Mediterranean Revival - Seattle, Washington - Studio AM Architecture
Photography by Aaron Leitz
Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, this home was built at the turn-of-the-century for a local timber baron. Within the next few decades, the house was significantly remodeled by the noted architectural firm Bebb & Gould (architects for the Seattle Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle). The home’s current owners, who had been living in the area and aware of the legacy and uniqueness of the home and property, thought the home would be a great fit for their family and purchased it. Supported by the design team, the home was meticulously remodeled to upgrade all systems, and improve livability for generations to come. Once facing the major arterial served by horse and carriage, the home’s previous service entry at the back of the house was upgraded to recognize the home’s ‘flipped’ street front and address.
Despite retaining its grandeur for more than a century, the home no longer fit the requirements of modern living. Areas of the main floor were separated between servant functions and public entertainment spaces, along with the other floor levels of the home; a configuration that limited accessibility to the outdoors and reduced natural light into the spaces. To correct this, interior spaces were reconfigured to improve circulation and sight lines through the home, along with updating spaces like the kitchen to flow better into existing entertainment spaces. New French doors, a new balcony, and digging out a new courtyard to the lower floor created logical connections to outdoor spaces and enhanced natural light from the south. At the entry, the still extant servant stair was removed, and the porte-cochere was modified to become a new front porch. On the upper floor, replacing an existing wall with glass and extending the existing plaster detailing to the upper floor allowed the main stair to be filled with light while elevating the upper floor finishes to a commensurate level to the main floor. Reconfiguring all the baths and laundry room brought modern design and comfort to the upper level and attic.
While the home is not historically registered, it holds a landmark level reputation and presence in the community. During the renovation, the home was surgically deconstructed, meticulously documented, and studied to ensure development retained the level of craftsmanship and timeless expression while incorporating contemporary elements of styling. The home is filled with details that replicate and innovate. Hidden doors and high-tech features are interwoven into an old shell with all new systems. New methods of fabrication were employed to recreate elements of the past and allow this historic structure to continue its life as a home for the current and future generations within the context of the community.
Project Team
Architecture: Studio AM Architecture | Interiors
Interior Design: Kelly Hohla Interiors
Home Builder: Hoxie Huggins Construction
Landscape: Randy Allworth
Studio AM Architecture | Interiors design Team
Aaron Mollick
Lisa Sidlauskas
Brittney Wilson
Kelly Hohla Design Team
Kelly Hohla
Alana Dorn