Outdoor Living Spaces: How to Make Your Backyard Feel Like a Second Home

With Washington’s rainy season lasting most days out of the year, it really makes those sunny days a time to be outside and enjoy! The end of spring and summer days with sunsets that last a little bit longer, we’re trying to spend all of it outside! Your home deserves to have a backyard that you’d want to spend sunrise to sunset in alone or with friends. Your home will also appreciate a nice refresh to enjoy those beautiful days in the sun!

Seattle Outdoor Living Space by Dana Webber Design Group

You can take the design of your outdoor living space to be as grand or intimate as you please! Whether imagining gatherings around a bar, barbecue or elegant dining area—perhaps all three- our mission is to actualize your backyard dreams!

Finding harmony between your indoor and outdoor realms is a reflection of you and your home’s identity! A seamless transition from your front façade to your backyard amplifies the allure of your home and will make it stand out to all your guests! Yet, there are still many different decisions to be made to make your outdoor space just as enjoyable and comfortable as your indoor one!

Protecting Your Space

One of the most important parts of blending the outdoors to indoors is how it connects to your home, if at all. There are many different directions it could be taken. A stand-alone structure within your backyard creates a great focal point that can be emphasized and decorated with the surrounding landscaping, or you could also extend a part of your home into the backyard to create a seamless indoor-outdoor feel. This also increase backyard space if you choose to use it as a garden or play space for children!

A pergola-styled roof can give some European charm to your home’s landscape. Pergolas provide the right amount of shade while allowing nature’s elements to interplay with your living space. Using a fabric canopy or awning is another interesting way to cover part of your backyard. Through the many different shapes and forms they come in, a fabric awning can cast enchanting shadows and dappling light across your patio. Both of these offer protection and permeability, creating a delicate balance between shelter and exposure.

An independent pergola structure over a cute and rustic dining and barbecue area

Extending part of your roof is always an option too! This might be the best choice if you’re choosing to have a more cohesive “indoor/outdoor feeling” to your home. The extension can be as big or small as you choose it to be!  

A fully covered outdoor living space that has ample lighting and heating

Perfect harmony of covered and uncovered spaces with the same roof

As shown in some of these photos, the structure can be completely covered allowing recessed lighting and easier controls of how much light can be used during darker times. By contrast, you can extend your roof into a pergola-like extension. The structure of the home and outdoor living space are connected but using a pergola-styled roof keeps some distinction between your indoor and outdoor space because of how exposed your patio will be exposed to the elements. A happy medium between the two is shown in the picture below, where some areas of your roof expose full light while others are covered. This would be a great option if you want to keep a seating area exposed to the light while a barbecue area can be protected from potential rain, etc.

Materiality within Your Backyard

Using organic materials to form zones and spaces within your backyard is a great way to create different focal points throughout your yard. For example, using stone pavers as a pathway or to outline your outdoor living space is fun way to create “organized chaos” with natural materials. Pavers are also a great way to designate more sedentary versus playful areas.

Using pavers to set furniture on creates distinct zone between areas of play and gathering.

Plants are also a great way to form paths and smaller spaces within your backyard!  Using taller hedges to create a boundary between a child’s play area and a small seating area is a great example of using organic materials to your advantages. Even using small shrubs and groundcover to outline a path is a fun way to create visual interest and organization to your backyard.

A Tudor garden that uses plant beautifully to layout and organize space

Similarly, adding wood features to your outdoor living space will warm up the area in general and create a nice contract to the typical greens we see within the backyard. Using wood furniture pieces such as tables, chairs or to accent a barbecue area creates a more “rustic feel” that we all love to see in the backyard.

The use of stone creates great visual contrast, but adding some wood accents to this barbecue area adds some warmth without being too much.

