Midmod Remod

Floor-to-ceiling high-performance windows and skylights in the covered patio let in light, and upgraded insulation, a new furnace, and an insert in the native stacked-stone fireplace serve to keep the home comfortable and energy efficient.

The homeowners discovered Seattle cabinetmaker Kerf and fell in love with their Baltic birch plywood cabinets accented by brightly colored laminate. Our team spent many hours on the phone with the Kerf designer discussing dimensions and function to make sure the cabinets were perfect. And they are. The cabinet shipping box was made of the same beautiful, detailed plywood as the cabinets. We hated to simply throw it out, so we repurposed it as closet shelving.

To manage airflow from a vent, the cabinet maker cut a design into the toekick to play off the home’s mid-century vibe. When we had to unexpectedly work around an air return vent in a wall to be covered in grain-sequenced walnut, we matched the spacing and rhythm of the toekick and routed it into the wood to give it an intentional appearance.

A whole home remodel doesn’t mean everything is new. The owners wanted to keep the original 1950s peach bathroom fixtures to accent the new hexagonal tile, but the toilet seat was missing the lid. After hours of scouring the internet, our team found what’s possibly the only one in existence to complete the look.

As the newly retired homeowners intended to remain in the home as long as possible, aging-in-place features were important to incorporate. These included wider walkways and doorways and a no-threshold shower with grab bars in the master bath.