing structure was. Mostly it was my fear of the spiders lurking in the corners, but typically they are not places one wants to be. One of the best extra $1000 we spent on the Karina was to pour a slab in the crawl space. The increased height (about 3'-6" to bottom of joists) also helps. This is the place we are keeping the screens for the summer, extra bathroom tiles for the future, and plenty of space for storing sporting gear. We have 2 access panels to get down there. One in the back room closet and one under the stairs behind the secret door.

spring + fence

2010-03-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's spring time. Lots of trees are blooming and people are inspired to get out in their gardens. I was driving between our two homes yesterday and drove past this guy and did a double take. I had to back up and take some pictures...I have never noticed this before and hope it was just recently done.

And then I was about to leave and I noticed his friend.

Each weekend I've been taking a stab at our own garden. I picked up some more Nandina-Heavenly Bamboo and a bunch of grasses.
Our fence was installed recently and it really transformed our side yard. We are thinking of putting a trellis along the top. That is why the posts have been left long.

sunday open house 12-4pm

2010-02-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

We are having an open house every Sunday in March, so if you are in the area, stop by and see the house in person.

selling

2010-02-23T06:43:00.000-08:00

I love night shots. I really need to use a tripod, but these didn't turn out too bad. I was taking a ton of photos throughout the day yesterday in different light, trying to get 15 to use to market the house. We are putting it up for sale at the end of the week...for many reasons, but the main being simply financial. It's been a long year and we have really enjoyed creating the house. Even though we would be happy living in it longer, we hope to find someone who will love it just as much.

soaking up the sun

2010-02-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

We had a big push on the landscaping at the end of last week through the weekend. To deal with the grade change at the front, we had Matt Collins and his crew of Weigh Bones put in a rock wall. They also put in a gravel path from the front to the back patio and they put in the patio.

There were about a dozen large rocks left over, so on Saturday I placed them around the patio to help with the grade change there. We only wanted 2 risers from the back deck down to the patio, so they had to build the area up with gravel. Originally we were going to put a step, but after using it this weekend when friends were over, we liked how it created seating.

We had a few friends over to celebrate the completion of the house and before we put it on the market. What a beautiful day it was! The south facing back deck and patio worked just how I had envisioned it and many of us ended up gathering there to soak up the sun. Inside, the house was filled with light and the raised counter in the kitchen was perfect for the buffet of cinnamon buns.

It was fun to have kids running around, exploring and finding their own spots to sit.

built green - blower door test

2010-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

We have been building the house to a 4 star Built Green level. Built Green is our local Master Builders Association, green building program. Building to this level exceeds current building and energy codes and to qualify at this level we needed to use a 3rd party to verify our points. Today, Chris of O'Brien & Company came to verify a bunch of our items and do the blower door test. This tests the air tightness of the house and can help locate any air leaks coming. The house is depressurized with a fan in the door and a rating is taken. We had taken steps prior to this, to seal the house as best we could. Mainly Neil and crew went around and caulked along the exterior plates, wall intersections and sealed the electrical outlets, but I think it was his tight framing and care throughout the building process. We not only met the lowest Built Green rating but surpassed that by half as much. Basically we aced this test. What that means is that we have more control on how fresh air enters the building. We have fresh air vents in the windows of the living room, dining room and bedrooms. What we don't want is air being pulled in by the ventilation fans from the attic space, walls or crawl space.

brixton builders - seattle kitchen remodels

2010-02-17T07:46:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to put some pictures up of some of Neil's past projects. It's always fun to see some before and after shots...but he's not always so good at taking the befores. Neil has 23 years of experience in residential building, most of which has been remodeling. He started his own company, Brixton Builders, 13 years ago. Below is the before of the above photo.

Below was an extensive remodel/restoration of a 1903 Capitol Hill house. The photo below it, is the before.

Much of Neil's work comes from referrals or repeat clients as was this kitchen below.

All of these are in the Seattle area. There is so much great housing stock in Seattle, that remodels are very common...especially those 30's and 40's size kitchens. Being able to update the appliances, cabinets, counters, paint and kitchen layout...maybe even increase the size and redesign, brings new vibrancy to home.

seattle flower show

2010-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

Wow...not sure where that week went. Sorry that I've been quiet. We are still working on the yard and choosing plants. Seattle's flower and garden show was a little over a week ago and I was able to sit down with a landscape architect for a 15 minute consultation. It was very helpful and pointed me in a good direction. There was much there to be inspired by. So many wonderful textures and pairings.

Above is Nandina domestica "Moyers Red", which we are considering for the south side. Love the color and lightness of this shrub. It's also drought tolerant and suitable for our clay soil. Even though we have amended it, there's still clay 12" down.

Above is a Barberry - Berberis x gladwynensis "William Penn".

This is another source that I've been using - GREAT PLANT PICKS.

cabinets as stairs

2010-02-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently bought her first home, a loft space in a converted school building. The only access up to the loft, though, was a ladder. Her poor kitty could not climb it and it was just not convenient for everyday use. She asked my opinion on a stair kit, something similar to a spiral stair. Honestly, I didn't like it and sent her a picture of a bookcase stair I had seen and said if she was interested, I could draw up something of more use and much better looking then the stair kit. This is what we came up with. Our friend Jeff Fernald constructed them and Michelle picked out the door handles and designer switch plate. Needless to say, Lou the cat is much happier with this design, as is Michelle. It's fun to do small projects like this. Much of design is just solving a problem in a creative, useful and pleasing way.

rug choices

2010-02-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is just to hard to visualize something in my head, especially when there is so much else going on in there. Photoshop is definitely a great tool to help with this and make decisions. I've shown a few examples on this blog at how I use it. Right now it's coming in handy with rug colors. Do we go off-white, dark gray, black or brown? We are moving our couch over soon and putting a new gray cover on it. It will be a couple shades lighter than the chair - kind of like the mid tone of the blanket. Is that too much gray? I do like the darker shades. Dark for a floor is my preference. We have a light blue carpet in our current home and it shows all the fuzz of 2 cats.

it's all about the light

2010-02-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Good morning! What a beautiful day we had yesterday. The light was just streaming in the windows and filled the house. It was hard not to walk around with a huge smile on my face. The character of this house is traditional but the amount of light that comes in, makes it stand out from older homes. (well that and it's energy efficiency.)

Siting the long side of the house to face south was the first step in bringing the light in. I chose to modify this plan (originally the GoodFit Kaleah) because of how much it opened up this way with the tall windows facing south. In our gray Seattle weather one needs to bring in as much light as possible.

