A Whole-House Remodel in a Classic Home

”Seattle Box” Remodel

A full-house remodel full of bright colors, custom details, and even a LEGO room with a built-in bar.

“Seattle Box” homes are prized for their stately appearance and generous floor plans. What often isn’t provided, though, is an easy way to convert these older houses into homes with flexible and open living spaces. This project keeps the formal nature of the ‘three in a row’ formal rooms, and opens the back of the house and the final room to the kitchen.

A centrally-placed fireplace is viewable from all the main rooms in the house and helps anchor the plan, forming an axis through the family room, dining room, and living room. A wide galley kitchen opens towards the back of the house with an island facing the new family room. An operable wall of glass helps connect the house to the yard, and lets light pour into the kitchen.

On all three levels of the home, careful design of the casework and trim details — including crown molding — provides a clean and contemporary look that is also aesthetically appropriate to a home built in 1902. Walnut cabinetry and more contemporary accents appear in the home’s bathrooms, and this aesthetic thread is pulled throughout the home, with spaces populated with modern walnut furniture, and anchored by the rich, dark tones of the wood floor. In the basement, besides a bar fit for a bartender, there are three walls full of meticulously organized LEGO bricks in this LEGO lover’s paradise.

Update:
This initial remodel transformed the interior of the home, but since then, phase two, Urban Yard at the Seattle Box transformed the exterior spaces.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in shelving in the living room with a niche for a screen.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in storage in the living room.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – White shelves with green walls.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Folding glass doors from the kitchen to the deck.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in niche for the dog bowls in the kitchen island cabinets.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Kitchen with floating shelves.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in shelving on either side of the hearth.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Kitchen with a rolling ladder to reach the high cabinets.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Living room painted bright orange with white trim.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Dining room open to the living room, separated by historic columns.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Sputnik chandelier over the dining room table.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Gas fireplace that looks like real wood.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Wallpaper in the powder room.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Dutch door at the front entry.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Heated sitting area on the porch.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Glass tile and walnut cabinets in the guest bathroom.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in storage in the kids room.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Laundry room with large sink.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Office with deep blue and walnut.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Hall with two diagonal doors.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in dog crate.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in dog crate.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Bold wallpaper in a calm space.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in clothing storage instead of a walk-in closet.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Built-in cabinets in the master bedroom.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Walnut cabinets in the master bathroom.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Full bar in the basement.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle Box Remodel – Board & Vellum – Bar in the basement LEGO room.
Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Seattle “Box” Remodel

Seattle “Box” Remodel | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Notes & Credits
Are you a LEGO fan? Check out the video and write up about the LEGO room in this project on Houzz.
This project was built by NRC Homes.
The casework was built by Evan Scott Cabinet and Furniture.
Photos by John G Wilbanks Photography.

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