House Tour

This sweet little farmhouse is just as happy inside as it is outside. But first, let's revisit the exterior:

Classic farmhouse details are reinterpreted in a modern way: smooth beveled siding, gridded windows, industrial  barn lights, and a half-light French door feel fresh and familiar.

We spent a lot of time getting the floor plan and exterior elevations just right while working with the constraints of the narrow lot and existing structure. We are so happy with the end result for its architectural significance, authentic details, and beautiful form.

The black and white exterior is punctuated with raw silver-tone accents through metal roofing, galvanized gutters with round downspouts, and galvanized barn lights.

We think the best part is that this home is just enough - it's not excessive in size or scale, but has incredible functionality within its 1,633 square feet. It's finished simply but beautifully, with an emphasis on quality and function: The Modern Cottage way :)

The original old-growth CVG fir floors got new life with a sanding, staining, and resealing. Horizontal planking was added to the fireplace wall for added interest. The minimalist fireplace surround offers understated elegance and a purity of design which is consistent throughout the house.

One of the best things about this house is all the amazing sight lines - you can see almost all the way from the front of the house to the back on each level. The living room, kitchen, and dining room mingle nicely yet retain their independence.

The kitchen in stainless, white, carrara, and chrome, with that saturated chocolate floor for contrast and warmth. Opening all the lighting packages was like Christmas morning for me. I am in love with these pendant lights (and currently figuring out where in our own house we can incorporate them).

Because the kitchen is not huge, we added a second bank of cabinets on the opposite wall, including a microwave cubby (because it can be such a counterspace stealer if it doesn't have a designated, built-in home). This way you get extra counterspace too which will be nice for serving and entertaining. We also carved out a large walk-in pantry for both food and kitchen overflow items (small appliances, large pots and pans, etc.) It's tucked just out of sight, behind the fridge.

 I think this six-burner Viking is the most adorable little range ever. The silver knobs are such a great update from the black ones on older models. We took the subway tile to the ceiling and left the rest of this wall clean.

The short raised bar creates a slight separation from the living room and keeps any clutter invisible from the front door.

 We went with 7-foot doors which really promote maximum light and a real sense of volume and loft. Love the chemistry between the kitchen and dining room.

This soft, textural pendant was chosen to soften up the space. The bay window with option for bench seat feels cozy.

A glossy floating vanity for the main floor bath, with a rusty metal mirror for contrast. Outdoor barn light became indoor bath sconce :)

The main floor third bedroom can easily function as a family room or guest suite. We put a lot of windows in this house, and it was totally worth it!

This little space has a large closet for the washer and dryer, plus a great storage cabinet. 

The metal stair rail turned out so well - it was custom fabricated and feels just the right amount of simple and modern.

Upper level loft - white on white plus tons of windows and skylights equals one of the most invigorating, dreamy spaces you can imagine!

And it doesn't hurt that the oversized picture window (on the right) dispenses loads of southern sunlight.

With its vaulted ceilings and tree views, the master bedroom feels pure and organic. We repeated the textural pendant here since I loved it so much, and also because we like to have consistency in design when finishing out a smaller home.

The way we jogged the floor plan also left us the opportunity to capture some view and western orientation, even though this room is at the back of the house.

Cararra and subway tile continue in the master, with vaulted ceilings and a rustic/modern mix. The mirror we made ourselves. I wanted a hit of raw wood in this room for texture and interest. The color (achieved with a vinegar/steel wool solution) feels perfectly farmhouse.

And I love the sleek lines of this faucet, though it's not over the top modern.

The second bedroom (this used to be the only bedroom!) retains original charm.

A dormer opens things up a ton. The barn door was added to keep sight lines open, and just for fun!

Last, the third bathroom (also part of the original structure - it used to be a small den). We repeated the floating vanity and barn sconce, and changed up the mirror (a great CB2 find). Fitting built-in storage on the opposite wall makes use of otherwise wasted space... and is great for kids!

Thanks for following our Modern Farmhouse project and taking this tour with us! We hope we've offered some fun inspiration and new ideas.

Farmhouse Modern

Our project  is officially 100% complete! We'll be back soon with a post to share photos of all the fantastic spaces and details, but for now we couldn't resist introducing you :) 

And how could I not include a before and after?

This Modern Farmhouse simply has the most fantastic feel to it - I can't even describe it. It's just happy!

More to come :)

A beautiful thing

We were SO thrilled when siding was finally complete... and equally thrilled when our very busy painters finally got in there like a small army to get this house painted! Because paint means we are that much closer to trim stage, when it all starts to come together and I can finally unwrap those fantastic light fixtures/faucets/hardware for good! And of course when those shiny new appliances go in... it really, really starts to feel like a home.

Here are a few more progress pics, starting with the custom fabricated steel railing. LOVE THIS.

And a view of the upstairs landing. Seriously like a like big present soon to be unwrapped when all that masking comes down revealing fresh paint and finished walls, millwork and ceilings.

Here are a couple shots of the kitchen/dining room/living room  in progress:

And below, a shot from the back where the deck stairs are going in. We worked with a new finish carpenter on this job, but he really can do anything, and he does it all well (for example, in addition to finish work, complicated hardware installation and drywall repair, he built the stairs/deck, and he also frames). One day he worked on the front porch for four straight hours during an insane torrential downpour (I think it helped that he was leaving for a trip to Mexico the next day). He was SOAKED but kept on working till he finished it. He is a keeper for sure. We decided at that point we may need to hand out awards to our subs who go above and beyond. Aaron definitely gets MVP on this one. 

Right now our project is officially done (well, 99% ... there are always those last details) but photography just came in and we can't wait to share the end product. Our Modern Farmhouse has turned out even better than we imagined and we are so excited.

Thanks for your patience with the intermittent posting as we worked around the clock to get this project complete (oh, how much longer things take with a two-year old in the midst!). We promise the end result will not disappoint.

P.S. please ignore the hideous goldenrod color of the exterior primer in that first shot! (Remember when it used to look like this?)

Siding in progress

We're loving the way the siding looks, particularly with these windows - we omitted exterior window trim for a more modern look, and also because the window frames themselves are a bit wider than most. Since a few windows arrived damaged from shipping, siding was put on hold, but it will finally start up again next week and we can't wait! It will definitely be dramatic to see the front of the house clad in new siding. The combo of smooth beveled and board and batten is just right for this Modern Farmhouse.

Meanwhile, in order to continue the original old-growth fir flooring into the addition, we salvaged several hundred feet of nearly identical old-growth fir floor boards from another nearby property (slated for demolition where a new custom home will be built) as well as from Second Use. Both were perfect matches. Joel, our longtime hardwood guy, says it's ideal not to mix new fir with old-growth fir since it will take the stain/finish differently.

Drywall is now complete and today interior doors are being hung. Later this week: cabinets and trim. Still a lot to do though this is definitely the most gratifying stage. I will relish the moment the master bedroom light fixture is installed, for example :)

Progress

Framing is almost complete and it's so gratifying to see the plan start to come to life. The dormer is framed, the roof framing is nearly complete, and this little house isn't so little anymore (though it still feels entirely charming, even in this early stage, thanks to the design and layout). Here's a bit of what came before.

Excavating, foundation, waterproofing, and back-filling.

Next: first floor framing.

Starting the second floor (with spectacular views of Lake Washington, major bonus).

Stairs built to code, hooray!! This made me so happy (I really despised the existing staircase, which has since been demo'd to make way for a new walk-in pantry).

 A view from the back.

And from the side, taken today. Hello, house! Roofing, windows, and siding, you're next :)

Until then, the little guy is keeping everyone in check.