Magnolia Home

The client’s Scandinavian heritage greatly influenced the design of the Magnolia residence remodel. With the client’s desire to bring a little memory of their homeland of Sweden to Seattle, we felt it important to look at the existing building through a Nordic lens. Our studio approaches design in layers, often beginning with something as simple as a textile by Josef Frank textile - that the client loved - as a launching off point for the materials palette.

“Interestingly, the Scandinavian style flourished in the 1950’s so it was exciting to see how it would pair with the existing Midcentury modern style of their original home built in 1954”, notes Kristen, who collaborated on the design of the project with contractors at Crescent Builds. The first major move was vaulting the kitchen ceiling and opening up the stairwell making the home feel like it was given an addition (and to accommodate a more comfortable head space for the remarkably tall clients). The clients mix of bold colors of textiles, objects and glassware throughout the home add the finishing touches to balance the architecture with the interiors.

Characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality, the new floor plan worked with the mid-century layout which had good bones and lines to work with to infuse the home with Hygge. The Danish word Hygge translates as - an attitude towards life that emphasizes finding joy in everyday moments and emphasizes coziness, warmth and family – which is feeling we wish to evoke in all our projects.