Illuminating Your Outdoor Living Space

Exterior lighting is just as important as interior lighting especially if you plan on spending many summer nights in your backyard! Its versatility allows you to craft an ambience that suits your mood, whether whimsical or contemplative. String lights are always a cost-effective option to add across your backyard to give it some charm. While using wall sconces with a diffused covering can soften the light and make it a moodier space. Recessed lights (as pictured earlier) ensure your outdoor area remains inviting long after  the sun descends.

Compared to other images, this area relies mainly on the fire’s glow and soft lighting from the wall sconces that make it a dimly-lit but pleasant space to sit around.

Another great source of light that’s a bit more playful for everyone is your fireplace! An outdoor fireplace is a great focal point and gives off enough light and warmth for all to enjoy! While you might enjoy more light than your fire’s glow to illuminate your indoor living space, it is a great option especially if you want to keep your backyard to maintain its organic essence over a structured design.

This fireplace creates a great focal point while giving off light and warmth to those around it!

In Washington, every sunny day is a gift. Your outdoor living space will become a sanctuary and place to savor nature’s beauty while creating lasting memories with loved ones and friends! So, embrace the possibilities of your dream oasis and let us help you create an outdoor living space you’ll never want to leave!

Sunrooms: The Radiant Revolution in Home Design

We’re no strangers to the challenges of autumn and winter in the Pacific Northwest. Short days accompanied with the constant uncertainty of when the sun will grace us with its presence, these days can really test our spirits. That being said, there still is a beacon of hope on the horizon– the beautiful sunroom! We’ve noticed a lot of interest from our clients, eager to explore how delightful these additions can add warmth to their homes! Here are some notable ones that we look to for some inspiration!

Choosing the perfect location for your sunroom is a decision that goes beyond mere aesthetics. It is a choice that can significantly impact your day-to-day and overall functionality of the space. The position of your sunroom should have access to a large amount of natural light and beautiful views. Whether you desire a cozy morning retreat flooded with sun rays, a space to entertain guests, or a year-round oasis that seamlessly blends with the outside, where you place your sunroom is a decision that shapes your experience of the space.

Inspiration Image from Express Sunrooms

This addition to this beautiful cabin utilizes height to create a very captivating space. Being all glass, one can genuinely feel the light coming through and appreciate the beautiful evergreens around without having to bear potentially harsh weather. 

Seattle Craftmans’s Sunroom

This sunroom orchestrates a symphony of colors and furniture, crafting an experience for all to enjoy! The use of warm hues and lush plants combine well to cocoon the space in a cozy embrace. The vintage furniture gives the sunroom a personal touch, anchoring it even deeper within the home. Altogether, this sunroom emerges as a sanctuary, inviting you to unwind and escape the demands of the workday.

Plants are a great way to liven up any space and the sunroom is no exception! In fact, we can see a plethora of plants in many sunrooms! While these rooms serve to protect you from outside, bringing something “from the outside” such as plants is a nice way to transition from exterior to interior. Being mindful of the growing conditions of these plants ensures that they stick around with you for a while! Common house plants are a great way to vitalize sunrooms with a lot of them being low maintenance!

Tasmanian Sunroom by Flack Studio

This sunroom plays with a lot of different elements to make it such a fun spot to be! The windows following the roof’s angle ensures that light from outside makes it to all corners of the room. Using a light color such as the baby pink brightens up the space in a unique way– color can add a lot! Contrasting with the darker beams used for doors and their frames, it designates its separation from the rest of the home. 

Sunroom by Anna Arquitetura

Your sunroom can serve more than one purpose as well! Here, the sunroom serves as a crafting space. We have seen them also being used as kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms as well! Again, we see fun tiling and walls to add some personality to the home while it looks out to some beautiful views. 

Overall, sunrooms are such a fun space to have within the home! Whether they be a simple addition to transforming your living room or dining room into a unique space, these inspiration images have revealed the incredible potential of these spaces to go beyond the boundary between indoors and outdoors. From the views of Puget Sound to your beautiful garden, sunrooms offer inspiration for those seeking to brighten their lives with the touch of the outdoors, no matter the weather. So, as the rain taps gently on your windows, think about adding a sunroom to endure warmth and light year-round!

