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Commercial, Interior Design, Third Places

Elements of Great Café Design

Think about your favorite café. What stands out to you? When it comes to designing amazing café spaces, there’s a lot to consider, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Here, we break down the basic elements every café should include to achieve a great design that elevates your brand and your customers love.

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Interior Design

Vintage Shopping for Your Design Project

Vintage pieces can elevate your space by adding unique and personal flourishes. If you’re looking to incorporate vintage accessories, antique furniture, or second hand lighting into the design of your home or space, here are a few pointers to help you get started – and stay on track – on your next shopping trip.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

Five Simple Bathroom Upgrades

Bored with your basic bathroom? We spend more time in our bathrooms than we realize. At Board & Vellum, we believe bathrooms are all about self-care – they’re an important space where you’ll consistently begin and end your days. Love your space more with these five simple bathroom upgrades.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Must-Have Spaces for Kids

Designing spaces for your little ones can be fun — but it can also be a challenge to create a space that can withstand their growth, needs, and ever-changing interests. Here are some unique, must-have kid’s spaces that will give your child their own room to grow.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

Five Ways to Enliven Nooks & Niches

Do you have a small, awkward space in your home you just aren’t sure what to do with? With a little creativity, you can turn even the most cramped nook or niche into a spot that delights you. Here are some of our favorite ways to make the most of those small spaces.

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Custom Residential

Five Ways to Create an Amazing Home Bar

Home bars are a great addition for anyone who loves to host or experiment with new drink recipes. From small and flexible to big and built-in, if you’re wondering where to start or what’s possible, we’ve compiled five ideas to help get you started, no matter your budget or space.

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Landscape Architecture

Steps of the Landscape & Site Design Process

So, you want to update the exterior of your home. Maybe the plants are all wrong or you want an outdoor kitchen. Or maybe you’re hoping for an even bigger impact. Whatever your goals, the site design process at Board & Vellum is designed to support you every step of the way.

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Building Green

What To Consider When Future-Proofing Your Home

How long do you plan to stay in your current home? If you’re considering staying in it through your golden years, you’ll want to start thinking about future-proofing. Confused? Don’t worry! Here, we’ll walk you through the four basic principles to follow when you’re planning to age in place.

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Commercial, Custom Residential, Interior Design, Multifamily & Mixed-Use

Our 2023 Interior Design Forecast

Trying to stay ahead of the design-trend curve? Us too. And for good reason! There are so many beautiful trends having and about to have their moment – not just ”for now,“ but as lasting elements of beautiful design. Our 2023 Interior Design Forecast is here to help you get to know upcoming trends you’ll love.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

Five Kitchen Island Must-Haves

If you’re adding an island to your kitchen, you might be wondering what details are essential to achieving a functional space that’s a delight to use and also looks great. We’ve got you covered with five of our favorite must-have details for every kitchen island.

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Building Green

The Wonders of Cork as a Sustainable Material

Would it surprise you to learn that cork is a beautiful, sustainable material with many applications as an interior and exterior finish? This spring, Terry Phelan had the opportunity to witness a cork oak harvest firsthand and now shares the wonders of this product with you!

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Interior Design

How to Design to a Concept Instead of a Theme

Concept vs. Theme. Maybe you’ve never thought about the difference between these approaches to design. Maybe you didn’t even realize they were related to design! The difference is subtle, but being able to tell them apart could be what keeps you from taking your design vision to an unpleasant extreme.

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The Business of Design

Community Engagement at Board & Vellum

Giving back to the community has been part of Board & Vellum’s DNA from the beginning. Our commitment to community building led to one of our major 2022 initiatives: developing our Community Engagement Manifesto to help organize our company’s and employees’ charitable efforts.

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Commercial, Custom Residential, Interior Design

How a Designer Can Help You Navigate Lead Times

Product lead times can play a major role in the success of your project and, these days, they’re longer and less predictable than ever. If you’ve been frustrated trying to find a product in stock and on your timeline, we feel you. And we have some simple ways to help you overcome these challenges.

