Whidbey Island House

The design of this new residence was inspired by the existing fruit trees on the property. The interior stair echoes the crescent shape these trees form in the backyard.

At the west side, an exterior stair ties the main deck off the kitchen with a generous upper level deck. From this vantage point, the owners enjoy views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

Adjacent to the landing of this exterior stair is a raised ceiling area in the kitchen to allow light into the space from a high clerestory. Above this volume are built-in raised bed platforms in the children’s rooms. A small window connects the two bedrooms and offers the back bedroom views to the ocean.

Latah Creek House

The house is situated on a south-facing hillside in a wooded area of ponderosa pines. The design employs a central great room with an eating alcove glazed on three sides. A deck opens off this nook and provides cover for the patio below. The living area also opens to a terrace at the other side which steps down to grade.

The stairway connecting the main level with a walk-out basement ties the two levels together with plenty of natural light. The adjacent den opens with shutters to the stairway which allows views down the valley through the stair windows.

Green Lake Addition

This addition enlarged the house by about 160 square feet at both the main level and basement. This entailed pushing the main body of the house out eight feet toward the back yard. A previously cramped kitchen became a light-filled cooking and eating space. An adjacent covered deck provides a strong connection to the outdoors. The interior stairs were re-configured as part of the project. The existing narrow and steep steps were replaced with a more generous stair that opens to the kitchen.