This counter was a remnant from our tiler. Supposedly it is a very expensive slab...I need to find out the name of it, because it's beautiful. Love all the texture in it.

We looked at the numbers here and out on the post. I liked them under the light and going horizontally versus vertically.

books

2010-02-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Ahh...some books are in. It's amazing how they transform a room. They look so good on Neil's clean, white, straight shelves. They make the best decoration! It was fun to unpack them and put them up...it was hard not to start flipping through the ones I had forgotten about or start reading ones I haven't read yet. Many brought back memories either of the book or the time I read it. Nancy Pearl was on NPR before Christmas and mentioned a book that I had to go straight out and buy (locally at Peter Miller Books). Unpacking My Library: Architects and Their Books. If ever a book was designed with me in mind that was it. It inspired me to take these photos of my shelves before I moved.

I'm not someone who organizes my books, besides by size. I like the genres mixed up. More chance for spontaneous finds when I'm looking for something.

dirt + plants

2010-01-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Our landscape architect friend, Scott Pascoe, gave us some advice on how to amend our clay soil. We had 20 yards of Cedar Grove Compost delivered Friday and I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the mound. It was a lot. Most of it is now tilled into our front and side yard. What a difference in color.

I've been a little overwhelmed with what to do about the yard. I've been doing lots of reading and looking around at other projects and even met with a landscaper. We might have him do some of the work, but funds are tight, so I'd rather pay for more plantings and plant ourselves. To get some visuals, I've been stopping by local nurseries. We have a garden shop, City People's, around the corner from us. That's where these photos are from.

I was thinking this heather would be a nice ground cover along the walk to the house. The red color in winter is beautiful.

Above is "Little Heath" and below is "Royal Princess."

I spotted this lovely garden after lunch in Columbia City yesterday.

moving in

2010-01-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like moving into a new home to realize your current linens and furniture are inadequate. Especially our bedding. Okay for now, but definitely need to go shopping. And my furniture needs some polishing up. Last weekend I had movers bring in the furniture and 20 boxes of books...I know that sounds like a lot, but that's probably a third of my collection. The other thing about moving is it forces you to really see how much STUFF you possess. Neil is a bit of a minimalist and his wife is more pack rat. Actually I don't think I'm that bad. Mostly books, clothes, plants, pottery and lots of files & notebooks full of inspiration and articles. Oh, and all those starts of projects that I think I'll someday find the time to finish.

The Karina - final inspection!

2010-01-27T06:03:00.001-08:00

We passed our final inspection yesterday! Electrical & Plumbing finals were passed on Monday...those were needed to sign off on the final and plumbing had been held up by our counter issue. So finally we can now wrap things up with our construction loan. The hard part of the construction loan process is that the work needs to be completed before they give you the money. In the beginning of the process that is okay...at the end of it is challenging. I started moving furniture in on Sunday so will try to upload some interiors soon.

Neil put up the trim that goes around the back porch. If you look closely there are some recycled glass tiles in one bay. I need to order some more to wrap the porch with.

aia seattle january open house - part two

2010-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the continuation of the house tour. We liked the exterior. It is just hardi assembled in a brick pattern with a wider gap between them. It also appears they attached hardi in a similar pattern to the garage door. Very clean, simple look.

Next up on our house is the landscaping. I'll be posting more on that later, but have been keeping my eye open to how others have done it. It always looks so bare at the beginning, but I know it only takes one good season for it to take off and 2 to fill in.

This is just a wood door with a nice paint texture. The door hardware is Emtek - Mode lever".

aia seattle january open house - part one

2010-01-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Every other month tha AIA Seattle Chapter collaborates with Seattle Magazine's Northwest Home+Garden with an open house of an architecturally interesting home. This month it was over in Kirkland. These tend to not be my best photographs, because I don't like using the flash when so many other people are around and they are usually detail shots, for the same reason. The magazine has much better photos and more information about the home.

ode to blue tape

2010-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Okay...I didn't really write an ode, but I was looking at my recent posts and there's a theme of blue tape. Blue tape is the builder's post-it. I will know the house is complete when there is no trace of blue anywhere. Typically it's used as masking for painting, but Neil has also used it here to mark where the recessed medicine cabinet will go. In other places it designates where a bit of touch-up paint is needed.

The bathroom counter was finally installed yesterday. That was a mishap that threw us a week off schedule. Even though the counter people had the sink and faucet, they still miscalculated and drilled the hole of the faucet too close to the sink. Oh well...they redid it and it looks fabulous.

Here blue is holding the mirror in place as the glue dries.

Not the best picture, but Neil installed our blinds in the skylights. Next up is ordering the blinds for the rest of the windows.

The Karina - carpet

2010-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

The carpet was installed yesterday and I love it! On our cottage projects at Ross Chapin Architects, we have always put carpet in upstairs. Neil and I had discussed whether to go to wood flooring, because carpet tends to get a bad rap when it comes to indoor air quality. The problem with wood, though, is it's noisier and in my opinion not as cozy for bedrooms...even with area rugs. That's why we decided on wool carpet. It's a natural material that some studies have found to actually help purify the air. Ecohaus, our local environmental home center, describes wool as "'green' by nature. Sheep can be shorn every 9 to 12 months, and wool is biodegradable. It needs none of the chemicals that must be added to synthetics to enhance their performance." We went with Godfrey Hirst's Torquay series, color: mushroom. It's 100% New Zealand wool.

Another thing to note about indoor air quality...because we have been so careful about the materials we have used to reduce the toxic chemicals building the home, we want to be diligent about what we track into the home. Since the carpet went in, there is a NO shoes policy upstairs. Eventually, it will be shoes off entering the home, but we still have cardboard down protecting the floors. If you really think about it, it's the only way to go. Do you really want to be tracking into your home all the places you have been walking?

We used a local family business to purchase and install our carpet, Vogel's Carpet. We HIGHLY recommend them. We originally went to a big outfit, Great Floors, but felt they weren't being upfront with us about the cost and when we questioned their calculations they actually were a bit hostile. Our experience with Vogel's was the opposite and they worked with us even as we kept postponing our install date. Not sure why I had forgotten that lesson...it's best to stick with local businesses that have been around for years and who you can trust.

The Karina - counters

2010-01-18T07:49:00.001-08:00

The kitchen counters are in! They came on Friday and installed the counters and kitchen sink. Here you can see how we wrapped the backsplash around and used stainless steel up the back of the stove. I like all the play of grey and stainless. Neil was installing the garbage disposal over the weekend.

