FIDALGO ISLAND KITCHEN REMODEL FOR ARTIST COUPLE

It is my honor to be able to work with Josh Williamson of TRUE BEARING BUILT CONSTRUCTION on another project! The clients are both amazing artists and the centerpiece of the kitchen was all about the La Cornue Periwinkle Blue 110 Range and matching Hood.

https://www.truebearingbuilt.com/portfolio-items/fidalgo-island-remodel/

ARCHITECT: Island Architecture

CABINETS: Smith and Vallee Cabinet Makers

COUNTERTOPS: Creative Surfaces

PHOTOGRAPHY: Damian Vines

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This is a fully re-visioned kitchen space that is hardly recognizable as compared to the old layout. Some bold moves make all the difference! The former location of the refrigerator was turned into a butler’s pantry, allowing the workflow to be rearranged for better functionality.

A new lighting plan with dimmable LED cans and undercabinet task lighting provides a warm ambiance, greatly improving functionality throughout the kitchen. Dramatic floating shelves add definition to the space, and the countertop and tile finishes complement the warmth of the wood finishes.

The project was made possible by a collaboration between Smith and Vallee Cabinet Makers and Island Architecture. Together, they tied the client’s love of art and design by adding pops of color and unique hardware to the project.

The wrap around corner floating shelves were quite the challenge to install, but with the help of the Artist, who is a wood worker, it was a collaborative vision that came to be.

The upper counter continues as a shelf that runs in back of the sink and into the lowered window sill to become a place of distinction for future art and plants to occupy.

The window was enlarged and the sill dropped. The clients have a huge art collection that they plan on displaying and I can’t wait to get some more shots with all their collection up and displayed! It will be a transformation of this Zen look, for sure. All the up-lighting above the cabinets is for art!!!! Can’t wait to see…..

Here is a photo of that amazing stove during construction- the photographer did not get a shot of this side of the kitchen for a good after shot, sorry! Love the color!!!!

This is the kitchen before. Dark Cherry cabinets with the stove in the back and heavy upper cabinets- we punched out a wall and added a window back where the old pantry was and expanded the kitchen back to gain counter space.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen Before- see how the window sill was high and cut off view to the garden?

Here is the shot I was looking for of the finished stove side!!!!!! Art is starting to bubble in….

Orcas Island continued-walls removed/re-oriented!

This is a continuation of the last project that has the new entry and staircase. The interior was gutted to the studs and interior walls were taken down to open up the space. A new 16’ wide sliding glass door was installed to replace a door and windows to open up the view to Rosario. A 3-sided gas fireplace was installed to connect the living area to the kitchen.

This is the other side looking into the kitchen. The new island has “Waterfall” sides.

Lookin into the lithe from the living room.

The other side of the living room with new staircase visible on the left, that connects the 2 levels.

Love the new banquet!

This is the “BEFORE” photo of that space.

This was the kitchen before! It was shoved in the back of the unit away from the view. We flipped the kitchen to the view side.

This is the kitchen moved, after… much better eh? Wood tiles on the backsplash are the same manufacturer that I quoted before. The flooring and tile are from IndoTeak Design, a great little company in San Diego. 

Their tile line is called Cinta. 

Matt is the manager and Kim runs the showroom.

https://indoteakdesign.com

The cabinet bases are from IKEA and the fronts are from SEMI HAND MADE does really nice driftwood fronts for Ikea cabinets. https://www.semihandmade.com/

I also like the interior lights that light up the back of each drawer, so that you can see what is in there.

The pantry has loads of storage.

ORCAS ISLAND REMODEL & ADDITION

After photo of new entry addition that combines 4 condos into 2 condos connected by new staircases.

Before photo showing the existing building.

The old trellises were nice, but the entries lacked pizazz and were only slightly recessed back from the main exterior wall.

The solution was a new addition that bumps out and encloses the new linking staircases, with extending canopies slanted back over the new entry doors..

Inside, the new staircase is bathed in light from a skylight above and inks the 2 levels of the joined condo. The client sourced wood tiles from San Diego, Ca. The flooring and tile are from IndoTeak Design, a great little company in San Diego.  #WoodTiles, #Cinta, #Indoteakdesign

Their tile line is called Cinta. 

Matt is the manager and Kim runs the showroom.

https://indoteakdesign.com

They used a different wood tile for the back accent wall of the Dining Room banquet, and the LED uplighting from below really is a nice touch. The table is from Indigenous by La Rue.  Their original shop is on the corner of Cedros and Lomas Santa Fe in Solana Beach.  They recently opened a 2nd store on Gerard in La Jolla.