All of the Lights! : 4 Different Ways to Illuminate Your Home

In the world of interior design, lighting is more than just a practical necessity; it’s a powerful tool that can shape the ambiance of a room and enhance its aesthetics. Whether you’re seeking to create a cozy reading spot, vibrant conversation hub or a tranquil bedroom sanctuary, the right lighting makes all the difference!

There are a diverse range of lighting that can breathe light into your home. From the warm embrace of ambient, decorative lighting to the brilliance of task lighting, this post aims to help you find the perfect fixture to compliment the ideal aura of the space!

Central Lighting

Starting off strong with central lighting, which normally comes in the form of chandeliers, can come in many fun shapes and sizes to ensure that these are the statement piece within the space! There are many directions one can go with a great central piece. 
We can find these types of fixtures normally on top of the dining table, middle of the living room or lighting up your staircase/ entryway! Having a strong piece can really bring a room together and allow the light to fill all corners of the room. Picking out a central lighting can be as simple or decadent as you want.

Photo by Architectural Digest

Chandeliers are a great way to show your own personal style and it create great conversation with anyone who’s welcomed into your home! For example, another stunning chandelier in the middle of the dining table! This one plays more with color and the surrounding tones within the room complement the chandelier well.

Photo by Domino

As seen previously, this big lantern in the middle of this dining room is understated yet creates warm ambience within the room. 

By Alvitra Designs

Here’s another great option! It is simple yet the play on colors makes it a great central piece.

Accent Lighting

Accent lights are smaller in size but are great to be scattered amongst the room to create cohesion throughout the space. You can play with the amounts of lights within the space.
A living room might want more to scatter throughout for ensuring the light catches all corners of the space. Keeping it simple with two is perfect for the bedroom to create low-key low-lit haven to spend time in.

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Modern Lighting

There are simple ways to incorporate focal and accent lighting in your modern home. Modern lighting is functional with a clean aesthetic. It is simple and lacks texture yet the forms are smooth and well thought-out. While this modern lighting can potentially be sterile, here are some great ways to ensure your lighting matches your modern home.

lights

Fun Alternatives

If you aren’t as strict with the type of lights you want to put into your home, colored lights are a great way to spice up a room. There are so many different types of sconces, chandeliers and strip lights that can really set the mood through colors.

Philips has a lot of different options for those interested in these ideas! Feel free to switch the normal light bulb to one that can be controlled by bluetooth. These are a great way to ensure that the lighting surely fits the mood. A purple/ blue hue would be a great accent for a party and orange/yellow for days you want to cozy up. These wall sconces from Philips are great to play with indoors and outdoors.

Similar to an accent lighting, these LED bulbs from HAYS are definitely striking and can belong in the corners due to their intensity. Nonetheless, they create great ambience and are a fun way to liven up a living room or bedroom.

JOCO Inspo - Living Rooms

COZY PLACES: Moody Living Rooms for Autumn

As the leaves begin their graceful descent and the scent of damp earth and pine trees fills the air, we all know that autumn has arrived in Seattle. There’s something magical about the way the city’s evergreens meld with rich hues of fall foliage, and no place captures this enchantment quite like a well-curated living room. 

Preparing for cooler weather and shorter days, the need for a cozy indoor space is a must. We trade those endless summer days hiking or spending them at the lake for warm blankets, warm beverages and feel the embrace of our own homes. And there’s nothing like a moody living room to embody the essence of fall! 

We’ll be looking at colors, textures and furniture arrangements that invite you to unwind and transform your living room into a haven of warmth and comfort that you’ll want to come home to everyday. Read on as we discover ways to craft the moodiest of living rooms to serve as the perfect backdrop for spending those rainy fall days in Seattle.

Ambience

Lighting can either make or break a space, especially when all you want to do is unwind on the couch as the rain falls outside.