The living room wall is about finished...just another coat of paint around the inset. The mantel turned out well. We had debated whether to paint it or not, but like the natural finish...it will go well with the floors.

At least someone is enjoying our mud pit of a yard....

The Karina - bathrooms

2010-01-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

It's so exciting to stop by the house these days. There is always something else that is completed.

I can't wait to use this shower! I love the rain head. Neil insisted on the hand held as well...much easier to clean the shower with that.

This is also the main bathroom...I had originally put 2 of the above lights in on either side of the sink to match the other 2 in the bath, but since they use only 60 watt candelabra bulbs, there wasn't enough light. So back to the light store...this time Lamps Plus. I then chose the light in the bottom left corner.
But when Neil went to install it, the back of the light did not give enough room for the wiring because we used pancake electrical boxes. Those are used when there is a stud in the way. Soon there will be a recessed medicine cabinet in the middle so the studs are where the lights will go. So back to the lighting store I went and ended up with these.

The Karina - update

2010-01-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

To think, in one week this is going to be all cleaned up! So much is finishing up this week. Yesterday the glass shower enclosures where installed and the little upstairs bathroom counter. Also the concrete guy came to start on our path from the sidewalk to the porch and the front and back step. This morning I'm heading over to meet with a landscaper that hopefully can help us with our muddy mess of a yard.

I stopped by on my way to work yesterday morning, and the cabinet doors were partially installed, so we looked at the 2 door handles I had picked up at Lowes. I had spent some time in Builder's Hardware, but just couldn't find the right knob. The Lowes one isn't right either, but it was close. I ended up ordering one online based on this one. We need 19 knobs and 12 bar pulls. The knobs will go on the doors and the pulls on drawers...except in the bathrooms which will be all knobs.

The Karina - hardware

2010-01-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

Schlage Manhattan Lever Handle
There are 7 interior doors that needed door hardware like this. (We have 4 pocket doors as well) I wanted something simple with clean lines that felt good in the hand. This Schlage model accomplishes all of that for around $35. I specifically wanted levers, because they are easier to open...a "universal design" option.

We have the Schlage "Elan" model in our current home. And while it is modern looking, it's too edgy in the hand. I prefer the curve of the Manhattan.

Door hardware was one of the easier items to choose...much of it came down to what we wanted to spend. The items further below were all in the 80-$100 range. Valli&Valli has some beautiful hardware...it felt great in the hand and was simple and clean, but $100 each just was not an option. Especially when I rather liked the Schlage model we ended up with.

I also liked the INOX 210 Air-stream, which is the 2nd one down on the left.

The Karina - counters

2010-01-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

The real back door is up now. Some of the cabinet replacement pieces arrived so we were able to put the fridge in place and all the end panels to the cabinets...which was important because the countertops were measured yesterday. They will be installed next Friday and then we can put the last plumbing fixtures in and call for the FINAL INSPECTION!

We are going with Chroma countertops which is 90-93% quartz with 7-10% polyester resins and pigments. It's easy to clean, heat and scratch resistant and requires little maintenance...they just recommend re-applying the sealer now and then. We had narrowed it down to 2 colors for the kitchen.

I was leaning towards the brown and Neil was leaning towards the grey. Downstairs we are using more greys...like in the bathroom and the pavers at the living room stove. So we went with Coastal Grey. Upstairs we went with Crystal White with larger stone pieces.

It was fun to go down to Pental and out to their slab warehouse. It really helps to see them large.

The Karina - lighting

2010-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks for us. I had some time off from RCA around the holidays and was able to focus on the house, final decisions and running errands for Neil. We are coming down to the last weeks and there is much to finalize. One task was the final selections of lighting fixtures. As with the exterior lights, the interior choices were not easy. Three of these sconces were just used in the stairway.

Light: Forecast Niles F1065-16

These were chosen for the bedrooms. Both selections came from Seattle Lighting.

Light: Minka Lavery 342-84

happy new year!

2009-12-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

Yeah!! Our front door is up! I love it. Love the color. So glad we went with the red...and there is Neil to welcome me home! I just picked out the door hardware yesterday at Builders Hardware. It's a great place to see a variety of door and cabinet hardware, but also every other kind of hardware piece that goes in a home. I also picked up 2 doorbells, door stops and pocket door pulls. The front door handle is Schlage - Wakefield with a Merano indoor lever handle We switched to the oil rubbed bronze for the front door to match the light fixture we FINALLY decided on. Just have to install the doorbell and the front porch is done.
I didn't even notice the flower boxes til I was leaving. They put those up earlier this week. Now I just have to plant them!

merry christmas

2009-12-24T07:16:00.001-08:00

Neil and I are having a quiet holiday at home...with good friends coming for a veggie Italian dinner tonight and a day of much needed rest tomorrow. (I'm going to have to hide Neil's truck keys to keep him away from the house)

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and safe travels!

ceiling fans & ventilation

2009-12-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

Last night I finally ordered the ceiling fans. I kept hoping to come across some modern good-looking, more inexpensive ones, but should have just ordered these from the get-go. We currently have this model in our home. Not only is it simple and clean looking, it's quiet. They are also Energy Star rated. I ordered 3. 2 with a stem as shown above and one "hugger" like below all from Ylighting.com - a good source for modern lighting.

The ones with stems are going in the upstairs bedrooms and the "hugger" is going in the stairwell. That one in particular will help circulate the air throughout the house. In the winter we reverse the rotation which helps keep the warm air down off the ceiling. In the summer in Seattle we are lucky enough to typically not need air conditioning. We have 4 operable skylights throughout the house to help naturally ventilate and cool in the summer time. We also put in operable transom windows above the first floor doors, so that they could be left open at night and not pose a security risk or a cat escape.

The Karina - busy weeks

2009-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here is Alec prepping the side door for sanding then paint. Neil slapped up some paint on the temporary front door, so we could see what the red would look like. The red goes with the red trim in the gable. If you paint the exterior door red, to me, you have to paint the inside red...it's one unit, one mass. It would be odd to have it half and half...but it is bold. I actually like it and the thing about paint...one can always paint it another color. We talked about oiling it, since it is fir, but nothing else has been left natural on the exterior and well...the red works.

There is a lot going on at the house these days. Cabinets are in process and Neil started putting in the toilets over the weekend as well. The electrician starts today installing all the outlets, switches and what light fixtures we have. I have a few more to buy, which I'm planning to do this afternoon.

