Seattle has no shortage of fabulous midcentury architecture. When attempting a full scale renovation, Office of Ordinary does an amazing job of preserving historical details (or emulating them if adding new elements). This home in Seattle’s Colman Park neighborhood sits high up in the trees on one of Seattle’s many steep hills. This gives the opportunity for a real tree-house vibe, which was achieved with great skill in this project.

My favorite part of this home is the new banquette dining area, which was a new addition to this home. With wraparound windows and seating, it feels like you’re really in a treehouse (with far better insulation). ;)

In capturing this home, we kept with a natural light approach, which highlighted the soft green glow from the outdoors. Allowing natural light to guide the way does pose some challenges (I have to do quite a bit of post-production work for these images to be successful), but it always feels like the right choice in telling the truth of the space, capturing light, and creating an inviting mood.

This beautiful project was recently featured on Amazing Architecture, where you can see more details about the renovation process, view the floorpans, and learn more about Office of Ordinary.

So excited to feature this beautiful home at the Ruston Waterfront in Tacoma. My client, Benchmark Custom Cabinets, installed custom cabinetry throughout the kitchen with sweeping Puget Sound views, as well as other built-in storage solutions in the hallway and library, and bathrooms. I love the juxtaposition of the light and airy kitchen with white marble countertops and gleaming white wooden cabinetry compared to the dark and moody library in black floor-to-ceiling shelves.

I typically do all my photoshoots in totally natural light, but when there are lighting features that create an architectural point of interest in can be worth it to capture in photos. In this case, the cabinet under lighting creates a bit of modern drama in this otherwise classic kitchen.

I really love when there is a feeling of texture and imperfection in client spaces. The library has the homeowner’s impressive book collection as the only source of color, and the almost dizzying effect of the floor to ceiling shelves filled with the collection is stunning. When interior photoshoots capture a bit of life as it really is it makes me really happy. That lifestyle element creates a warmth and relatability to a gallery and makes for a more authentic portfolio.

Enjoy this beautiful project!

Client: Benchmark Custom Cabinets