Inside a Seattle Home Designed for Family Functionality
It will grow with the family.
Rafael Soldi
When you add kids to the mix, your home needs to work a little smarter for you, adapting to the whole family’s needs. That was the case for a young family (a couple, two young kids, two cats, and visiting grandparents) who purchased a Seattle home that was built in the ‘70s.
Rafael Soldi
“The vision for the home was to create a layout that adapts to the growing family’s needs, all while making the most of the space within the existing structure,” explains Kailin Gregga, AIA, LEED AP+BDC, who is a partner and creative lead at Best Practice Architecture.
The house originally had three bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus charming features like a double-height open living room and wood ceilings that the owners wanted to keep. There was also a library loft upstairs and a main floor guest room created out of an old carport—both were added by the previous owners in the ‘80s.
Rafael Soldi
But there were spaces and details that needed updates. “The closed-off kitchen made it hard to watch the kids while cooking, and the doorway was too narrow for the fridge (we had to stick it in the dining room instead),” Kailin says. “Partitioning the kitchen and the living room meant that the center hallway was always dark. There was also poor backyard transition—the dining room’s patio door brought in debris whenever accessed.”
Rafael Soldi
Additionally, the primary bedroom layout was awkward, making furniture hard to place. There was also a weird window between the bedroom and bathroom that would shake every time the owners did laundry or a bus went by.
Rafael Soldi
The loft space ended up being the kids’ bedroom, but it was very long and narrow, making it hard to set up furniture. The space didn’t have a bathroom, so everyone had to share the primary bathroom or go downstairs to the guest bathroom.
When it came time for the renovation, Kailin and team did the biggest work on the main floor. The goal was to open everything up and combine the kitchen, living, and dining areas.
Rafael Soldi
“We opened up the walls surrounding the living room, and used new wood shelving to give peek-a-boo views into the space beyond,” Kailin explains. “The kitchen—once a closed room so small the fridge could not fit—was opened to the dining room, and enlarged to include an island. A wall-mounted banquette creates a dining area that allows for better circulation to the new rear mudroom, which is the only addition to the footprint of the home that was made during the project. This new space connects to the green backyard, but creates a little bit of a buffer between the indoors and messy boots.”
Rafael Soldi
They also relocated the laundry room to its own space and added storage by reconfiguring the main floor’s original bedroom. And lastly for that floor, the existing guest bathroom was remodeled in shades of green and given new finishes and fixtures.
Rafael Soldi
Although the biggest parts of the renovation occurred on the main floor, the second floor wasn’t neglected. The original staircase was refurbished and the original wood railings were repaired.
Rafael Soldi
The primary suite was reconfigured with an open, cabinetry-style closet that separated the sleeping space from the ensuite bathroom. The bathroom also got a major update with beautiful tile, a standalone tub, glass shower, separate toilet, and double vanity.
Rafael Soldi
The clients wanted to keep the kids’ bedrooms in the library loft (close to the primary bedroom), but improve the space so there were areas for sleep and play, plus a new bathroom.
“The former library loft was divided into two spaces with a central kids’ four-piece bathroom,” Kailin says. “On one side, there is a playroom filled with toys and books, and the other houses a bunkbed for the youngsters. A barn door closes the space off from the landing.”
Rafael Soldi
Kailin adds that the kids’ space can be used as an office, craft room, or gym when the kids grow up and want to move to the bedrooms downstairs or leave the nest.
Now, the home is perfectly set up for everything a busy family needs to do—and it’s designed to grow with them, too.
Rafael Soldi
“We love how the design works for us now with young kids, and we can see it working just as well when they’re teenagers,” the owners say. “The house really checks all the boxes—both for today and tomorrow.”
Contractor: Ainslie-Davis Construction
Engineer: Julie Smith Lubke
