Northwood House - Addition

Originally built in 1984, this 1,550 SF house in Redmond was first taken on as a development project. The owners intended to remodel, expand, and sell. As the design progressed, they grew attached to the home that was emerging on paper and decided to move in themselves. The approach combined preservation with reinvention. Half of the existing structure was retained, including the bedroom wing and the garage, while the kitchen and living areas were gutted and reorganized. A new second storey was added directly above the original footprint. To stay clear of the fire sprinkler threshold, a decision driven both by construction cost and by the desired scale of the home relative to the surrounding neighborhood, the total GFA was held under 3,500 SF. Working within those constraints, the design pushes vertically and spatially. The living room is opened up into a double-volume space, and the previously enclosed kitchen is reconfigured as an open kitchen that connects directly to the dining and living areas. The project was taken on as a combined architecture and interior design scope from the outset, allowing the spatial planning, materials, and detailing to be developed in tandem. At the center of the main floor, the original fireplace location is kept and reworked as a double-sided fireplace, with a built-in bench tying into the hearth. The element acts as a cozy centerpiece, a soft visual divider between the kitchen and dining area that keeps the open plan intact without severing the two zones. Upstairs, three ensuite bedrooms occupy the new second level. The exterior is entirely transformed. A more contemporary language of cleaner lines, simpler massing, and updated proportions replaces the original character of the house. Large windows along the front facade pull daylight deep into the interior and reframe the home's relationship with the street. The new siding and paint palette were carefully selected to coordinate with the retained siding, balancing budget with a more sustainable approach to material reuse.