New stairway idea for Victorian in Cap Sante

My client called me a “Genius” on this one! Always nice to get that kind of compliment!

This is the same house that I did the last blog post for the interior remodel and now the owner wants to tackle the tiny staircase that has 9” treads (the part that you put your foot on- so 11” treads are standard today). The only way to get the stairway to work is to punch out the side of the structure towards the driveway (this is my 13th option on how to solve this, so went through a lot of ideas to get to this point). This still allows to park cars, and does not touch the ground- cantilvered off the side. So then I don’t have to do a “Stormwater Plan” yipee!

The stair punch out from the side

Here is a 3D model shot of the interior- there is a closet above that we donlt want to touch, so that is the main restriction.

Another view of the model to see how it is working.

Here is the house as it is now.

This is looking up into the existing stairway.

Existing stair

Right now, you open the front door and walk directly into this stair and it is tight. The new stair will turn the other direction and leave more space in the entry. You will be looking at the side of the staircase when you walk in. Much better Feng Shui! All the energy of the house will not be pulled out the front door!

The big question is why the top of the stairway has a lowered ceiling that comes down? That has to be demoed out for this to work. Also, those balusters take up space and there is only 2’6” clearance between the balusters and the wall. People were smaller in 1905! The interior doors are all 24” wide! I am going to come up with a plan to re-use the balusters somehow in other places….to be continued:-)

Thinking that the new punch out should be in a different material to contrast with the existing shingles. There is a philosophy in Historic Preservation (and I do have a Masters in Historic Preservation from Columbia University in New York) that any additions should be evident as being new. This HArdi Plank Lap Siding in “Beavertail Brown” would blend in with the existing old weathered shingles and yet give a nice detail- what do you think?

Also the “Shou Sugi Ban”, almost black could look very handsome…..any votes?

VICTORIAN REMODEL IN CAP SANTE, ANACORTES, WA

Contractor- Josh Williams of “True Built Bearing Built” in Bow, WA (www.truebearingbuilt.com) . Cabinets from “Creative Cabinets” in Anacortes (https://www.anacortescreativecabinets.com). This kitchen has come a long way from how it looked before. New Pantry, new 3/4 bathroom from powder, new Master Bath with added tub with a view! And new laundry moved to the second floor with all the bedrooms are located to save stair travel. House was built in 1905!

Same side shot but from farther back

New kitchen from the side. Brass faucet adds a nice touch.

The kitchen before was dominated by a brick fireplace that no longer was used, so that got removed and freed up a lot of real estate to use. The main window got shifted over to allow room to get the stove on the same wall, It was cluttered and the stove was below the other window before.

Before and after “Panos”

The new backsplash is glass tiles from “Home Depot”, in subtle shades of blue to reflect the water view outside. The counters are a quartzite that looks like sand, So the “Beachy” theme of sand and water drove the color choices and cabinet color. “Polar Orbit Blue” Mosaic Wall glass tiles from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jeffrey-Court-Polar-Orbit-Blue-11-625-in-x-11-625-in-Interlocking-Glossy-Glass-Mosaic-Wall-Tile-0-938-sq-ft-Each-13014/316717528

By removing a side full height pantry cabinet, the kitchen got opened up to the den, and a walk-in pantry was added by shaving off some space from the old laundry/powder room.

The powder room got the laundry removed and a shower added in the same glass tiles as the kitchen backsplash- so a consistent theme of water. The owner is a sailor and has her boat in Cap Sante Marina!

Same room before as above- the laundry before. Cramped and crowded! with the toilet opposite. So the toilet and sink got flipped to get in the shower.

Old Master bath before. Sink in facing the view, but hard to see your face…

Old Master Bath

New Master Bath! The owner really wanted a tub in the bathroom, so we lowered the window sill so that one could see out from the tub. Moved the sink with a new cabinet and new focus. Re-did the shower int he same glass tiles as else where.

A closer shot of the new vanity with counter mounted sink.

And an even closer shot- I really like the open filament sconces- there was no way that we could mount a light over the mirror because of the ceiling height sloping down at the sink, and the side sconces actually get more light on the sides of the face to evenly light it to see better what is going on, eh?

New Shower with same glass tiles! The tub is only 48” long, but 30” deep- so a great Japanese soaking tub experience with small, powerful jets.

This detail shot shows the limestone flooring

Lastly, the sitting room off the Master Bedroom is pictured above before the remodel.

After- The new laundry saves dragging all the laundry down the stairs and back up again. And serves as an exercise room now! Cheers! Original wood flooring was retained.

NEW HOUSE ON DECATUR ISLAND

The client wanted to see how the interior beams looked on the Great Room, so I did a little movie.

This one is the main entry into the Great Room

Front Entry Porch

Rear of house is the view side facing the Western Sunsets with big decks and covered porches.

There are a lot of trees on the property, so this image is without all the trees. Everyone drives golf carts on Decatur, so only a small garage is needed on the side. No ferry service, have to take your own boat or a private shuttle . No cabs or Uber or Lyft. No restaurants. Real Island Living.

BLACK ON BLACK ON BLACK ON ORCAS

From the water, a black house with black roof and black windows really blends into the landscape!

