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Welcome to the Board & Vellum blog.
Our blog is a resource for anyone wondering how to approach their project, seeking answers for their design questions, or simply eager for a peek inside our world. It’s a friendly resource from the design team at B&V.
Advice for Young Architects
Arts & Culture
Ask an Architect
Building Green
Civic
Commercial
Custom Residential
Events
Firm Culture
Historic & Traditional
Interior Design
Landscape Architecture
Multifamily & Mixed-Use
News
Other Tangents
Seattle Design Community
The Business of Design
Third Places
Commercial, News
An Architect’s New Office
Board & Vellum is five years old, and we celebrated with a party in our new offices! We’re now working in a custom space, designed by us, and spreading out over two floors. Board & Vellum 5.0 is here. Explore the glamor shots here, or come on over and say hi – we'll give you a tour!
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Ask an Architect
Patterns of Place: What Helps Build the Places We Love?
What is it about certain spaces that makes them feel so great? Let's explore "patterns of place" – design features that help form the places we love. From location, to entry sequence, to passive systems, materials, quality of light, and more, these patterns help make that crucial switch from house to home.
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Ask an Architect
Form over Function or Function over Form?
Architects have been arguing about the hierarchy of form and function for ages, so where does Jeff Pelletier stand? It depends! When it comes down to it, there isn’t one, right answer: it’s always a balance. So, let’s discuss form versus function in terms of the decisions you might face when designing your project.
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Arts & Culture, Events
Board & Vellum Sponsors The Moth Mainstage, Hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures
Board & Vellum is co-sponsoring The Moth Mainstage at Benaroya Hall with 88.5 KPLU, KUOW 94.9 FM Public Radio, and the Seattle Met, hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Come join us on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, and enjoy an evening of storytelling based around the theme "Ties that Bind," hosted by David Crabb.
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Events, Firm Culture
Rebuilding Together Seattle: Board & Vellum Volunteers!
Last weekend, Board & Vellum teamed up with the local branch of the WSGR law firm for Rebuilding Together Seattle's "Spring Rebuilding Day"! A long day of hard work, teamwork, matching T-shirts, a protective onesie, and, well, a cute puppy, rounded out a good time helping a local homeowner revive her house!
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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential
Top 10 Things to Consider When Designing a Vacation Home
A vacation home should be something special, not just another suburban house plopped down on a piece of nice land, and that requires some thought. Jeff Pelletier breaks it down in his Top 10 Things to Consider, from respecting the view, to creating a special place to keep both kids and adults relaxed and happy.
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Events
Night School: Architecture & Time – Recap
What role does time play in our interpretation, perception, and memory of architecture? What about the inverse: how are our memories altered – or mediated – by architectural space? Jeff Sandler recaps the discussion that thrived at another successful B&V Night School, this time exploring the complex and symbiotic relationship between architecture and time.
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Advice for Young Architects, The Business of Design
Dear Future Architects, Don’t Forget to Treat Your Clients with Respect
In this most recent post in the ArchiTalks series, Jeff Pelletier writes a letter to future architects, reminding them to always put their egos aside, and treat their clients with respect as they navigate the relationship between client and architect.
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Events
Night School: Architecture and Time
Jeff Sandler announces the upcoming installment of Night School, where we will discuss the relationship between architecture and time. Join us on April 6th at Ada's Technical Books at 6:00 PM. Night School is a departure from our daily work at Board & Vellum to debate, discuss, and analyze broader topics that impact what we do.
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Ask an Architect
Helpful Tools Found within an Architecture Blog
In this Architalks post, Jeff discusses handy tools for clients wondering how the architectural process works through recaps of favorite blog posts. From "How to Select a Contractor," to "How Much Does an Architect Charge?" and "Does It Makes Sense to Add a Second Story?" – read up on all the most useful tips!
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Firm Culture, The Business of Design
The Benefit of Great Benefits
Professionals in the architectural world are simply not compensated well, contrary to public perception. Jeff Pelletier is here to change that. He thinks giving employees the best benefits in the industry will foster happy employees who treat their clients well, adding value to the services Board & Vellum provides. Well, guess what? It's working.
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Commercial, News
New Year, New Office
Board & Vellum is moving into a new space, and we are designing it ourselves! Of course, the new office has a lot of what we advise clients to consider including in their space: personality. Remember, your office space is not only a benefit for employees, but a marketing tool to tell your story.
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News
2015 Highlights and Year in Review
You may think that a year-end recap is a cliché, but either way, there's no doubt that you get a wonderful sense of accomplishment by stepping back and looking at all that happened in the preceding year! Quite frankly, 2015 was another ridiculous and amazing year, and we can't wait to carry on into 2016!
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Events
Night School 2 Recap
After Board & Vellum's second Night School, it's officially a series! This time around, we screened Carolyn Steel’s lecture, “How Food Shapes Our Lives,” and followed up with a discussion about the implications of varied food access and food consumption in different areas of Seattle.