Designed by General Assembly

Using warm lighting, whether it's integrated into your home or provided by unique lamps, will set the mood perfectly. Ensuring that your home lights emit the cozy warmth absent in the outdoors is essential. Finding lamps similar to the one featured in the picture above will help illuminate your living room without overwhelming it.

Color Palette

Designed by DAB Studio

Warm tones like browns, reds, yellows can bring out autumnal feelings year round. This apartment in Amsterdam perfectly encapsulates how a mix of consistent color palette with neutral tones will make you want to spend hours in this living space. 

That being said, it doesn't mean you can't have fun and experiment with different colors! Subdued variations of any color can also infuse a space with warmth and coziness, as demonstrated in another living room in Amsterdam. While these colors might appear somewhat dark for a room, the presence of natural light and the strategic use of additional lighting truly make the space feel inviting and snug.

Textures

This living room employs a rich interplay of color and texture. The couch itself is inviting, adorned with a plethora of comfy pillows and blankets. Just imagine taking an afternoon nap here! The rug, too, boasts an engaging texture and serves as the ideal spot to sit down and work on a puzzle or engage in conversation with others.

Staging done by Odin + Friday

The built-in sectional in this living room right next to the fireplace looks like the perfect place to start a good book or snuggle up near the furnace. The play on cool colors with the wood definitely gives that moody vibe that is perfect for the season!

Space

Interiors designed by Adriana Hamma

This built-in sectional cuts off from the rest of the room. With many seating options, this space allows for close and intimate conversations!

Built-in conversation pits will help set the scene for intimate conversations. Adding your own touch through nostalgic pictures and memorabilia will make spaces like these cozy and comfortable.

Designing a living room that reflects the moody Seattle weather is just a celebration of the PNW’s unique fall charm! Keeping these spaces cozy offers so much more than just a retreat from the rain– it’s a space we’re sure will provide comfort year round! While creating your living space, it’s not just about aesthetics; it’s also about creating a space that has your own personal style and offers respite from the dreads of everyday life. Embrace the richness of darker hues, comfort of soft textures and allure of warm lights to craft a sanctuary that you’ll never want to leave.

JOCO Inspo - Dining Rooms

Setting the Scene: Dining Room Details

When it comes to social gatherings and culinary delights, few experiences are as cherished as a dinner party. It’s a tradition that brings people together, encourages lively conversations, and allows us to savor what’s on our plates and the memories shared around the table. Yet, at the heart of every great dinner party lies an often-overlooked protagonist: the dining room.

The dining room plays a pivotal role in setting the stage for an unforgettable evening. It is the canvas upon which the ambiance, mood, and overall atmosphere of your gathering are painted. From the choice of furniture to the play on lighting, the dining room holds the power to transform ordinary meals into extraordinary experiences. 

Read on as we delve into all the different elements that come together to create a welcome and inviting environment that enhances the food, fosters connection and leaves a lasting impression on your guests!

Designed by Cyrus Ardalan

This dining room in an apartment in France plays well with different shapes as seen through sharper angles of the built-in seating and cabinets balances well with the round dining table and extra stools. The consistent warm tones from the wood and artwork makes the space a beautiful backdrop to any meal. The lighting as well gives the space a good mood and also warms up the space. All of these elements together make this dining room somewhere you wanna spend hours chatting away at!

Featured: Alvar Aalto stools, wall sconce by Charlotte Perriand, Maija Liisa Komulainen’s Fuga Wall Sconces

Designed by Augusta Hoffman Studio

There are so many different ways to play with dining spaces to make them one of the more outstanding rooms of the house– after all it is where you’ll share most of your meals and conversations! Using a big center light in the middle of your dining table really brings the whole area together. There’s also a lot of opportunity for cool art and/or sentimental memorabilia that can be brought into the space to give off your own personality.

