Board & Vellum has moved to Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower in Pioneer Square. Learn more.
Living room space in a Mid-Century style with a large, stone fireplace.
Architecture, Custom Residential, Interior Design

Fireplace Options For Your Home

If you’re considering adding a fireplace to your home or restoring an existing fireplace, the options may seem overwhelming. There are many things to consider, like aesthetic goals, ambiance, and sustainability. Luckily, we've assembled this essential guide on fireplaces to help you decide what’s right for you.

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Aerial view of an empty office building to be converted to housing in Seattle.
Adaptive Reuse, Architecture, Mixed-Use, Multifamily Residential

Transforming Empty Office Buildings into Housing

In the wake of changing work dynamics after the pandemic, empty office buildings are a common sight. Meanwhile, the need is dire for more housing in the city. Many are seeing this as an opportunity to solve two problems at once, and a sustainable solution for urban living to boot.

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15th Avenue East Community Workshop – Board & Vellum and Environmental Works
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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A site plan with areas designated for different activities and uses.
Ask a Designer, 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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A bedroom with plywood and reclaimed wood walls. There is a bed to the left with pink sheets.
Ask a Designer, Custom Residential

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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A mid-century modern-style living room, dining room, and built-in bar.
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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Would you like to read more from the team?

If you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it, that simply makes our day. You may also enjoy a few of the related posts below.

Seattle Ground Floor Retail is a Public Benefit

A recent trip to New York reminded me what thriving neighborhood retail feels like, and how far Seattle has drifted from it. Small, affordable, interesting storefronts are the glue that holds a city together. Here's why Seattle should treat great ground floor retail as an essential public benefit, and two ideas for getting there.

Darmer Hay & Feed Adaptive Reuse – Board & Vellum – Design process images for the adaptive reuse of a historic structure.

Adaptive Reuse: Getting More From the Buildings We Already Have

Reusing an existing building can cut waste, speed up approvals, and keep a neighborhood's character intact. It also comes with real surprises. Here's how Board & Vellum helps clients weigh the benefits and challenges, choose the right building, and define a scope that fits the budget and the goals.

Stellar Apartments at 1405 Dexter, Seattle, WA – Board & Vellum

Why Isn’t Seattle Building Enough Housing?

Puget Sound needs an estimated 275,000 more homes over the next decade, yet permits are hitting new lows. Rising interest rates, slow permitting, and high costs are driving the shortfall. Here's what's blocking new housing in Seattle, and the zoning changes, permitting reforms, and fee adjustments that could help close the gap.

A rendering of a proposed campus master plan for support program that offers community for adults with special needs. This overhead view shows the campus’s complex needs, like permanent housing and day program spaces. The campus is surrounded by trees and grassy areas. — Matthias Academy – Board & Vellum
A Space for Everyone

Matthias Academy’s complex programming needs include a campus that combines housing, education centers, employment opportunities, and more. Matthias Academy | Rendering by Board & Vellum.

Our Approach to Commercial Architecture Design

A new commercial building sits on a site, in a neighborhood, and in an ecosystem that will likely outlast it. Here is how our commercial architecture design process starts with curiosity about a place, stays centered on the people who will use the building, and plans for the decades after opening.

Shelby House – Board & Vellum

Budgeting for a Remodel or Building New? Part 2

Building new gives you complete control over every detail, but it comes with its own financial realities. In part two of this series, we walk through land costs, permits, hidden expenses, a decision making framework, and real client examples to help you choose the right path for your family.

Comprehensive Design Services for Legacy Properties – Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture by Board & Vellum

Budgeting for a Remodel or Building New? Part 1

Should you remodel your current home or start fresh? In part one of this two part series, we break down what renovating really costs: design fees, permits, the disruption of living through construction, and the hidden expenses most homeowners never see coming, plus when remodeling truly makes financial sense.

Considering a project, or curious about something?

Say hello, and send us your questions via the form below. We’re always pleased to make new connections, and eager to get to know you, your project, and your goals.

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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.