Home owners in Mercer Island are expanding their home as they are expanding their family. The couple are expecting a baby! The remodel will add a modern or contemporary look to the house while keeping the aesthetic simple and clean. Open functional spaces accommodate house guests and leave the guests with an airy or open first impression.

Mood Board Monday features a residential remodel in Mount Baker Ridge. To represent the owner's want of a warm home with modern amenities we compiled a Mood Board. The contemporary home contains Pacific Northwest wood textures to soften the contemporary design.  Happy Mood Board Monday!

Summer in Seattle is finally starting to heat up and we want to give you the best tools to keep your home cool. You don't have to sacrifice design for functionality with these tips.  Here are our favorite ways to beat the heat while still having that aesthetic appeal.

Cool off your yard with some backyard shade. Whether you create that shade naturally by planting trees or by using shade sails, adding a little bit of shade can cool down the area by 15 degrees.


Ceiling fans don't actually lower the temperature of a room, but they make you feel more comfortable. While moving the air, ceiling fans have taken on contemporary shapes that can seem more like a piece of art and a design element.



The lighter the color, the more heat will be reflected. Having a light colored roof will help reduce the heating of your home, ultimately lowering utility costs.

Instead of cooking inside your home, try cooking outside. Bring out the grill for summer dinners to escape the kitchen heat. Patio spaces are the perfect places to cook and spend time with the family.  

One of the great things about living in Seattle is that we have an eclectic mix of architectural styles spanning decades if not centuries. No matter what your taste is, there is something for everyone. With that said, it can sometimes be challenging to find the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary when remodeling an older home. Naturally, you want to personalize the space, update it and make it your own. But at the same time there needs to be harmony between the original architectural style and the new renovation so that all of the elements “play well together”. To bring the past and present in sync, a classic space can feel contemporary by cleaning up the lines and reducing ornamentation. Conversely, a contemporary space can have a more vintage feel through traditional material choices and retro-inspired fixtures. Below are a few inspiration images for bathroom updates that do a nice job of crossing over between the past and the present. Enjoy!