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Interior Design

Our FF&E Procurement Process

When it comes to acquiring your project’s FF&E, the process might seem confusing and complicated. But it doesn’t have to be! Sure, it’s complex, but we can help you get there. With the right team and interior designer at your side, the FF&E procurement process can be simple — even fun!

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Interior Design

What is FF&E Procurement?

If you’re working with an interior designer, you may be wondering how you’re going to acquire all the amazing items they’re helping you select for your space. We have the answer: FF&E Procurement. It’s one of the many ways we work to help you get the most out of your project!

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Interior Design

How an Interior Designer Can Help During Construction

Watching your project come together during construction can be exciting and also stressful. As interior designers, our work isn't done just because your contractor is finally on site. There are many ways we can continue to support you and your project during construction to make sure it comes out just as you imagined.

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Landscape Architecture

Four Must-Haves for Summertime Get-Togethers

With holiday weekends and summer gatherings starting in earnest, you may be thinking more about what your outdoor space needs to be comfortable for you, your family, and your guests to enjoy. Never fear! It doesn’t take much to take your outdoor space from good to great in preparation for your next get-together.

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Interior Design

Steps of the Interior Design Process

The popularity of home renovation shows can make the interior design process appear easier than ever. Would it surprise you to learn that what goes on behind the scenes is a completely different story? Don’t fret — equipped with a clear understanding of the process, you can navigate each phase with ease!

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Building Green

The Inherent Sustainability of Small Dwellings

In the ever-evolving world of sustainable design, finding sustainable ways to live and build can seem like a complicated puzzle to solve. But what if there were an easy way to lower your impact? Turns out, living in a sustainable home may be simpler than you realize — just think small!

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Building Green

Sustainability in Buildings: High-Tech or Low-Tech

If you have sustainability goals for your project, it may be difficult to know whether low-tech, passive strategies are the way to go, or if high-tech solutions are going to better meet your goals. Here, we’ll walk you through when to crunch numbers and when to just follow your gut.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential

How to Determine Your Project’s Program

When folks are setting out on a design journey, many, but not all of them, come to us knowing exactly what they want to do with their project. If you’re someone who isn't quite sure, how do you go about figuring out your dream project’s program? And what can we do as designers to help?

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Building Green

What Kind of Sustainable Home is Most “You”?

Sustainable homes come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re thinking of upgrading your home with more sustainable options or are building a new home altogether, it’s worth considering your sustainability priorities and what type of sustainable home will best meet them. So, what kind of sustainable home best suits you?

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Ask an Architect

How To Update a Short-Term Rental Property

As schedules remain flexible and more folks are able to work from anywhere, there has been a huge surge in the short-term rental market. The pandemic has fueled a strong desire for individuals and families to get away from their everyday life and into something new, so let's talk through what it takes to get a property ready for renters.

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Custom Residential

Tips For Entertaining In Small Spaces

Is the size of your space holding you back from throwing the dinner party of your dreams? We say, “Throw the dang party!” You don’t need a huge home to have a great party! We’ll give you the push you need to embrace your space of any size for entertaining.

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Landscape Architecture

Your Guide To Raised Beds & Container Gardens

We’re digging deep into everything you need to know about adding raised beds or a container garden to your outdoor space. And what about edible plants? A popular choice for raised beds and containers, let’s talk about how to make the most out of your space to grow exactly what you want.

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Landscape Architecture

Five Things To Consider With Composite Decking

Thinking about building or rebuilding your deck? Maybe you’re looking at all the material options and feeling a little overwhelmed? If you’re considering composite decking as one of your options, let’s talk about some of the things you might want to mull over as you make your decision.

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Building Green, Civic, Landscape Architecture

Sustainability in Park Design

In the Pacific Northwest, the heat is literally on. Last summer, we experienced record-breaking heat in Seattle and, in Washington State, we recently adopted the Climate Commitment Act that requires a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon pollution to net zero by 2050. Can investing in sustainable park infrastructure help us meet those goals?

