Wittman Estes: New homeowners of a historic 1910 Craftsman-style home sought to transform their 2,491-square-foot house by updating it for contemporary living, while adding a rental facility to the property (ADU - Accessory Dwelling Unit). The owners, a young couple, often host gatherings and have an affinity for nature. Seattle, like many cities, faces a housing shortage. Most housing in neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill are single-family homes, built in a time with less need for density. As Seattle has grown, the city has been confronted with the dilemma of how to preserve the historic fabric of neighborhoods while continuing to adapt to allow for increased housing density.
To meet client needs, a complete remodel of the house was necessary. The existing floor plan was largely preserved and a gradient approach to renovation was adopted, transitioning from the preservation of historic detail to the integration of modern interventions as you move through the house from the entry to the back yard (east to west). “It’s as if you enter from the past century, and walk into the future,” notes architect Matt Wittman.
The design team worked to honor and retain the classic built-in elements typical of the era— stained glass, inlaid doors, period joinery—while adding complimentary modern interventions. The original casework was preserved and repurposed in a new arrangement as a blend of old and new. The west-facing rear facade was completely transformed. Originally, it had few windows, was encumbered by a tacked-on storage space, and featured no real connection to the landscape. The addition was removed, and the rear facade was opened up and replaced with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. This led to a complete reimagining of the kitchen layout and the addition of a deck with easy access to the garden. The back yard features an existing mature birch tree, verdant wisteria, and access to Peach Court, a lovely narrow residential lane with walking access and parking.
Each piece of the original house was meticulously deconstructed, preserved, and documented by the contractor. In the front living room, nearly all the original materials are preserved intact: top-nailed oak flooring, patterned windowpanes and built-ins, oak box beams, and the sculptural stair and balustrade. The front porch was failing and out of proportion with the rest of the house. It was rebuilt to be taller, wider and expand to provide cover and serve double duty as a carport. New posts, rafter tails, and built-in storage was incorporated, providing a modern take on a traditional Craftsman porch.
In the rear yard, a new garden path was added and a lower courtyard entry was excavated for easy access to the new, garden-level, one-bedroom/one-bathroom rental unit. The self- contained, 581-square-foot apartment constitutes a modest gesture toward increasing density within the city. The result is a house that features a balance of old and new and that breathes new life into a historic home. The house now embraces the nexus where Craftsman and Modernism meet, whether through natural materials, high-crafted detailing, and integration with nature.
