This previously dark and disorganized 1950s mid-century modern home was redesigned by architecture studio Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to meet the needs of a young family who desired a sense of transparency and light to take advantage of the serene qualities of their wooded site in Seattle, Washington. The owners, a musician and jewelry designer with two children, expressed an interest in keeping the mid-century nature of the home, while improving the entry sequence and relationship of public and private spaces on the interior. They also suggested extending the living spaces outdoors to allow for informal gathering spaces and to better integrate the house with the surrounding landscape.

A composition of elongated colored boxes and planar elements organizes and enlivens the house. Circulation and living spaces occupy the resulting zones between.

Teak plywood cabinets, blackened steel, and Douglas Fir contrast with more modest materials such as painted MDF panels, fiber cement siding and simple drywall.

A spine of ipe decking and a series of playful round skylights draw one from the arrival point through the house to the living spaces and the wooded site beyond. A bold linear concrete wall links a new garage and studio, forming an entry court that simultaneously welcomes visitors and screens the private bedroom spaces nearby.

FLOOR PLAN BEFORE RENOVATION:

FLOOR PLAN AFTER RENOVATION: