Before and After: This Seattle Renovation Proves That Weird Can Be Wonderful

When Jessica Speigel and Mike Standish purchased their 1919 Seattle house in 2019, they knew it wanted work. What they didn’t know was {that a} world pandemic would rework their modest renovation plans into a whole intestine transform. To kick issues off, they reached out to an structure agency co-owned by one among their closest buddies.

Finest Observe Structure coprincipal Ian Butcher was intrigued by the problem introduced by his buddies of greater than 15 years. “It was a bizarre home,” he says. “It had the bones of a Craftsman, however then there was this addition from possibly the early ’80s that was Pacific Northwest fashionable, however dated. It was carved up in a bizarre approach with every kind of circulation points.”

The home sits between a greenbelt and Lake Washington—a coveted Seattle location—and Jessica and Mike snagged the property for a deal exactly as a result of it was so dated. “We really didn’t have a lot competitors for the home, which blew my thoughts,” Jessica says. Initially, the couple deliberate a modest replace: flip the chaotic basement right into a authentic ADU and create a glamorous house workplace within the present loft. They even obtained permits for that smaller challenge. However, as is commonly the case, life intervened.

Earlier than: Entrance Patio

After: Entrance Patio

Covid accelerated every thing. Jessica, a UX designer, and Mike, a artistic director, out of the blue wanted critical house workplace house. Their funds jumped from round $200,000 to a full intestine renovation, and the scope started to creep. Additionally they obtained pregnant within the midst of all of this intense decision-making. “Out of the blue, it was simply simpler to do every thing directly,” Jessica says. “After we tried to chop funds, it was simply the cool stuff that obtained minimize as a result of we wanted new roof, new drywall, new plumbing, new electrical—every thing.” Earlier than they knew it, Finest Observe was gutting your complete 100-year-old house all the way down to the studs.

Earlier than: Kitchen