Last week I went and bought some straw to put down around the house. During the cold front we had, Neil had dug up the yard to install the downspout drains. What was once frozen, is now a muddy mess...walking on the straw helps to not sink into the mud.
We originally were going to take the rain water to the street, but decided on digging dry wells instead. There are 2 4'x4'x4' rock filled wells in the front yard for storm water. The site naturally drains towards the front anyway...now we just have to bring in some top soil and start landscaping.

one of those not so good days

2009-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

cotswold house in Bibury, England

Some days are more challenging than others to keep "it" together. Yesterday was one of those days. The cabinets arrived and for the most part are great cabinets-very well constructed...except the doors are pink. The light stain we asked for on the maple to help keep it looking like fresh maple (maple will darken over time...especially if exposed to sun) seemed to have a pink tint to it. Not at all what we were expecting. But we are working with the cabinet maker and I'm sure it will all work out and be fixed...it's just hard to explain that to my stomach. Luckily the doors and drawers can be removed and the boxes can be installed...this is critical, because we need the cabinets in place before we can order the countertops which take 2 weeks to be fabricated once they measure. Everything now is dependent on something else being finished ahead of it...lots of coordination being done.

our current home

2009-12-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Karina is not the first project that Neil and I have worked on together. The home we currently live in was the first and was completed in 2006...before we were married. The project was to design and construct a garage with an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) above it, or "mother-in-law" apartment. This was before the now allowed Detached ADU, so it had to be "attached" to the existing 800 sqft, 1930's house. I designed it so that eventually the older house could be demolished and the garage/apartment could stand alone. Our property is skinny...only 30' wide by 100' and it's on a busy street. We actually didn't max out the current lot coverage at the time, but we came close to it. Our neighbors property is about 4' or so higher than ours, so we were not concerned with blocking sunlight. My main concern was balancing Neil's wants of a large garage (lots of tools, motorcycles, work area) and maximizing the apartment size with addressing the street and wanting to bring down the scale of the addition. The new addition would be where Neil lived and he ended up renting out the older house for a couple years...until I moved in in 2008. Now my stuff lives in the older place and our day to day living is in the 500 sqft apartment.
Both Neil and I wanted to paint the house grey. Even in our grey Seattle weather, I love this shade. It's rich, yet isn't stand-outish. I really wanted the new house to fit into our surroundings. We originally thought we would use yellow as an accent, but doing these photoshop mock-ups, we realized we wanted something more subtle.

The Karina - big day

2009-12-16T09:28:00.001-08:00

The cabinets arrive today! I can't wait to see them. The painters finally finished and this is the upstairs front bedroom. The color is the same that we have used in our current home - there's enough contrast, but it's a nice neutral color. Great to bring in accents with furniture and fabric. I'm heading over there later today so will take more photos of the rooms and cabinets and will post the specific wall and trim color tomorrow.

our current home - exterior details

2009-12-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

I do love how the house glows at night. The blue light is from our neon coffee table. This picture was taken last year when we had a crazy week of snow. The lower roof over the garage door helps to bring down the scale of such a tall and wide gable and actually was somewhat code driven. Where the facade of the upper story starts is also the plane of where the rear yard begins. We were not allowed to have anything over 12' in the rear yard. The band of windows on the south allows enough light to come into the garage but small enough not to be a security risk. Even though the form is classic we tried to bring in some modern detailing. The window trim is 2x4 picture framed with a 4x4 window sill. We wanted the windows to pop and have a heavy shadow line.

our current home - exterior details

2009-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

The siding is HardiPlank and we used an 8" exposure. I also think this helps to bring the scale down, plus I just like the large exposure...I would have actually preferred more like 10" or 12", but this works. At the top of the gable end we alternated 2x material with the siding and then painted it the lighter grey. This helped to give it some character and balance. Without it, the gable felt too high and looked like it needed something. We originally thought of cross ties or brackets, but wanted a more modern look. The reason why we didn't just have higher windows, was we used scissor trusses on the inside and the windows are proportional to the inside.
Eventually when the older house is removed, I envisioned an entry porch further back off the sidewalk, but for now, we enter in the garage. Our friend Andy did all the metal work throughout the house including the roof overhang here.

Because we have a bus stop right out this door, our stoop gets quite a bit of use. You'd think we would be able to keep up with such a small garden (3'x30'), but this summer we really neglected it due to the new house...luckily many of the plants are drought tolerant. Next spring I'll fill in with more lavender, which is pretty hardy.
Neil came up with this detail to create the planting bed.

our current home - inside

2009-12-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

So inside we go...the apartment is about 544 sqft including the stairs up. It's basically a square open plan. There are many aspects that I love about our home, but if I had to pick my favorite, it would be the light. We have windows on all 4 sides with the largest facing South and West. Sitting on our couch, I can look out the window and feel the sun on my face as I read a book or browse on my laptop. The cats also like it up here. Neil created a passageway into the adjoining house and even though all my books, most of my clothes and other items are there, I would say 95% of our time is in the light filled apartment.
The neon coffee table was made by our good friend Marc Lawrence. I commissioned it for Neil a few Christmas' ago, specifically for here. The orange cubes were ordered from Crate & Barrel and are favored by Chessie. The couch pillows were made by me and the rug is FLOR tiles. The orange side table the plant sits on, Neil also made years ago. There is a matching one in the bedroom.

The center cabinet was also built by Neil. We designed it as a multiple use divider between the living room and bedroom. The kitchen counters are laminate with a 1.5" thick birch plywood edge. I've always liked this detail and Neil did such a beautiful job on the raised counter.

The cabinets are maple and the floors are actually white oak with a dark stain. If I remember correctly, Neil got a great deal on the floors...about $500 because they were extra from one of his flooring subs last jobs. The lower cabinets to the left and right of the middle drawers are lazy susans. That's where most of our food is stored.

I prefer a single bowl for the kitchen sink and one big enough to keep a pot or two in for a soak. The button on the left is for the garbage disposal, which isn't getting as much use as before, since Seattle is now picking up our compostables every week.

Of course this option for the microwave only works if you are of a certain height, but it's nice not to see it exposed. The hood is from EURO-kitchen which is a great option for a low cost modern looking wall mount.

our current home - bathroom

2009-12-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Even with it's compact size, I love our bathroom. A bathroom counter doesn't have to be that deep. Ours curves out to accommodate the sink, but narrows to 12" as it hits the cabinet. Inside the cabinet we have a plug to keep the toothbrushes and electric razer out of site. I had pulled the door up 4" off the counter so that it would clear items on the counter.

The skylight is a perfect solution to bring in light, while maintaining privacy. In the summer it also allows for natural ventilation for the apartment. Much of our material and fixture inspiration for the new house comes from what we have done in our current home. We stacked the subway tiles here and used a grey grout. The splurge here was the Grohe shower combo. The tub is Americast.

