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Setting:  A residential neighborhood in the Richmond Beach area of Seattle.

Clients:  If you read the previous post on this house, you may remember this renovated beach bungalow.  At the time of the remodel a decade ago, the clients had two children; they’ve since welcomed two more children to their family.

Background:  Bedroom space was limited so the clients wondered if they could capture some space for a little bedroom in a high-ceilinged area above their home office space upstairs.

Below:  The office area near the windows had a vaulted ceiling.

Challenges: None, really.

Possibilities: The vaulted space in the vertical farm-style roofline provided the opportunity to create a comfortable  little room perched at the top of the house.  The beauty of a post and beam frame structure is not merely visual; in this case, the frame provides a sustainable way to add a floor for a cozy bedroom without any exterior changes to the house which would have involved roofing, siding and/or windows.

Solutions:  Warren had previously anticipated the use of some of this space and created access via a catwalk area within the timber frame. The family used this area as a library space, accessible by a ladder. By extending the floor of this catwalk over the vaulted ceiling, they were able to capture a cozy little nook for their son.  The window looks out to Puget Sound and beyond, a perfect setting for big dreams.

(For more interior photos and details on this project, visit Stephmodo’s recent post from her Real Life Home Series.)