Wittman Estes has beautifully reimagined this historic 1910 Craftsman-style home for modern living, with the addition of a rental-ready ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), situated in Seattle, Washington. The owners, a young couple, often host gatherings and have an affinity for nature. Seattle, like many cities, faces a housing shortage. Most housing in neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill are single-family homes, built in a time with less need for density.

As Seattle has grown, the city has been confronted with the dilemma of how to preserve the historic fabric of neighborhoods while continuing to adapt to allow for increased housing density. To meet client needs, a complete remodel of the house was necessary. The existing floor plan was largely preserved and a gradient approach to renovation was adopted, transitioning from the preservation of historic detail to the integration of modern interventions as you move through the house from the entry to the backyard (east to west).

DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT Wittman Estes INTERIOR DESIGN Wittman Estes LANDSCAPE Wittman Estes STRUCTURAL ENGINEER J Welch Engineering BUILDER Dowbuilt

“It’s as if you enter from the past century, and walk into the future,” notes architect Matt Wittman. The design team worked to honor and retain the classic built-in elements typical of the era—stained glass, inlaid doors, and period joinery—while adding complimentary modern interventions. The original casework was preserved and repurposed in a new arrangement as a blend of old and new.

The west-facing rear facade of this Seattle craftsman home was completely transformed. Originally, it had few windows, was encumbered by a tacked-on storage space, and featured no real connection to the landscape. The addition was removed, and the rear facade was opened up and replaced with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. This led to a complete reimagining of the kitchen layout and the addition of a deck with easy access to the garden.

The backyard features an existing mature birch tree, verdant wisteria, and access to Peach Court, a lovely narrow residential lane with walking access and parking. Each piece of the original house was meticulously deconstructed, preserved, and documented by the contractor. In the front living room, nearly all the original materials are preserved intact: top-nailed oak flooring, patterned windowpanes and built-ins, oak box beams, and the sculptural stair and balustrade.

The front porch was failing and out of proportion with the rest of the house. It was rebuilt to be taller, wider, and expanded to provide cover and serve double duty as a carport. New posts, rafter tails, and built-in storage were incorporated, providing a modern take on a traditional Craftsman porch. In the rear yard, a new garden path was added and a lower courtyard entry was excavated for easy access to the new, garden-level, one-bedroom/one-bathroom rental unit.

The self-contained, 581-square-foot apartment constitutes a modest gesture toward increasing density within the city. The result is a house that features a balance of old and new and that breathes new life into a historic home. The house now embraces the nexus where Craftsman and Modernism meet, whether through natural materials, high-crafted detailing, or integration with nature.

What We Love: This Seattle craftsman home underwent a stunning transformation, seamlessly connecting all three levels to the surrounding landscape. The once-unused basement now offers a beautiful garden-level Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), complete with a sunken courtyard. Overall, the renovation strikes a perfect balance between preserving the classic elements such as the coffered ceiling, mahogany casework, built-ins, and pocket doors with modern updates and blending old-world charm with contemporary design. 

Tell Us: What details do you find most appealing in this modern transformation of a historic Seattle home?

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Washington: Before & After: 1958 midcentury home in Seattle gets a gorgeous update and An amazing waterfront house built for multigenerational living in Seattle.

Above: Through expansive panoramic retractable doors, the living spaces on the main level open to the west-facing garden courtyard with a mature Birch tree, verdant Wisteria, and access to Peach Court, a lovely narrow residential lane.

PHOTOGRAPHER Rafael Soldi

One Kindesign has received this project from our submissions page. If you have a project you would like to submit, please visit our submit your work page for consideration!