Husband and wife team.  She designs, he builds.  It’s a sweet story how they got started.  Now they’ve now grown quite a bit and have additional staff and production.

https://www.indigenousbylarue.com/

I really like the table and the plexiglass slab legs go with the cast edge. More on this remodel to follow in another post, as there are too many other things to go over in the kitchen!

Last look at the new entry!

KITCHEN before in photos and 3D renderings on Lopez Island, WA

The layout of the house is something that the client’s parents built in the 90’s- actually 1996 to be exact. It is right on a low bluff that is 50’ from “Top of Bank”, so nothing can be added. We are trying to work within the existing shell as much as possible, but we are punching out in one corner “Under an existing deck”, so that we are not expanding the existing envelope. The Octagon currently holds the entire kitchen, with all the wasted space from the 45 degree corners that make cabinetry a bit tricky. I suggested using that space for the dining area instead of the current location and building in a window bench where people will want to be sitting there looking out over the water in 2 directions…

This would be the view when you are coming in from the entry, looking into the dining area, with the kitchen to your left. We are Option#15, and getting really close! What do you think?

This is the site on Lopez- so surrounded by water on both sides! Just Gorgeous, or what? So grateful that I get to work on such sacred land- the Coast Salish Peoples revere this area today, as their ancestors fished here for millennia and there were probably Oyster and clam farms in this bay.

This is the kitchen now,

Existing kitchen from the entry view. The window seat is going to transform this space and the new kitchen location still has fabulous views. The interior is very “Dated’ now and the son of the original owners wants to have his own signature on the house so that it feels like it is for the new generation with kids and grandchildren all there.

Roof Modeling- Gabled Dormer of Cupola?

This is a house in the Skyline neighborhood of Anacortes that has a simple gabled roof with no articulation. The owners want to give it some character and I am trying out various options in my 3D model of the house.

Another view from the side of the single gabled dormer.

Here is the Cupola Idea.

Here it is from the front- which one would you vote is best?

BLUE STOVE ALERT- It's all about the cooking altar!

The original CornuFé range, this 43" range is the center of a new kitchen that I designed for 2 artists in Anacortes. The “Periwinkle Blue” really pops out against the Rift Cut Oak cabinets- the floor is still masked off- more photos of when it is complete to follow!!!

The original CornuFé range, this 43" range is your first La Cornue love. It’s available in sixteen colors and

3 trim accent choices of Polished Brass, Satin Chrome and Polished Chrome. The CornuFé 110 features two

electric convection ovens, one of which is a seven mode multifunction oven, the other an electric convection

oven, five powerful gas burners and one large storage drawer.

Can’t wait to see it all done!

New Shed Roof Companion to existing ADU on San Juan Island- Progress! SIPS Coming !

The existing ADU is the taller 2 story structure to the right. The owners wanted to preserve the view over the main house, which has the better view of the water thru a slot between a heavily treed site.

This shows the side view or Street view from the gravel private driveway.

This is more the view you would see when entering the Main House from the driveway.

Here is a shot from when they had dug the earth out for the foundation.

Here is a better over-all shot

Here is the foundation poured!

The pads in the middle are to support the floor joists. The walls and roof is going to be made out of SIP Panels (Structurally Integrated Panels).

This is a drawing of the SIP Panel layout over the structure to create the roof. The porch extensions will be hand-built out of fir beams.

This is a drawing of the SIP wall panels and how the windows fit in.

SIP panels for the roof and walls. The contractor is Advanced Build NW, Curt Fialkowski from Lakewood WA 98499. USED “INSULSPAN” for the SIP Panels and they are the ones that did the drawings, so credit to them.

New stairway idea for Victorian in Cap Sante

My client called me a “Genius” on this one! Always nice to get that kind of compliment!

This is the same house that I did the last blog post for the interior remodel and now the owner wants to tackle the tiny staircase that has 9” treads (the part that you put your foot on- so 11” treads are standard today). The only way to get the stairway to work is to punch out the side of the structure towards the driveway (this is my 13th option on how to solve this, so went through a lot of ideas to get to this point). This still allows to park cars, and does not touch the ground- cantilvered off the side. So then I don’t have to do a “Stormwater Plan” yipee!