Our newest addition is the photo of F1 2009 Champion Jenson Button. Since it's taken in the rain, we thought it was appropriate in the bath.

Black Honed granite and stainless steel undermount sink and faucet - I'm partial to the one lever handle on the faucet...especially in a main bathroom.

Lewis on the Toto wondering what I'm up to.

our current home - the cabinet

2009-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

We actually didn't have the TV before we designed the cabinet...but Neil wanted a large one. I must say, going HD at this size has been quite the viewing experience. Watching things like Planet Earth is just amazing. Living in such a small space with a TV of this size, it was critical for me to be able to hide it. When it's off, it still has a presence. So we designed a sliding door system that also hides or opens up the desk area. I don't have a picture, but there are 2 large panels back to back so both the desk and TV area can be closed off to the living room. We kept it low to allow the visual connection between the living room and bedroom so both feel larger than if there was a full height wall up to the ceiling. Under the TV, the panels open to the DVD player, cable box & audio box. To the right is miscellaneous storage.

If you look closely at the base of the TV you will notice that it is on a turn table. The TV cabinet was designed so that the TV can spin around and we can watch TV in bed. Perfect for those early 5 am Formula 1 races we watched this season. (Remember the photo in our bathroom?)

This is an earlier picture...it's good to see how much the plants have grown. This is the bedroom side. The drawers below are used for clothes and below the TV on this side hides the computer printer.
From my side of the bed, I see some of my books, then a nice long view into the kitchen and out the corner window. Long diagonal views in a small space, helps it to feel larger. This window faces East, so is the first view of daylight in the morning.

The Karina - front porch

2009-12-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Neil continues working outside this week, completing the front porch and the back deck as well as some work on the yard. The front porch is a key design feature of the house. It's 8'x 15' which is room-size. Plenty usable instead of just a tack on. Many new homes today do not incorporate a front porch or if there is one, it's not deep enough to use. The front porch is an important transition between the public realm of the street and the private realm of the home. It's a place to sit and read the mail, to wait for friends or just watch the world go by. With our Seattle weather, it's also key to have a place to sit outside that has a roof over it. Because our house is so close to Madison Avenue, we have a lot of people walking by each day. Having the front porch is friendly gesture to the community and will provide opportunities to meet our neighbors.

front porch inspiration - ross chapin architects

2009-12-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

All of these are houses in our Ross Chapin Architects' projects. It's interesting to see the different porch variations that we have done grouped together. The play of sunlight on this first one has always been a favorite of mine. Ross worked on site to get the spacing of the cross pieces just right. Sometime in the next 2 weeks, Neil will be pouring our front and back stoop that will be similar to the below...which reminds me that I have to pick up some tiles.
These next 3 are of the Highlands in Langley, on Whidbey Island.

This is the same house with 2 different porch roofs.

At some point, if the budget allows, Neil will build a tile lattice similar to this on the wrapped back porch. The recycled glass tiles are from Bedrock Industries in Seattle and we plan to use a larger 8" tile.
On this project we ended up leaving the railing natural cedar instead of painting it.

I'm ready to sit down with a gin and tonic when I look at this one. It's of a custom project that looks out on the water. I can just about feel the cool breeze. All of these porches were designed as extensions of the house. To be used not just pass through.

front porch inspiration - seabrook, wa

2009-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Neil and I went to Seabrook, Washington for the first time for my birthday a year ago. We rented a mother-in-law apartment above a garage with a bit of a view of the Pacific ocean. Seabrook is a new town that is being created along the coast about 2-1/2 hours drive from Seattle. When my parents came for a visit this summer, we rented a small cottage that was one of 10 clustered around a courtyard...very similar to the communities we design at Ross Chapin Architects. The town itself is still being developed, but there is a cafe, grocery and about 130 homes. The master plan is very well thought-out and I appreciated the walk-ability and pedestrian connections. So if you are looking for a place to go on the Washington coast, I would highly recommend checking it out.

exterior lights

2009-11-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

As I previously mentioned, I am having trouble deciding on the exterior lights. So I went to Lowe's and bought 2 to try. There's nothing quite like a life size mockup. Seeing the color options in the location really helped.

I was fighting the bronze look, but it really does look better with our paint colors.
Both fixtures are actually not bad and good prices, but I want to blend the 2 together. So back to the web searches I went and I think I have it with the first one for the front door and the other for the back porch.
Now I just have to confirm the back plate that attaches to the wall is small enough to fit on the wood blocks we decided on back when Neil was siding...

The Karina - ready for paint

2009-11-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

It was another working weekend for Neil. The painters start today and the bookcases in the living room needed to be finished before the cleanup could happen. I actually helped out Sat. & Sun. on that part...hopefully that will be the last time I vacuum walls for awhile. (had to remove the sawdust that was everywhere) Most of these pics were just after the floors were finished. Now there is protective cardboard over them.

On the stairs looking into the kitchen and dining room beyond:

Back bedroom / home office:
From the dining room looking into the living room:
In the living room looking south...that is just a temporary front door:
From the same spot looking towards the dining room:
The living room bookcases...there will be a panel on the mantel, but we need access to the vent for when the stove is installed:
Neil is such a craftsman...all along I wanted to have a secret door/ bookcase, but I had no idea how it would be built. I just did a bunch of arm waving and said what I wanted and he was able to build it.
LOVE IT!
There's not a lot of room back there, but we needed to create access...and this is a cool way to do it. We also put a second crawl space hatch in here. Because the existing house had a half underground basement, we have an extra deep crawl space...about 3'-6" from the bottom of the joists. We spent about $1000 extra and poured a slab down there...so it's a nice clean crawl, instead of a dirty, scary spider haven they typically are.

aia seattle 2009 honor awards

2009-11-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle Honor awards ceremony was last week and even though I did not go this year, I did spend some time looking at the winners and some of the entrants on the AIA Seattle website. It's a great way to see what other local architects are up to and be inspired by amazing spaces. I was glad to see the Wing Luke Asian Museum win a top Honor. When my parents were here from Virginia this summer, we toured the museum and then went and had tea at the Panama Hotel. My mom and I each had read On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and it was a great to see and experience the history of these places in person. Click on any of the photos in this post and it will take you to the AIA website where there's more photos and information on each of the projects.

Other notables for me were Tyler Engle Architects Madrona Live/Work. The light from the skylight is just perfect.