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Landscape Architecture

Recent Trends In Outdoor Spaces

Have you noticed a lot of people updating their yards recently? We certainly have. There are a lot of reasons why, but probably most important has been the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic and the way it changed our relationship with the outdoors. Let's explore some of the influencing factors behind all these updates and what we’re seeing as a result.

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News

Teaming Up: A Message From Terry Phelan

As a leader in sustainable and green design, Terry has dedicated her 30-plus-year career to finding ways to expand the deep green space. As her retirement approaches, Terry is looking forward to continuing to focus on educating the public and mentoring the next generation of designers to carry on the amazing work she and Living Shelter have started.

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News

Teaming Up: A Message From Jeff Pelletier

When the opportunity to advance our plans to expand our green and sustainable practice arose, it was too good to pass up. We feel fortunate to welcome Living Shelter Architects to our team — a dedicated group of designers whose mission and values align so well with our own. Sometimes, things just fit!

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Building Green, News

Living Shelter Architects and Board & Vellum Join Forces

We’ve been keeping a secret, but it’s for a good reason, and we’re pleased to finally get to share! We’ve always been dedicated to bringing our clients the best we have to offer in our services, approach, and design philosophy. Now with Living Shelter Architects joining the team, we’re excited to be able to provide even more to our community.

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Ask an Architect

How An Architect Can Help Before You Buy A House

Ever heard of someone buying a house only to learn their big remodel dreams aren’t possible? The competitive real estate market can add pressure to buying a home before you have the full picture. That’s where we come in! An architect can help you understand the potential of a house before you even make an offer.

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Building Green

The Basics of Building & Material Reuse

You may be familiar with the idea of building reuse in design, but did you know “reuse” actually covers a wide range of project types and approaches? While each type is unique, and some might lend themselves better to certain project types, each kind is integral to sustainable building and design practices.

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The Business of Design

Why I’m a Generalist Architect

Many architects and designers choose to specialize in a specific sector or focus on a single project type. That’s awesome and necessary, but it’s not Jeff. His journey as a generalist architect is why providing out-of-the-box services is part of Board & Vellum’s DNA, and it’s what keeps him dedicated to design of all kinds.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential

What Really Adds Cost To Your Home Remodel?

Have you ever heard that moving a toilet is a budget-busting home improvement? Would it surprise you to learn that we think this is debatable? There’s no doubt that home remodels cost money, but the big-ticket changes might not be what you expect. So what’s really going to impact your project budget?

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Custom Residential

Five Design Priorities for Your Home

Any design project is going to be filled with more decisions than you can anticipate. There’s a balance between understanding how to compromise on things that aren’t as important and prioritize the things that really matter. Here’s what we recommend to help our clients make good choices for their projects without giving up what they love.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Multifamily & Mixed-Use

Storytelling in Design

What inspires designers to create beautiful projects? Just like making a fantastic dish to eat, it’s about more than the individual ingredients — it’s about how they all work together! In design, it’s so much more than meeting the basic programmatic needs of our clients. It’s about telling a story.

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Custom Residential

Five Ways to Make Your Kitchen Feel Larger

If you’re like us, you probably wish your kitchen had just a little bit more space – it’s one of those places where things just seem to pile up with nowhere to go. It may not be an option to actually increase the size of your kitchen, but here are five smaller projects you can invest in to make your kitchen live larger.

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Ask an Architect

Dos and Don’ts of the Pricing Process

We see all the time how a good and thorough Schematic Pricing set helps us avoid the pitfalls of waiting too long to get an official pricing estimate. Still, we understand how the process can be overwhelming and confusing for clients. We’ve got your back with a list of our dos and don’ts for sailing through pricing like a pro.

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Ask an Architect

Why and How We Get Pricing Early

If you’ve started a design project in the last few years, you’ve likely experienced an unfortunate shock when the pricing estimate rolls in. We hate that feeling, just as much as you. Instead of leaving it to chance, we take a different approach to helping our clients navigate the confusing and variable world of construction costs.