Featured: painting by Monica Kim Garza, Carlos Scarpa chairs, Ruemmler table

Designed by Tina von neulich

Looking for fun and comfortable chairs for your dining table is also great way to elevate your dining room, turning it into one of the standout spaces in your house! This dining room benefits from ample natural light making it a pleasant place to be at all times of the day, and its central location within the apartment makes it one of the most used places throughout the day. Consider bookshelves and credenzas as options to add a personal touch to your home.

Featured: Bookshelf by Mocoba Regal

Here's another excellent example that embodies all the elements previously mentioned! This dining room, in particular, exudes a personal and cozy ambiance, owed to its adjacency to numerous windows. The striking red central light naturally beckons anyone to take a seat at the deceptively simple table!

Designed by Flack Studio

Celebrity Troye Sivan’s dining room boasts a number of captivating features! The eye-catching central light, although relatively compact in size, complements the overall room well without overpowering the space. The uniform warm tones and shapes throughout the room harmonize beautifully with the various unique furniture pieces, creating a well-balanced design.

Featured: painting by Karen Black, custom oak table by Flack Studio

Your dining room will be the star of the show, setting the stage for unforgettable dinner parties using inspiration like these! This space truly holds the power to transform a simple meal into a memorable experience. From furniture choice to light ambiance, every details will play a role in crafting a beautiful space you’ll never want to leave. May it be a place where food, people and connection come together!

Common Remodel Mistakes

Hindsight is 20/20! Avoid making these common remodel mistakes - your sanity will thank us.

• Not creating the “Big Picture”/ Long-term Design

  • Before starting work on any specific room, it is important to take a wholistic look at the house and determine what your goals are. Often, a remodel will expand throughout the house and creating a “big picture” plan from the get-go will help address all areas of the work and create a cohesive design.

  • Making small, yet impactful, updates in multiple rooms will help offset incongruities or disjointedness and help blend the remodel.

• Not accounting for existing structural integrity/ Issues

  • When planning for a remodel, do not account for just the “facade” or the surface finishes. Be sure to take existing posts, columns, shear walls, etc into account. Removing a wall to “open” the room? Make sure to check the direction of the ceiling/floor joists above and verify if those joists are resting on the wall you are planning to delete.

  • In most counties, there are two primary types of building permits: Full Plan Review vs Over-the-Counter. The latter is a much speedier route and will have fewer requirements for your remodel, but you will be limited in the amount of structural alterations you are able to perform. If you are looking for a quicker project schedule, you may want to plan your remodel around these lesser, Over-the-Counter, requirements.

• Selecting a Contractor (for residential work) based off the “Low Bid”

  • It is almost always a good decision to interview multiple contractors before making your selection. However, these interviews and your selection should be based off of trust, experience, relationships, and applicability to your project.

  • While you may get multiple initial estimates from different contractors that can range 20%+ of each other, it is important to keep in mind that these initial estimates are very rough and should not be the primary reason for selecting a contractor. It is much more important to select a contractor fitted to the work who you has proven experience in the field.

• Not planning for a contingency in both budget and schedule

  • No matter the project, you should have a contingency in your budget and schedule - never build to your maximum. Whether the project goes over budget due to change orders or you make changes to the design along the way that increase the cost, you will be happy knowing there is a contingency to work with. We recommend keeping this number to yourself, rather than building it into the construction estimate!

Homeowner’s Checklist for Hiring an Architect

Have a project in mind in which you need an architect? PAUSE! Here are a few major tasks that you will need to complete before picking up the phone or typing out that email.

Regardless of the project size or scope of work, it is important for you to get your ducks in a row before pulling in the professionals. Going through this checklist will better help both the architect and you understand what is needed to get your project going. Skipping these steps can result in a rocky start to your project and, worse, unnecessary architectural fees.

See our other post on “Starting a Project” for additional thoughts for consideration.

CHECKLIST: ACTION ITEMS BEFORE HIRING AN ARCHITECT

• Complete your Scope of Work document.