Love how this cabinet opens and the TV swivels out. I'm all for hiding the TV when not in use. I still haven't figured out how best to hide it in the new place, but have thought about the swiveling out.
Here's a dramatic waterfront house with amazing detailing by one of my favorite architects and person friend Alec Duncan of arKINETIC:

Adams Mohler Ghillino Architects Wall House:

Vandeventer + Carlander Architects Madison Park House:

The following is actually a house we toured this year, but Coates Design Architects photos are MUCH better than the snapshots I was able to take.

Some day I'll convince my husband that my book collection is a beautiful design element and he will build me a wall or library like this where I can display them all.

help! - exterior lights

2009-11-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Some decisions have come easier than others. Right now I'm having a hard time deciding on the exterior light fixtures. We need 5 total. One for the front porch and 4 along the back wrapped porch. Originally I wanted to use this first one, Kichler's Nautical sconce. The problem is using the right bulb. We haven't found a large round compact fluorescent bulb that works with this one. Luckily there are more options then the spiral CFBs but not one that looks perfect in this light, since you do look at the bare bulb...which I'm just not sure about anyway. I would rather have frosted glass around the bulb, like these others. There is also the issue of color. Originally we wanted a brushed chrome look, but now I'm second guessing that and liking the oiled bronze with the colors we have chosen for the house.

kitchen inspiration - ross chapin architects

2009-11-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

For the cottage projects that I have worked on at Ross Chapin Architects, we have typically put in white painted cabinets with a granite 12x12 tile counter. The look is classic, clean and has always been received well. Fred Kimball of Kimball Woodworks in Port Townsend, has been our cabinet maker of choice. Thinking about it, I realize I've worked with Fred on 70 some homes...repeating plans of course, but still that's a lot of homes. When it came time to choose cabinets for the Karina, to me it was a no-brainer to use Fred. Neil did get 2 other bids just to be sure. One from a much larger company, that was cheaper, but was not a true custom cabinet maker, so we would have had to use standard sizes. Our kitchen doesn't have a lot of extra space, so I wanted to maximize cabinets. The other was a similar outfit and gave a similar price. We are going with the Shaker door style as shown in these photos of past RCA projects, but they will be maple cabinets and we still haven't decided on the countertops.

The Karina - update

2009-11-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

It's always a bit depressing this time of year when daylight is gone by 4:30pm. No more long days. Yesterday we had a surprise visit from the sun and I was so excited to see the guys back outside working on the front porch! Trim-out of the house is 95% done, with just the fireplace bookcase to finish. The floor guys return today to put the final 2 coats on and the painters are due to start next Monday. We can see the light at the end!We pre-stained the cedar decking to jump-start it's greying. Here you can see Neil put a strip of sticky flashing over the porch beams to increase their longevity.Neil ripping down a piece of decking lengthwise as Alec helps guide it.Peter, the tile guy, (Petra Matters) was there finishing up the caulking and grouting in the main bathroom. It looks amazing. I'm am so pleased at how it all turned out. The tile, the layout of the tiles, the grout choices, the change in tiles, the shelf in the shower. More detail shots will come later, but here is Peter working.
This is the smaller bathroom in the upstairs...here we used a white epoxy grout and a strip of the floor tile to help with the layout. The stair railing is completed and it all looks great - Thanks Jeff & Alec!

kitchen inspiration

2009-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Many of the open houses we go to tend to be more modern in their detailing. Style is a funny thing to define. I'm not much for labels and find it hard to describe my style. In simple terms, I say traditional with modern detailing or classic with a twist. That's the way we have designed and detailed the Karina as well as our current home. The form may be the classic gable, but some of the detailing and plan layout is modern. Anyway...the kitchens below are all pretty modern.
love this deep stainless steel sink!

kitchen inspiration

2009-11-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

Neil and I go to many AIA and other architecturally interesting open houses. Most of the time I can take pictures. I'm not always good at getting the overall picture, due to lots of other people at these open houses and the lighting is not always best, so I tend to take more detail, close in shots. Things like counter edges and how 2 different materials are coming together. Good shots for the files, to see what looks good together. Here are some kitchen shots from the past year.
concrete counters with metal edge
polished granite tiles with metal edge - nice thin dark grout

busy day - tub fixtures

2009-11-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

After the appliance sale, we then picked up the last pieces of tile for the main bathroom. We had under estimated by a couple tiles. Hopefully Peter, the tile guy, will be able to finish up on Tuesday. It's looking so nice. He has done an excellent job. Once the tile is done, we can start to install the plumbing fixtures. The 27"x6' Duravit tub is ready to be set, but we need to install the tub fixtures first. So off to Morgans Plumbing Supply we went and these are the current contenders:
Grohe Concetto or Essence

Grohe Eurodisc II

or we might go with something a little slimmer...of course I don't remember which this was, but believe it was a hansgrohe

Next week we should be receiving a bid for the shower doors. The big question is will we be able to afford the frameless like below:

And I still haven't decided on sinks yet. Here are a couple more.
Kohler then Danze

busy day - appliances

2009-11-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

We were up early for a Saturday and out of the house before 8:00am in order to stand outside in the rain with a couple hundred others waiting for the Albert Lee Appliance Warehouse Sale to open. What a very organized mad house that was.
Neil and I split up, and while he went to grab a range, I was able to find the dishwasher we wanted - KitchenAid Architect Series II KUDC03FVSS - stainless steel with the hidden controls for a slightly better price then this.

We met up over in the microwave/hood section and found the matching one to the slide-in range he had found. - Frigidaire Professional 30" Slide In Electric Range FPES3085KF & over the range microwave FPBM189KF - I had previously taken a picture of the two in the store.

Then while Neil was standing in line to pay, I went to look at the washer & dryers. We weren't planning to purchase these today, but these were such a good deal when you calculate in the rebates we can obtain, so these too will be showing up in a couple weeks. Whirlpool washer WFW9400SW & dryer WED9400SW
As Neil pointed out, we did overspend our budget, but we were able to purchase higher quality appliances without going too far out of our range. Plus, there will be more savings once I send in the different brand rebates I found online and the energy star rebates.

The Karina - stairs

2009-11-05T08:08:00.001-08:00

Our friends Jeff & Alec are working on the trim out of the stairs. Here they are laying out where the handrail is going to be. We are using a breadloaf looking handrail with square pickets below that rest on a 16" wall. The tricky part of all this is how all the trim works with each other and dies into the newel posts.

The Karina - grout

2009-11-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Our bathrooms are nearly complete and we are deciding on grout - type & color. The downstairs bathroom which is the white 4x16 stacked tile will be getting "Smoke Grey" by Laticrete. Here we are using regular cement grout. In the upstairs small bathroom where we also used the white 4x16 we are looking using white "Sauterne" epoxy grout. The same in the upper portion of the main bathroom. We decided to use the epoxy grout in these areas as well as the entire main bathroom shower because it is stain & mildew resistant.