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Custom Residential, Interior Design

2021 Trendy and Timeless Design

Each year, materials and design styles come in and out of vogue. Sometimes, it feels like a game of chance, and other times we can see the changes coming from a mile away. As 2021 dawns, we’re reflecting on what design elements are here for the moment and what’s here to stay.

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Ask an Architect

Hiring an Architect vs. a Design-Build Firm

It’s a question that comes up fairly often: “Should I hire an architect and a separate general contractor, or hire a design-build firm as a one-stop-shop to both design and build my space?” There are pros and cons to each; but, before we jump in, let’s pause for a moment and take this conversation more slowly.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential, Landscape Architecture

Planning All-Season Outdoor Spaces

Who says yards are just for summer? Here at Board & Vellum, we believe your outdoor spaces should be beautiful, functional, and awesome to hang out in no matter the season or weather. With a few special considerations, you can have an outdoor living space that's comfortable all year long — rain or shine.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential, Landscape Architecture

Seven Tips for Enjoying Your Outdoor Spaces All Winter Long

We think embracing the outdoors is key to fully enjoying the winter season. If you live in Seattle, you might be scratching your head. Enjoying the outdoors in all this rain? In short, yes! There’s so much to enjoy this time of year, so take a leaf out of Scandinavia’s book and prepare to get cozy.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential, Multifamily & Mixed-Use

Tips for Ensuring Your Home Has Good Air Quality

With wildfire season continuing into the late fall and a global pandemic still keeping millions of people indoors, there's a lot going on in the world. Both these natural disasters have brought to the forefront the importance of ventilation for your health: well-designed ventilation in buildings is important to address present and future pandemics, wildfires, and other airborne pollutants.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential, Multifamily & Mixed-Use

How a Heat Recovery Ventilator Can Make Your Home Healthier

Indoor air quality has never been a more pressing or popular target than it is today. With smoke from wildfires all over the West and the continuing global pandemic of COVID-19, many of us are wondering whether our indoor air is safe. The good news is: it can be, with the right systems in place.

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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential

Options for Updating Your HVAC System for Better Indoor Air Quality

There have been a lot of discussions and varied information on how the built environment affects the spread of COVID-19. Now, we are also seeing more intense wildfires and smoke than we’ve seen in the past decade. With both these environmental issues keeping people indoors, healthy ventilation strategies are more important than ever.

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Or, if chronology isn’t your thing…

Here are a couple of posts to get you started. Of course, it’s hard to choose, so feel free to poke around; we hope to have a little something for everyone. And, if you have a burning question you’d like us to cover in a future post, please let us know!

Questions to ask an architect at an interview. – Board & Vellum

Questions to Ask an Architect in an Interview: Advice for Clients

What should you ask a designer you are interviewing for your project? A good personality fit helps, but to help you hire with confidence, here are ten questions worth asking.

Questions to Ask a Landscape Architect or Site Design Team in an Interview – Board & Vellum

Questions to Ask a Landscape Architect or Site Design Team in an Interview

What should you ask a landscape architect you are interviewing? From design to fee, to timeline and more, here are ten questions you should ask before you hire.

Considering a project? Or, just curious about something?

Send us your questions about design, architecture, interiors, landscape, LEGO rooms… Anything, really. We’re always eager to meet new people, and we’d love to get to know you, your project, and your goals.

Get in touch.
Board & Vellum makes Seattle Business magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For in Washington 2019.

On the list for small business for the 4th year in a row!

Board & Vellum is honored to be a Gray Awards Finalist for landscape design, earning the recognition for the rooftop garden at the Lucille on Roosevelt.

Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.

LEED Certified in White

Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.

Certified Passive House Consultant in White

Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.

NGLCC Certified as LGBT Business Enterprise – Board & Vellum Recognition

A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.

PSBJ’s Top 25 LGBTQ-Owned Businesses 2016 in White

Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.