The plan was to demolish an old farm building situated on acreage in Washington state once the new home was built. Homeowner and designer David Seidl moved into the funky old structure while designing the new home, and he was so pleased with the results of his renovations that he ended up moving in permanently. Seidl shows Kitty Bartholomew how he transformed the low-slung building (originally a chicken coop) into an elegant yet quirky home.
He painted the exterior deep red trimmed with slate blue, giving it the look of a Swedish farmhouse. Inside, the structure had been gutted and Seidl erected new walls. The concrete flooring was left untouched, but much of it was covered with sisal rugs over which area rugs could be layered.
Seidl preferred a slightly formal look for furnishings in the living and dining rooms, to offset the roughness of the architecture. In the kitchen, he used large, steel-framed windows he discovered abandoned on the side of the road. He tiled the kitchen walls in inexpensive white tile, tore out the upper cabinets and leaves his everyday dishes on display in a wall rack.
Since Seidl didn't expect to stay in the structure permanently and wasn't worried about resale, he says he experienced a sense of freedom when it came to making design decisions and was much more adventuresome in some of his choices. One of his design signatures is placing unique lighting fixtures in interesting places. With sleeping space at a premium, he got creative, hiding a bunk bed behind a wall tapestry in the library and transforming a closet into a cozy nook with bed.
Guests David Seidl
Homeowner / Designer, David Seidl Design
P.O. Box 181
Vashon Island, WA 98070
Phone: 206-463-5888
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