  • This should be a thorough description of the project. If you have any consultants (such as an interior designer) or a contractor, make sure their information is included. Define your budget and schedule. See our other post on Construction Budgeting.

• Gather all site and project documents

  • Very important: gather any drawings and documents related to the project site, especially if you are planning a remodel. Your architect will need dimensioned floor plans of the project site to base their initial design off of. If you were not given a copy of the drawings when you purchased the property, try asking the local city’s building department for any documents related to the project site - it is likely they will have at least a site plan that can be emailed to you.

• Easy permit calculation you can do yourself

  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR): Most building departments have a limit on the amount of interior square footage you are allowed to build on your lot. If the Floor Area Ratio is 0.5 and you have a 1,000sf lot, that means you are allowed to build a 500sf home. This could be a two story home of 250sf per story OR a five story home of 100sf per story. If you are looking to do an addition, this calculation is very important and could limit the amount of square footage you are able to add. Knowing, generally, what the current FAR is will help with your initial phone call with the Architect.

  • Lot Coverage: Lot Coverage and FAR can sometimes be confused for one another. An easy way to remember is that the Lot Coverage is calculated from an aerial view of your project site and does not take into account the amount of stories the home has. Most building departments limit the lot coverage on the project site and, especially for an addition, it is important to know what your current coverage is. The easiest way to go about this is look up your address on the GIS map and use the “area measure” tool on the outline of the building.

Starting a Project

Whether your project is large or small, complex or simple, there are a few tasks you will need to complete in order to get the ball rolling. We have outlined here the standard process we suggest for our clients, keeping in mind that every project is different and yours may have some additional requirements.

First steps:

1. Put together your “Project Scope”

2. Define your budget

3. Define your timeline

4. Procure all floor plans, documents, and drawings of the existing structures

5. Determine if you will need a Site Survey

6. Interview Architects

Taking a look at these items in depth:

1. Project Scope

   The “project scope” is a description of all the work you would like to occur. For example, renovating a kitchen could say something like:

   “Remodel a kitchen: demolish the existing 150 sf kitchen and construct a new mid-century modern kitchen in its place. We would like to explore expanding the kitchen and adding more light with windows. Replace all light fixtures and add more outlets. Replace all appliances and equipment. We would like to the kitchen sink to move to the east wall”

   Take your time preparing this document! Notice how details such as the lighting and kitchen sink location are included. You will be sharing this document when requesting interviews with architects and is important to be as thorough as possible. Starting a project off with an accurate and detailed project scope will help set expectations from the get-go and design priorities will be established. If you are unsure about the design, that is no problem, just be sure to convey that within the document.

2. Define the Budget

   See our previous blog post on budgeting for your project. The idea here is to give the architect a sense of the scale of the project and whether your scope of work is feasible. We will typically let you know during the interview if we believe your budget cannot accomplish the proposed work. Be upfront with your number so your architect can give you a realistic perspective. Add this number to your Scope of Work document.

3. Define the Timeline

   If you are in a hurry, be sure to say so in your project scope. With the construction market in a bit of a craze over the past couple years, contractors can be booked far into the future but schedule openings are fairly frequent. Let us know at the start of the project if you are in a hurry to have your project completed and we will do our best to coordinate with a contractor to secure a place in their schedule. Add this timeline to your Scope of Work document.

4. Procuring Plans & Documents

   Even if you plan to demolish all the structures on your site, it is still necessary to have drawings of the structure locations and the elements within. You never know, we might find something worth keeping on the site that could save your construction costs or be a fitting design element! Typically Owners will find hard copies of the plans rolled up in their basement, but you can also request drawings from the city’s MicroFilm library (email sci_microfilm@seattle.gov with the site address to request any recorded drawings).

