My Houzz: A 1940s Seattle Gem Gets a Tip-to-Toe Makeover
A couple become their own general contractor to create their dream home
Kimberley Bryan
February 23, 2017
Mary LaCoste, a copywriter, and her husband, Jeff, a graphic designer, bought their home in 2008 for its location, two blocks from where they were living in Seattle, and its interesting bones. After a yearlong major remodel, they created the exact home they’d envisioned as well as a new business.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mary and Jeff LaCoste, their cats, Bug and Tank, and parakeet, Lucky
Location: Seattle, Washington
Size: 2,100 square feet (195 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1940
Finding a new home was one thing; finding someone to do the work was another. With contractors booked up for months, Mary and Jeff LaCoste decided they would take on their remodel themselves. Jeff acted as the general contractor, while Mary researched and found items. Ultimately, they kept the home’s existing footprint but changed almost everything else, including the floor plan.
When the couple started their remodel, the house had a nice size but an interior that Mary describes as: “many walls and many doors and lots of funky decisions.” They knew they’d need to open up the house and let it flow and breathe.
Who lives here: Mary and Jeff LaCoste, their cats, Bug and Tank, and parakeet, Lucky
Location: Seattle, Washington
Size: 2,100 square feet (195 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1940
Finding a new home was one thing; finding someone to do the work was another. With contractors booked up for months, Mary and Jeff LaCoste decided they would take on their remodel themselves. Jeff acted as the general contractor, while Mary researched and found items. Ultimately, they kept the home’s existing footprint but changed almost everything else, including the floor plan.
When the couple started their remodel, the house had a nice size but an interior that Mary describes as: “many walls and many doors and lots of funky decisions.” They knew they’d need to open up the house and let it flow and breathe.
Mary and Jeff thought the front window frames and sills from an earlier 1980s remodel were ho-hum. They wanted to dress them up and treat them right. Although this proved to be a challenge, as each window length was slightly different, they ultimately succeeded in framing the window interiors in warm maple.
Jeff also flexed his carpentry muscles by designing and building the coffee table and a recessed area for plants.
Blinds: Smith & Noble; chairs: Genesis Chair, Crate & Barrel; lamp: Velocity Antler Lamp
Jeff also flexed his carpentry muscles by designing and building the coffee table and a recessed area for plants.
Blinds: Smith & Noble; chairs: Genesis Chair, Crate & Barrel; lamp: Velocity Antler Lamp
The house had a number of skylights and stained glass windows. They removed the stained glass windows, which weren’t in keeping with their eclectic yet modern aesthetic, but kept skylights that helped the light shine in. “We wanted to keep some of the funk,” Mary says, “but clean it up.”
Ipe floors were installed throughout the house, unifying the spaces. Previously, the house had a hodgepodge of different types of flooring.
Flooring installation: Seattle Floor Service
Flooring installation: Seattle Floor Service
The kitchen, which occupied the front area of the home, was walled off almost completely from everything else. The couple added beams in front and back of the current kitchen area, which allowed them to remove walls and open it up.
Wall and ceiling paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams
Wall and ceiling paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams
Knowing the kitchen would be the heart of the home, Mary and Jeff carefully considered how to approach its remodel. They finally tackled the kitchen section by section, measuring appliances first, then working with Roost Cabinetry to create custom cabinets.
The tile backsplash is a peppy, midcentury-inspired porcelain tile in an array of blues. “We fell in love with the blues and the wood,” Mary says. Unsure at first of how to graciously end the backsplash, Mary and Jeff chose to scatter the end tiles randomly, creating a look that connotes floating off into space or the sky.
The tile backsplash is a peppy, midcentury-inspired porcelain tile in an array of blues. “We fell in love with the blues and the wood,” Mary says. Unsure at first of how to graciously end the backsplash, Mary and Jeff chose to scatter the end tiles randomly, creating a look that connotes floating off into space or the sky.
A solid-surface countertop from Lowe’s graces both the counter prep areas and island.
A fan of mixing old and new, Jeff and Mary chose antique stools to contrast with the sleekness of the island.
A fan of mixing old and new, Jeff and Mary chose antique stools to contrast with the sleekness of the island.
Oversized ice cream cone art from a local thrift store carries the yellow accents from the living room into the kitchen and keeps things light and whimsical.
Before the remodel, the dining area was sunken, and navigating it necessitated opening a door, going up and down stairs, then going through a second door. “It was a total ankle-breaker,” Mary says.
The new dining area is open and readily accessible. “It felt more like us to be able to remove items and streamline,” Mary notes. The couple elected to have a custom cabinet built, affixing it to the wall to maximize space.
The tall, narrow wall at one end of the dining room begged for attention. It got it in the form of Woods wallpaper by Cole & Son and a light fixture thought up by Jeff and Mary and built by Flux Lighting.
Up a short set of stairs is Jeff’s office and the main bedroom. Having fallen in love with the ipe used for the floors, the couple chose to make the banister railing from ipe as well.
A Dodu bed by Blu Dot showcases Jeff and Mary’s combination of thrifty realism and modern-eclectic chic. The bed frame’s woven felt slipcover can be removed if it gets soiled or if the couple simply gets tired of the color.