The stair punch out from the side

Here is a 3D model shot of the interior- there is a closet above that we donlt want to touch, so that is the main restriction.

Another view of the model to see how it is working.

Here is the house as it is now.

This is looking up into the existing stairway.

Existing stair

Right now, you open the front door and walk directly into this stair and it is tight. The new stair will turn the other direction and leave more space in the entry. You will be looking at the side of the staircase when you walk in. Much better Feng Shui! All the energy of the house will not be pulled out the front door!

The big question is why the top of the stairway has a lowered ceiling that comes down? That has to be demoed out for this to work. Also, those balusters take up space and there is only 2’6” clearance between the balusters and the wall. People were smaller in 1905! The interior doors are all 24” wide! I am going to come up with a plan to re-use the balusters somehow in other places….to be continued:-)

Thinking that the new punch out should be in a different material to contrast with the existing shingles. There is a philosophy in Historic Preservation (and I do have a Masters in Historic Preservation from Columbia University in New York) that any additions should be evident as being new. This HArdi Plank Lap Siding in “Beavertail Brown” would blend in with the existing old weathered shingles and yet give a nice detail- what do you think?

Also the “Shou Sugi Ban”, almost black could look very handsome…..any votes?

VICTORIAN REMODEL IN CAP SANTE, ANACORTES, WA

Contractor- Josh Williams of “True Built Bearing Built” in Bow, WA (www.truebearingbuilt.com) . Cabinets from “Creative Cabinets” in Anacortes (https://www.anacortescreativecabinets.com). This kitchen has come a long way from how it looked before. New Pantry, new 3/4 bathroom from powder, new Master Bath with added tub with a view! And new laundry moved to the second floor with all the bedrooms are located to save stair travel. House was built in 1905!

Same side shot but from farther back

New kitchen from the side. Brass faucet adds a nice touch.

The kitchen before was dominated by a brick fireplace that no longer was used, so that got removed and freed up a lot of real estate to use. The main window got shifted over to allow room to get the stove on the same wall, It was cluttered and the stove was below the other window before.

Before and after “Panos”

The new backsplash is glass tiles from “Home Depot”, in subtle shades of blue to reflect the water view outside. The counters are a quartzite that looks like sand, So the “Beachy” theme of sand and water drove the color choices and cabinet color. “Polar Orbit Blue” Mosaic Wall glass tiles from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jeffrey-Court-Polar-Orbit-Blue-11-625-in-x-11-625-in-Interlocking-Glossy-Glass-Mosaic-Wall-Tile-0-938-sq-ft-Each-13014/316717528

By removing a side full height pantry cabinet, the kitchen got opened up to the den, and a walk-in pantry was added by shaving off some space from the old laundry/powder room.

The powder room got the laundry removed and a shower added in the same glass tiles as the kitchen backsplash- so a consistent theme of water. The owner is a sailor and has her boat in Cap Sante Marina!

Same room before as above- the laundry before. Cramped and crowded! with the toilet opposite. So the toilet and sink got flipped to get in the shower.

Old Master bath before. Sink in facing the view, but hard to see your face…

Old Master Bath

New Master Bath! The owner really wanted a tub in the bathroom, so we lowered the window sill so that one could see out from the tub. Moved the sink with a new cabinet and new focus. Re-did the shower int he same glass tiles as else where.

A closer shot of the new vanity with counter mounted sink.

And an even closer shot- I really like the open filament sconces- there was no way that we could mount a light over the mirror because of the ceiling height sloping down at the sink, and the side sconces actually get more light on the sides of the face to evenly light it to see better what is going on, eh?

New Shower with same glass tiles! The tub is only 48” long, but 30” deep- so a great Japanese soaking tub experience with small, powerful jets.

This detail shot shows the limestone flooring

Lastly, the sitting room off the Master Bedroom is pictured above before the remodel.

After- The new laundry saves dragging all the laundry down the stairs and back up again. And serves as an exercise room now! Cheers! Original wood flooring was retained.

2 STORY ADDITION ANACORTES, WA

Very simple house from 1957 gets a 2 story addition. Right now it is just a 1 bathroom, 3 bedroom house. The owners needed a 2nd bathroom, a proper laundry room, an art studio and a guest room- Wala!

From the street, it will just be peaking out above the existing house.

From the rear garden, there will be a covered patio with twin wall roof so it will be sunny since it is facing North.

The South side will have a big wall of windows to let in light into the art studio below.