5. Determine if you need a Survey

   There are a variety of projects that will require a site survey for building permitting. Below is an abbreviated list:

   • New construction of a primary structure (if you are building a new house from scratch)

   • Exterior construction on an Environmentally Critical Area (ECA). You can find out if your site is flagged in an ECA by visiting the King County Parcel Research and searching the site address. Examples of ECA zones are flood plain areas, steep slopes, and wetlands.

   • Exterior construction in the Shoreline District. Basically, if you are building within 200 feet of water, your project may be in a Shoreline district and may require a survey.

6. Interview Architects

   Yes, we said architect(S) - plural! We recommend you interview around town and go with who you feel most comfortable with. Because most firms are fairly equal in their fees, we do not recommend you base your decision off of cost. A few considerations would be:

   • personality - these projects can take a couple years and you will have weekly, if not daily, communication with them throughout the process

   • design

   • contractor selection - does the architect have preferred contractors to select from? If not, are you required to find your own contractor?

   • availability - be sure to ask what to expect in terms of THEIR timeline. How quickly will the design process go?

   • construction administration - will they be around during construction when questions arise? Will they be reviewing contractor’s invoices and shop drawings? There are many nuances to construction and it can be helpful, especially for a first-time Owner, to have an architect still on the project team.

Project Cost Estimating

Looking to start a new project but unsure how to begin your financial modeling? Or have you reached out to a couple contractors and received varying estimates for the cost of the work? After the past two years of increasingly rising costs, it can be difficult to get a realistic number. While there are many factors at play here, most important are the availability of supplies and the increase in demand - notably are lumber shortages and concrete strikes. Additionally, spending unforeseen amounts of time in our homes has not surprisingly led to an increase in the desire for remodels and new construction. With the slowdowns brought on by the spread of Covid amongst subcontractor teams and delay in receiving materials, the past year has been difficult to find a Contractor altogether. All this in mind, it is evermore important to begin your project with a well-rounded financial plan that includes contingencies during these uncertain times.

Let’s take a look at the two most common ways of estimating a project before there are any design documents put together:

• Square Footage Costs: Easy to apply if you have a rough idea of the size of the construction area. Say you are building a Powder Room that is 30 square feet and you estimate $500/ sf. Your estimated cost would be $15,000. With this form of estimating, it is important to take into account the finish level (expensive ceramic tile vs inexpensive linoleum) and adjust the cost per sf accordingly.

• Lump Sum (Bucket) Costs: Giving you a rougher picture than with Square Footage Estimating, applying a Lump Sum to each “space” you are constructing will give you an overall idea of cost. For example, a Powder Room could cost $15,000 - $30,000 depending on the level of finish and whether it is new construction or a remodel. As you can see here, there is greater variability in costs.

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Taking a look at a few of our projects and speaking with a couple of our contractors, we have put together here some ballpark square footage costs for you to consider when planning your project. While we know it is tempting to take the bare minimum approach with these numbers, we suggest you be honest with the level of finish and design that you are wanting and plan for a higher number:

• Building a new home: $500/sf minimum (bare bones). This cost/sf would be for a simple structure with minimal finishes. If your lot is on a steep slope or other Environmentally Critical Area, you should plan for higher to accommodate a more advanced structural foundation system and difficulty of construction planning. We would recommend you plan for a higher cost/sf and give yourself some wiggle room.

• Second story addition: $500/sf minimum - yes, this is the same number as building a new home. The difficulty here is that you are typically building all new for the second story AND doing a fair amount of remodeling on the main story to structurally retrofit the house. This typically involves replacing exterior siding and some interior sheetrock to add structural shear walls and tie the addition to the foundation. Keep in mind - the older the existing structure, the more you will need to spend and you might elect to make other updates along the way such as replacing old knob & tube electrical or upgrading finishes at the main level. Our projects are currently running around $500,000+ for a second story and minimal remodeling at the main floor.

• Kitchen Remodel: $700/sf minimum. This number is higher than the average for a new home due to the condensed amount of fixtures, finishes, and casework that a Kitchen holds. If you know you are going to want higher end casework or window/door replacements, bump this number up.