The doorknob adds an unexpected shot of playfulness to the main bedroom and also showcases the couple’s newest business venture.
“We were looking for something modern, interesting and fun,” Jeff says, “and we couldn’t find it.” In true do-it-yourself form, Jeff decided to make his own. That led to the creation of ModKnobs, a website that sells stylish doorknobs made from nontraditional materials.
Originally all blue, the knobs now come in an array of Pantone colors and are made from hockey pucks, Paperstone, walnut and oak. “If we hadn’t undertaken this remodel,” Mary says, “Jeff might not have ever had this idea.”
Doorknob: Matte Series, ModKnobs
“We were looking for something modern, interesting and fun,” Jeff says, “and we couldn’t find it.” In true do-it-yourself form, Jeff decided to make his own. That led to the creation of ModKnobs, a website that sells stylish doorknobs made from nontraditional materials.
Originally all blue, the knobs now come in an array of Pantone colors and are made from hockey pucks, Paperstone, walnut and oak. “If we hadn’t undertaken this remodel,” Mary says, “Jeff might not have ever had this idea.”
Doorknob: Matte Series, ModKnobs
The bath has a warm, organic feel thanks to walls finished with Milestone. The couple chose a complementary organic look by adding a pebbled floor that feels good underfoot.
Jeff built the floating vanity with two large drawers. It has a surprisingly large capacity and keeps bathroom clutter hidden. He topped it with frosted Lucite custom cut by Commercial Plastics.
The mirror is from CB2, and the Incepa sink was found online.
The mirror is from CB2, and the Incepa sink was found online.
A trip to work for Jeff involves only walking next door from the main bedroom to his home office. The room “is still a work in progress,” Jeff says, but the progress so far has already involved streamlining the room, retaining two skylights and trying many different lights to find those most conducive to comfortable work. He ultimately chose a light from YLighting.
The main-floor bath originally had two doors to the laundry room. The couple took their time thinking about how they’d use the house before embarking on their bathroom design. The room originally was chocolate brown from ceiling to floor, and one of the first things the couple did was replace the floor with slate tiles.
Jeff also built this vanity, wanting a clean, floating look with a loose stone top. It was originally covered with glass, but Jeff removed the glass, preferring the natural, uncovered look. The glass sink bowl is from Lowe’s.
The Neptune tub the couple chose added what Mary describes as “pure fun,” as it has built-in LED lights for a colorful bath time “show.”
The home’s second floor previously had a half-wall at the top of the stairs. After hearing a great idea from a contractor, Jeff and Mary decided to replace the wall with steel and cable, a much cleaner, more modern look.
Bringing his design and carpentry skills into play yet again, Jeff built the wall unit from boxes he made that are fronted with panels from Ikea. “It was a good union of what Ikea is good at and what we could do on our own,” Jeff says.
The wallpaper and hanging light fixture from the dining room soar up past the second floor, providing both design continuity and a hit of drama.
Splashed throughout the home are bold, colorful, retro and graphically arresting items and art, including this functional pinball machine, bought from Craigslist, which sits on the landing. “A friend in Colorado has a lot of pinball machines,” Mary says. “We like the look of them.”
Tucked cleverly into otherwise unused space above the stairs is a compact kitchen from Ikea. Far from being designed to blend in, its fire-engine red acts as another playful place for the eye to explore. “And on game day, it’s perfect,” Mary adds.
Art: Future, purchased at Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts’ annual Steamroller Smackdown event
Art: Future, purchased at Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts’ annual Steamroller Smackdown event
The large upstairs great room houses the family room and Mary’s home office. Since at first they were unsure what to do with the expansive northern wall, the couple spoke with local artist Jesse Brown, who promptly asked them to describe exactly what they wanted. “Graphic and clean but fun,” Mary remembers telling him, “and to incorporate things that are personal to us.”
The result is a two-toned graphic wall mural made with Sign Painter’s 1-Shot lettering enamel (mixing metallic silver with polar white). It mixes symbols, art and words that evoke fond and important memories for the couple. “It was a true three-person collaboration,” Mary says.
Sofa and ottoman: Kasala
The result is a two-toned graphic wall mural made with Sign Painter’s 1-Shot lettering enamel (mixing metallic silver with polar white). It mixes symbols, art and words that evoke fond and important memories for the couple. “It was a true three-person collaboration,” Mary says.
Sofa and ottoman: Kasala
The western wall was painted a dark gray specifically to help the mounted flat-screen TV blend in. The console is from Crate & Barrel.
Behind a carnival game board is a wall of glass doors leading to the south-facing balcony. “We invested in good doors,” Mary says. “We’re so high up, we wanted to really enjoy this space.”
Using Mary’s favorite color, red, on the balcony in the form of an indoor-outdoor rug and the oilcloth helps the simple space feel cheerful, bright and welcoming.
The optimism that Mary, holding Tank, and Jeff felt when starting their remodel project seems to have infused their home with a happy, hopeful vibe. Now they — and their pets — can simply enjoy it.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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So many great ideas. So nicely done!
It would have been helpful to include a floor plan...