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Other Tangents
An Architect’s OCD Guide to Thanksgiving
It's that time of year again, you know, the time when you can use spreadsheets to plan out your Thanksgiving cooking schedule! But, yes, also the time of year to go all out on some tasty treats to share with your family and friends. Drool over a cooking spreadsheet, then check out this recipe for Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad.
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Seattle Design Community
Big Leaf Manufacturing
A few of us B&V'ers recently took a tour of Roy McMakin's furniture shop, Big Leaf Manufacturing, and it was amazing! The team of artisans at Big Leaf has years of experience under their belts and their attention to detail and quality craft are top notch – definitely a go-to team for custom furniture fabrication!
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Ask an Architect
Top Ten Tips When Faced with a Challenging Architectural Project
Not all architecture projects move along seamlessly, totally according to plan, and right on schedule. But, it doesn't have to be so bad: when you find yourself faced with one of these "challenging projects," keep these Top 10 Tips in mind to help make the process a little smoother.
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Events
Night School 2: What Shapes Our Cities?
Have you ever pondered the logistics of millions of people in a modern city all eating lunch within an hour of each other? The impact that food has on an urban environment is both enormous and fascinating, and lucky you: it's the topic of Board & Vellum's upcoming (and open to the public) Night School.
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Building Green, Events, Seattle Design Community
Eco Building Guild’s Green Slam Event
For the second year in a row, a Board & Vellum project was selected for the annual Green Slam Event, organized by the Northwest Eco Building Guild. This time, we teamed up with Hammer & Hand to brag about our great clients and their quest for a more sustainable lifestyle in their remodeled Ballard Locks Residence.
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Advice for Young Architects, Firm Culture
How Architects Can Be Model Citizens
This week in the ArchiTalk series, we launch from the theme of "Citizen Architect" to discuss what it means here at Board & Vellum to be a model citizen. From community outreach as a group, to our individual volunteer efforts, the cycle of change starts with people getting involved and helping to better where they live.
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Interior Design, News
Tailor Made Custom Design Featured in Luxe Magazine
We're so proud of our own Alev Seymen for her contribution to this gorgeous Jules Thomas design project featured on the cover of the Fall 2015 issue of Luxe Magazine! While working at Castanes Architects, Alev provided the drawings and managed the project through construction, working in tandem with Klaus Toth of Toth Construction.
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Building Green, Events, Seattle Design Community
Eco Building Guild 2015 Green Building Slam
Mark your calendars: the Eco Building Guild's Green Building Slam is on the horizon! Board & Vellum is proud to be an Earth Partner sponsor of the event, and we’ll be teaming up with Hammer & Hand to present our Ballard Locks Residence, which achieved a 4-Star Built Green rating earlier this year.
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News
HGTV Fresh Faces of Design
We’re excited to announce that our fearless leader, Jeff Pelletier, has been named a finalist in the HGTV Fresh Faces of Design competition in not one, but two categories! Winners are selected by popular vote, so come join us in supporting Board & Vellum's work: vote for Jeff's famous Lego Room, and Ada's Technical Books. Cheers!
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Events, Firm Culture
15th Ave. Merchants Association Street Fest
What did we do for the 2nd Annual 15th Avenue East Merchants Association Street Festival? We set up a living room on the street, of course! Complete with carpet tiles donated by Flor, lounge chairs, and, of course, a big bowl of lego bricks, we offered attendees a comfortable seat to join us and #AskAnArchitect.
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Custom Residential, News
Press for Urban Farmhouse
Our Urban Farmhouse project was recently featured in The Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine, in an article written by Rebecca Teagarden. We're thrilled to see the clients and their house celebrated in print!
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Custom Residential, Interior Design
Designing a Kitchen on a Budget
Just because you are designing a kitchen on a budget doesn't mean you have to skimp on style! Let us show you how combining IKEA cabinets with a couple of custom details where it shows can make your kitchen look like a completely custom job without breaking the bank.
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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential
How Long Should My Remodel Process Take?
When you're considering remodeling your house, one of the most unfamiliar aspects is how long it will take from the moment you hire an architect until the moment it is all done and you’re relaxing in your new home. Don't worry, we are here to help with this illustrated post on the process!
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Events
Night School Recap
Our inaugural B&V Night School was a success! We ate, drank, and watched a wonderful documentary, Citizen Architect. And, then we followed it up with a critical discussion about the role of architects, pro-bono work, student workforce, and adhering to building code, all of which you can read about here.
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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential
Jeff’s (Current) Top 10 Design Elements to Watch For
After years of experience, we designers start to see trends and patterns and are able to “read” floor plans quite quickly to determine what will, or will not, work. Of course, things change with time, so, until the next installment, these are Jeff's current Top Ten “hot-button issues” to look out for when designing your home.
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Building Green, Custom Residential, News
B&V’s First Built Green Certified Project
Great news! It’s been a long process, but we just received confirmation that our Ballard Locks Residence, built by Hammer & Hand, has qualified for a 4-Star Rating in the Built Green program! Built Green practices are designed to provide homeowners with comfortable, durable, environmentally friendly homes that are cost-effective to own and operate. Cheers!