For the darker tile floor and walls in the main we are deciding between a darker "Moss" and a lighter "Natural Grey". I'm leaning towards the darker. I like how it picks up on some of the dark streaks in the tile and I think it won't stand out as much.

backyard cottages

2009-11-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

The Seattle City Council unanimously passed the backyard cottage ordinance today for ALL of Seattle. This is great news. As I mentioned last Thursday it's been a long time coming. It gives owners much more flexibility and potential on their property. Our current house is actually 2 units, but they are attached. Neil built the garage/apartment in 2007 and before I moved in, Neil was able to rent out the older house for extra income. It's definitely now a possibility at the new house. The lot is big enough and we have alley access. I just didn't think the ordinance would happen this year.

Details:
Minimum 4000 sqft lot
800 sqft max including garage and storage
22' max. height unless lot is wider than 40' with alley access
owner must occupy one of the units

So if you want a small cottage in your backyard, check out my firm's plan options on our GoodFit site. Then call Neil to build it! Below is the Lisette plan which is 635 sqft.

the new low maintenance garden

2009-10-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ photos by Jacqueline M. Koch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been looking forward to this book coming out. Valerie Easton is a local writer who I have enjoyed reading in the Seattle Times Pacific Magazine over the years. She writes mostly about gardening, but has done many of the Pacific Magazine's features on people's homes as well. This excerpt from the Times is the perfect teaser. She also has a blog, Plant Talk, that I have been recently following.

At our new house we have a front, back and 2 large sides just waiting to be planted. Our budget is tight, but there are some key areas that I want to first focus on. One is screening along the south property. Two is a focal tree out the south living room window and third is the front yard as one approaches the house.

our home

2009-10-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is our living room. I was thinking I'll do a bunch of posts next week about our current home and how it was created. It has evolved since Neil and I were first dating 7 years ago. This picture was taken last week after a party we had...that's why it is as tidy as it is. Typically the coffee table/light table is filled with remotes, my magazines and work related stuff.

backyard cottages

2009-10-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

On Monday, Seattle's City Council is scheduled to vote on allowing detached backyard cottages in all of Seattle. Currently they are allowed in South Seattle, including our current neighborhood Mt. Baker/Columbia City. I know this issue has been discussed, debated and studied in Seattle for as long as I have been here (14 years) and I heard Diane Sugimura, Director Dept. of Planning & Development, state it's 30 years in the making. I have always felt this is a no-brainer solution to slightly increasing the density in residential neighborhoods...but the truth is, it doesn't really increase the density, because attached accessory units are already allowed. This just gives people another option. Place Architects worked with DPD to put together a very helpful guide to building a backyard cottage. It's actually a handy primer for any residential project, because it talks about site design, privacy, neighborhood compatibility, green design, universal design, financing, and construction. I recommend checking it out. (full disclosure: a bunch of RCA photos were used throughout the booklet as good examples.)

mt. baker neighborhood - cottage

2009-10-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

Here is another home I drive by every day that i just love. It's on a corner site facing East and because of how the road is at this location, it has a long view looking Northeast.

The house just nestles in the surrounding garden and the paint colors are just perfect. Neil and I both love grey houses...even in "grey" Seattle. It needs to be a warm grey, though, like this one.

One of the reasons I may be drawn to this so much, is that it reminds me of our Betty series of house plans that we sell at my office. This is one that was built at Wyers End in White Salmon, WA.

appliance selection

2009-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest decisions we have made to date was picking out the refrigerator on Saturday. I knew that I wanted french doors with bottom drawer freezer, stainless steel and Energy Star, but figured it would still be agonizing like other big purchases. We went to Albert Lee Appliances and within 15 minutes of talking with Aaron, a sales associate there, we had our fridge. KitchenAid KBFS25EVMS - 36" - 24.8 Cu. Ft. It's the first one on the right.

The finish on it was a tad darker than the others and we liked the flat front and square edges instead of more rounded doors. Another thing I loved and had not seen before was the filtered water dispenser inside. It's on the left at the door hinge.

We are waiting on the other appliances to see if we can purchase them at the BIG Albert Lee Warehouse sale in 2 weeks. Aaron was very helpful in helping us narrow down what we should be looking for to match the fridge.

The Karina - main bedroom

2009-10-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Trim out has started. Most of the doors are hung and window trim is about finished. Upstairs in the main bedroom we have a shelf above the closet. This is a detail we have done often at Ross Chapin Architects. It allows for the ceiling to continue and makes the space feel a bit larger than if the wall continued straight up. It's also a place where we can put a rope light and have the light bounce off the ceiling.

Typically in our RCA houses we run a 1/2"x2 1/2" ceiling trim at the wall & ceiling intersection. When I was out at the house on Wednesday, Neil and I were going over where all this would go and how we would do the bathroom and skylight locations...then we agreed to hold off...see what it would look like without. In our current home we have a vaulted ceiling and we left off the trim. It gives it a more modern look which is what we are going for. We will still have trim around the windows & doors and at the shelf, but just left off the ceiling trim upstairs. Of course Neil liked that idea!

This is our his & her closet. A bit excessive with the 2 pocket doors, but I like it. The middle wall is wired for a flat screen.

The Karina - tile progress

2009-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

The tile is about half way done. It is exciting to see it come together. I'm really happy with our choices so far. In the 2 smaller bathrooms we went with a darker floor tile than original picked out. The lead time on the other was 3-4 weeks...we should have ordered it the day we first choose it...but we didn't, so we went with one that was readily available. We all (including the tile guy, Peter) love the 4x16 tile we are using in both showers. Downstairs we are stack setting it and upstairs we are brick laying it.

The grout has not been applied yet, but we are going with a light grey grout, so it will be a very similar look to this. The accent tiles here are Carrara marble. (same marble used to carve Michelangelo's "David")

We had one more tile to decide on, so at lunch yesterday I took the truck to Seattle Tile to pick up our floor tile and choose the white tile for our main bathroom. These are 18x18 and I hopefully they are starting on them today, because I can't wait to see how they look. In the main and lower bathroom we went with a diagonal layout and the upstairs little bathroom, we kept it square.

mt. baker neighborhood - flower boxes

2009-10-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

I went for a walk in my neighborhood the other evening. Only 3 blocks north of us, the house prices quickly triple and quadruple. Everything was just popping with fall colors. When I returned home and was reviewing my photos, it was interesting to see some patterns. Many of the houses I photographed had flower boxes on the houses below the windows. Not all of them were filled, but they all gave some depth to the elevation with their shadows.

