DAVID LAUER PHOTOGRAPHY

Small but functional kitchen with windows behind open shelves to let light in. Wood cabinets bring warmth and contrast with the concrete floors. Building design collaborators Graham Baba Architects photos by:Tim Bies

Ruth DiPietro

This property was purchased by a lovely empty nester couple that was looking for a home that offered primarily one level living. This late 1950’s rambler was outdated with sight line issues and included a claustrophobic kitchen that was separated from the main dining room. One of the challenges we encountered was figuring out a way to create an open floor plan with good sight lines while removing the structural obstacles including a supporting wall and a stand alone island that was too large for the size of the kitchen. In addition, we needed to add cabinets which would allow the kitchen to remain functional, open. We had a fairly small kitchen footprint and 8 ft. ceilings, which meant we had to be very strategic with our takeaways and additions to room. To remove the load bearing wall and open up the kitchen to the dining room, we cut the roof trusses and installed a beam flush with the ceiling. The two structural posts were designed into the cabinet façade to appear as a design element as opposed to a structural element. We designed short upper cabinets with glass against the 8 ft. ceiling to achieve the sight lines and open feeling the homeowners desired. New custom built cabinets were installed and finished with a custom oil rubbed glaze. A glass tiled backsplash, granite countertops, and Brazilian Cherry flooring upgraded this dated space into the modern upscale look the designer envisioned. We also removed the center island and added a smaller “floating” island on wheels that made the kitchen space more open and functional. Once the partition walls came down, the owners saw the designer's vision as a spacious, flowing floor plan centered on an elegant kitchen with a quaint lounging area flanked by a functional family room, living room, and dining room. By creating a functional design within the original exterior walls this allowed our client the ability to add detailed finishes and upgrade materials and still within their original budget.

Magnolia Gardens is a new modern residence designed by Rhodes Architecture Light for a site in this northwest Seattle neighborhood. The design utilized the foundations of an existing house built in 1954. Any comparison between the new and old structures ends there. The house was commissioned by a local developer as a speculative residence and sold immediately upon completion in the fall of 2006. Taking advantage of a beautiful southwestern view of Elliott Bay and the West Seattle peninsula, Magnolia Gardens orients four bedrooms and bathrooms to gardens, terraces, and water views. The house's dynamic modern form opens through a glass atrium on the north and glass curtain walls on the northwest and southwest. This residence was developed by Highland Development and resulted from the collaboration of Rhodes Architecture Light, and the professional lighting design of LightWire and built by Island Construction.

This remodel of a mid century modern home was focused on improving the flow and functionality of the kitchen while respecting the existing design style. We removed the wall separating the living area from the kitchen and installed recycled chalkboard countertops on some great new cabinets by Kerf design. New aluminum windows added much needed cross ventilation while complementing the existing architecture. New appliances, lighting and flooring rounded out the remodel. Photos by Kerf

This remodel of a mid century modern home was focused on improving the flow and functionality of the kitchen while respecting the existing design style. We removed the wall separating the living area from the kitchen and installed recycled chalkboard countertops on some great new cabinets by Kerf design. New aluminum windows added much needed cross ventilation while complementing the existing architecture. New appliances, lighting and flooring rounded out the remodel. Photos by Kerf