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Ask an Architect
Finding a Contractor
Just how do you go about finding the right contractor for your job? For one, we can help! There are all types of builders out there, and matching them with our clients is one of the key things we do to create a successful team for your project.
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Events
B&V Night School
Board & Vellum announces our new endeavor, "B&V Night School," organized and inspired by our very own Jeff Sandler. Once a quarter, or more, we will leave our office setting behind, and host an evening of discussion of critical issues in our work, focused around a new theme at each event.
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Ask an Architect, Building Green
To Buy or Not to Buy those LED Bulbs
Are you still hoarding a few old incandescent bulbs thinking it will save you money to just use what you've already purchased? It won't! But why? Let us lay it all out for you, and show you why it's time to bite the bullet and move to new solutions, like the LED.
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Custom Residential, Interior Design
Building the Lego Room
Who says grownups can't have truly epic lego rooms? Your house is YOUR house: build something to support what makes you happy. At Board & Vellum, we love to embrace the individuality of our clients, and we hope Jeff's famous lego room inspires you to embrace your passions just a little bit more.
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Commercial, Interior Design, Third Places
Designing Retail Spaces You Want to Linger In
Designing small-to-medium-size retail projects brings unique and exciting challenges, and great small retail brings so much to the life of a community. So, what does it take to create a space where customers slow their pace and linger? Retail spaces designed for the human scale, that promote curiosity and exploration.
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Ask an Architect
How Do I Design My Project with an Architect?
So you want to work with an architect to design your home? Awesome! But, just what exactly is that like? No need for it to be a secret. Let's check out what happens, starting from the "Dreaming Phase," and making our way through to the "Schematic Pricing Package."
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Ask an Architect
Architects & Clients: The Dating Game
We are all about openness here at Board & Vellum. This week, we discuss our actual process of how we go from a project inquiry to a real, active project, and what it could look like if you were to drive down that road with us.
Read more.Custom Residential, News
Everything Is Awesome with Houzz
The secret's out! We can finally share the news: Houzz contacted us a month ago about doing a video project showcasing Jeff’s house and the Lego Lounge for their new HouzzTV platform. Of course, we said, "Yes, please!" Check out the shorter video here, and a bonus longer one over on Houzz.
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Ask an Architect
Architecture and Interior Design
What the heck is the difference between architecture and interior design? It's a common question, and not a stupid one at all! There is a lot of overlap between the two, and it can be confusing. We'll walk through the differences in services and help you decide how to craft the team for your project.
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Building Green, Events
Earth Day Sustainability Slam
The AIA Committee on the Environment is hosting a Sustainability Slam and you’re invited! Board & Vellum is once again teaming up with Model Remodel to present Ada’s Technical Books & Cafe, and we'd love to see you there!
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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential
Does It Make Sense To Add a Second Story to My House?
In this crazy Seattle real estate market, we get a lot of questions about whether or not it makes sense to add a second story to a house. It's not a simple “yes or no” answer, but we’ve found that considering these several factors can help you decide if adding up is right for you.
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News
Press: Design Bureau
The long-anticipated print edition of Design Bureau’s Spring 2015 Architecture Issue has finally arrived, and nestled among all the other great things, Board & Vellum's "Seattle Box" project is featured!
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Commercial
Experiencing Acoustics
Often overlooked, acoustics play an incredible role in your experience of a space, and the memories you’ll have of it. So, let's geek out and discuss what exactly you need to consider when designing for acoustics, how it all works, and why it matters.
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Custom Residential, Interior Design
Stay Focused
In the digital design age, we are so inundated with beautiful images and “professional” opinions that it can be tremendously difficult to make confident decisions when you are designing your own home or remodel. So how do you approach your design project? Stay focused on what really matters to you and your family, just you.
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Arts & Culture
In LEGO, We Connect – A Gallery Review
It's no secret that we are big LEGO lovers at Board & Vellum, so we were intrigued to hear of a new photography exhibit at the Bryan Ohno Gallery focusing on LEGO photography: “In LEGO, We Connect.” Of course, we went to check it out, and, (also, of course), we wrote this little review of it.
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Custom Residential
An Island Nest
Explore the avian inspiration behind the design for this contemporary home on Mercer Island. With an exterior envelope designed based on “Passivehaus” principles, radiant floors, and a smart natural ventilation approach, this house creates a comfortable, allergy-free environment. Construction is scheduled to begin in April of 2015, so check back for photos of the finished house!
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Arts & Culture, Historic & Traditional
Look up! Architectural Terracotta Everywhere
Ever been walking along 3rd Avenue in downtown Seattle and happen to look up and see a bunch of walruses staring back down at you, complete with tusks the size of your head? Seattle is home to many great examples of architectural terracotta, and Robert Mech is here to tell you all about it.
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Ask an Architect, Custom Residential
ADU and DADU
What is an ADU, and what is a DADU? Ryan Adanalian explains the ins and outs of Accessory Dwelling Units and Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (according to the City of Seattle), with an example of a DADU by Board & Vellum featuring a sliding wall to help solve the many challenges of a small space.
Read more.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!
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.
On the list for small business for the 4th year in a row!
Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.
Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.
Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.
A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.
Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.