At Ross Chapin Architects, our standard front porch rail incorporates flower boxes. They add a nice accent to the house and tend to be easier to maintain. We will be using this detail on the Karina as well and I can't wait to fill it with bright red flowers.

resource - fine homebuilding

2009-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the many perks to marrying a builder, is my access to his collection of Fine Homebuilding magazines that dates back to 1992. I used to buy the occasional one and always the yearly Homes issue and the yearly Kitchen & Baths issue, but now they pleasantly surprise me by showing up in our mailbox. I am just perusing the just arrived Kitchen & Baths issue now. For any homeowner thinking about remodeling their kitchen or bath, this is the issue for you. As a designer, it is a great resource to show clients to help them visualize their likes and dislikes and to see how different materials work together. It also has reviews on new products and comparisons...like the current article "Shower-Door Sampler". Click on the photo for a teaser of the articles in the current issue...one thing about Fine Homebuilding is you need to buy the magazine or pay for online articles.

mt. baker house

2009-10-16T13:19:00.001-07:00

I purposely take a side street home sometimes, just to pass this house. The landscaping is amazing, but I also like how the house colors all work together.

The Karina - exterior color

2009-10-15T08:23:00.001-07:00

To be finished painting before the rains began this week, I was out there with the guys on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the final push. It's so nice to see it without the scaffolding up. I must say, I am very happy with the way the colors turned out. When we first started, Neil and I went through the color wheel choosing about a dozen that we liked. We then went to Seattle Paint, which is a Benjamin Moore dealer, and picked up 8x10 sheets of those colors. Holding them up next to the building in the shadows as well as the bright light, helped narrow it down and we chose one. But, when they started to paint, it was just a bit too army green (BenMoore HC-106 crownsville gray) and I wanted something more bark like.

We were so close...because we ended up with

body = Ben Moore HC-103 cromwell gray.
trim color = Ben Moore 1528 early morning mist
under the gable = Ben Moore HC-102 clarksville gray
red stripe = Ben Moore 1309 moroccan red

The red was also inspired by nature. Driving home from the site, I spotted a bright red bush, pulled over and picked a leaf and started from there. Choosing colors can be overwhelming, but there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Before choosing, Neil and I had been spotting and pointing out house colors we liked for weeks. Also just looking at how nature brings colors together is a great guide. Especially now as we are into fall.

The Karina - main bathroom

2009-10-13T07:07:00.001-07:00

This is our main bathroom on the second floor with the shower to the right and tub deck to the left. The red is the waterproofing the tile guy put on. I have been back and forth to the tile stores many days deciding on the floor tile that will run up the tub deck to the just above the window sill (as shown on the left). It will then change to a white - possibly - marble.

The large tile in the background is the tile we are going with. It is a through body porcelain which means that the color on top runs through the entire tile. It runs about $6.80 sqft - retail - that is for the 18x18. Other porcelains are usually glazed on the top with a pattern or darker color. We did find a great tile like that for around $2.50 sqft, but we didn't like the edge detail. The tile guy will be finishing the edge himself on the tub deck and there just was too much contrast between the top coat and the body. See below:

ross chapin architects - wyers end

2009-10-09T09:45:00.001-07:00

The firm, Ross Chapin Architects, that I have worked for the last 6.5 years excels at designing small homes that live large. We pack a lot into a small footprint - to me that is a main criteria for sustainable building. No matter how much green washing one does, 10,000 sqft for a single family house is not sustainable.

My boss, Ross Chapin, has made a name for himself for creating "pocket neighborhoods" - clusters of small homes around garden courtyards that foster a sense of community. I have had the privilege to be the project manager on many of them. One of them finished up last year down in White Salmon, Washington, on the Columbia River. It is an infill project in a small town. Being able to save many of the mature trees on the site, helps this project feel like it's been there for longer than just one year.

All of these individual plans are sold through our plan division, GoodFit. When I first started I wasn't completely sold on the stock plan aspect, but hearing from past buyers over the years of how happy they are in their homes, and thanking us for making good design affordable and accessible, has changed my thinking.

bathroom inspiration - tubs & showers

2009-10-06T22:08:00.001-07:00

In our main upstairs bathroom, we will have a similar tub/shower layout as this:

In the smaller upstairs bathroom, we are doing something similar with building the bench. It's a simple way to add more room in a shower, and save money by using a standard size shower pan.

This is a bathroom by my firm Ross Chapin Architects...love the light filled bathing area.

Now this is a soaking tub...

We have been seeing these in more homes:

The Karina - floor plans

2009-10-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

A little background on our new house…
When Neil and I bought the property in January 2009, there was an existing house on it. It had been many years since this house had seen any love and it was actually rather scary. Pieces of it were salvaged, but most of it was recycled when we demolished it. Due to its state, we had to get a construction loan to close on the property. Since there was only a month to design and put together Construction Documents, we decided to use one of the stock plans my firm sells through its GoodFit Plans division. I choose a plan I was project manager for a few times and I modified it to fit our needs and those of the site. The original plan was the Kaleah…we joke in the office about naming plans after ourselves, so I named this one the Karina.

I made it more narrow in the main body, a bit taller, pulled out the dining room a bit, stretched the back bedroom/study, added a side door and wrapped porch because of the alley access, flipped the master suite to the back of the house (away from the main road), modified the main bathroom and simplified the framing. The house opens up to the South with large windows and from the wrapped porch we will step down to a patio.

bathroom inspiration - more sinks & tile

2009-10-01T08:14:00.001-07:00

I was going through my photo library last night and didn't realize how many bathrooms I had photographed that use a vessel sink. I'm leaning towards a semi-recessed vessel for the upper bath. Something like this:

but I do love these:

and this one is similar to what I want to use for the downstairs bathroom, but as a pedestal. The mix of materials and colors in this bathroom is what we are going for. simple - clean - modern - classic

I like the striped tile floor here:

This one is a bit more traditional but I really like mix of circle sizes and the accent color.

accent color - final choice

2009-09-30T18:56:00.001-07:00

They put on the first coat of the gable end color and accent stripe and I went over to "approve" and I love it. Subtle, with just a little punch. I just happened to pull up right in front, so the mini was in the first shot. Our friend Evan, who was helping us out with the painting, pointed out that the trim matched the mini...sure enough when I put the paint chip on the car it was a perfect match.

Now we just need one more sunny, dry week to finish up the painting....