• Bathroom Remodel: $500/sf - $800/sf minimum, depending on the number of fixtures. Similar to a kitchen, this number ranges from a Powder Room to a Master Bathroom.

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Here are some Lump Sum (bucket) estimates for a few of our current projects:

• Second story addition: $600,000. This includes 3 bedrooms and a full bathroom at the second story as well as a re-design of the existing entry and replacement of all existing exterior siding.

• Kitchen remodel: $140,000. This includes a higher level of casework and tile finish and minimal changes to the existing space.

• Master Bathroom: $100,000. This includes a few changes to the existing walls and a high level of design and finish work.

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A few additional considerations:

• Tax: Contractors vary greatly on whether tax (10.1%) is included in these numbers and you should always ask.

• Contractor’s Overhead & Profit: This number can range from 14% to 24%+ and may or may not be included in the above numbers. Don’t hesitate to ask the contractor.

• Consultant Fees: You should plan add 20% to the construction cost for the architect, structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, and other possible consultants. If your project is located in an Environmentally Critical Area, keep in mind that you will need a greater degree of consultants to submit documents to the local authorities having juridiction for permitting purposes.

• Permit Fees: These fees can range from $2,000 for an over-the-counter permit to $10,000 for a full permit review in an Environmentally Critical Area. Your architect may need to send in exemptions or submit for waivers which will come at an additional fee (for both permit fees and architectural fees).

• Appliances & Decorative Fixtures: Typically purchased by the Owner and installed by the Contractor. Your architect will assist you in defining what is needed and coordinate allowances with the Contractor.

• Contingencies: Most important for the last!! Keep a contingency on top of your construction estimate. This number is yours alone and should not be included on the construction estimate. A safe contingency could be 10% and be slowly decreased as the project progresses and more elements of the estimate are defined.

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That’s all she wrote! We hope this rough idea of estimating gives you a better sense of costs during this wild time as Covid (hopefully) comes to an end. The most important takeaway here is to always plan for the higher number and be realistic with the level of finish you are expecting.

Mid-Century Modern Remodel

This project was designed by Jordan Cowhig & Jim Castanes at Castanes Architects.

First arriving at the Olympic View project, a substantial remodel in Seattle, the opportunities to take advantage of the site’s landscaping and views toward the Olympics (hence the name) were clear. Built in the early 1900’s, the existing house was in good shape and the clients had spent time deciding how best to make the most of the site. Their scope of work included:

• remodel the Living Room, allowing for more light and views

• remodel the kitchen

• a new Master Bathroom

• new roof, siding, and windows/doors

A few photos of the existing house:

The first step was to design the Living Room. Major limiting factors included the 8’-0” ceiling height and central column which enforced awkward seating arrangements that faced away from the views. Although the space was fair sized, these two elements made the living area feel confined.

Switching from a hip roof to a gable roof over the Living Room solved both issues, and also brought more light and views into the space. Adding a wood paneled ceiling and built-in casework gave the space a contemporary feel and turned it from “Mid-Century” to “Mid-Century Modern”.

Below are a few photos of the process.

Designing the Living Room as an open and expansive space, the Kitchen became an “anchor” at the rear of the house. Darker wood and quartzite stone came to mind, while also increasing the window space to allow light. Opened to the living area, views from the large kitchen island were important. Glass pendants over the island from Foss Lighting added a touch of transparency and elegance.

Bringing some stone and wood casework to the bathroom made an extreme impact on the warmth of the space. Floor-to-ceiling windows brought in the light and created the “spa” type space the clients imagined.

Bringing some more modern features to the exterior, we changed the roof to standing seam metal, painted the exterior siding, and replaced all windows and doors.

When remodeling an existing house, it is important to treat the house as a whole and create a singular design style. Using similar wood species and stones throughout helps greatly, but the trim and details are very important in creating a singular effect.