Here it is from the side showing the cedar soffits and posts for nice accents. This house is still under construction and the owner is hoping to move at the end of August 2022!

The cedar soffit is very yacht like in the front porch with a satin finish stain.

Here is a detail of the side.

The Living Room Trusses turned out really nicely- Timber Scissor Trusses.

REVISITING A-FRAME AFTER 10 YEARS- one of my best projects!

Got to visit this house after 10 years on Blakley Island! This is a very hard house to photograph because of the heritage Fir trees surrounding the house and the new plantings.

This is the house 10 years ago in 2012. The owner’s dad had built the A-Frame in 1965.

This shot is the rear during construction, so that you can see the additions being added onto the sides.

The siding is a very dark Brown, almost black, so it disappears into the woods.

This was a surprise to see that where there had been a balcony, they had enclosed it and cantilevered out a guest Bedroom which really looks cool!

There are double angles here, as the columns are angled and the roof extensions are also at an angle, so from the side it looks very busy from all the visual motion- almost dancing!

The Master Bedroom Wing has an extending covered roof extending into the woods with a hot tub-how perfect!

This is the front of the A-Frame that mostly looks the same except for the wall of glass and the Dining Room Addition that looks like an airplane wing, as the house sits on a runway and the owner was a pilot. Truely a transformation! And to think that it almost got torn down…..

The front facade was clad in “Parklex” (https://parklexprodema.com/usa/) , which is a composite of paper and resin. It seems to be holding up very well. It is a smooth panel that is attached to a rain screen with exposed stainless bolts.

The original A-Frame from the air stripe. The wood shingle roof was encrusted with moss.

San Juan Island Addition survives Covid!

Oh my, what a journey this project has been! 1st of all, getting materials to an island is hard….then material prices went crazy with supply chain delays. Plywood went from $25/sheet to $125/sheet in a year. Much appreciation to my clients for sticking through it thick and thin, and figuring out a way to keep the project going. Kathleen is a designer in her own right, and has a fantastic eye for detail and color! The blackened columns on the front entry were executed by local wood working legend Joe Romano. Construction by Ivan Plaza.

The front of the house used to have an old rotted exterior stair, and the client wanted to have an enclosed interior stair that united with floors of the existing house;

Partially a 2 story space, partially a cantilevered space, the addition adds an elegant way to access the main living space which is on the 2nd floor.

The new steel railings and wood treads blend in with the Zen Esthetic throughout.

Th new Powder Room features a wall of mirror with a floating LED circle light suspended delicately in front to light the whole room.

The Master Bathroom sink features a cool sliding up Robern Medicine Cabinet, that has a hidden LED strip below to light the counter- a built in night light for the whole bathroom. LED lights also frame and highlight an antique stained glass window that the clients have saved from another house.

The Master Bedroom features a cool window Bench that will eventually look out onto a nicely landscaped garden- still in progress.

A cedar wood paneled feature stripe runs across the ceiling of the Master Bedroom from the Window bench across to the opposite wall, to create an accent feature that focuses the room down the walls on both sides.

Master Bath has a lot os hidden storage.

Kathleen loves the Japanese soaking tub and says that the jets are more powerful then her hot tub outside! It is only 48” long!!!

Pandemic House in Skyline Rises with changes into form!

View from the street of this “Modern” House in Skyline, Anacortes.

This model shot of the house as originally designed, shows the original cantilevered balcony, more beams and more windows that merge with eh roof plane, but some things had to get cut because of the budget.

They also would up flipping the garage and only having one garage. The “Retro Modern” look of the house still remains even with those changes. The inspiration for the House was to have it look like an “Eichler”, but modern roofing insulation requirements of R-49 insulation caused the roof thickness to expand to 12”. There are other more expensive SIP panels that could have gotten the thickness down to 6”, but the budget ruled on this one.

Before & After Kitchen- Pandemic Survival 2020-21 Build!

Looking at this photo, you would never guess what this kitchen used to look like!

They got the framing for the new beam across that opens up the kitchen to the Living Room, in before the lumber prices went thru the sky! The kitchen used to be cut off from the living room and accessed thru by a side opening into a slot, with a doorway on the other end. We blocked off the other doorway and opened it up to the rest of the Living Room, so that it flowed with the rest of the house.

The final results are quite the transformation. The neighbors think that they are running a cooking show at night, because it looks like a stage set:-) If that is not a compliment, I am not sure what is. Kudos to these clients for sticking it out thru the pandemic without a kitchen for 3 months!!!!

Waterfront Modern House steps down a rock bluff

This is a Master Plan for a waterfront property with a Main House, Guest House and garage.

The site slopes off, the view is opposite, so the solution was to step the house down the slope.

Base of rock bluff

FARMHOUSE ADDITION MOUNT VERNON

Built in 1900, the original Farmstead House needed an Addition- but how to add onto? The owners had worked with another architect who drew by hand and did not have the ability to work in 3D, to be able to show them what an addition could look like.

The addition had to be higher then the original house, whose eaves dropped down to the floor plate. So the trick was how to join the new higher roof and make a good transition. Still some issues have to be worked on here, but we are starting to see what the options are.

It really helps to be able to look at the model from above, to understand how the roofs work together.