Rise Up: The Art of Staircase Design

If a house has more than one level, a staircase is vital. Yet staircases can exist for more than mere function. They act as practical art, gorgeous storage, and gateways to new spaces. And since stairs dominate a considerable amount of space, why not be intentional in your home’s staircase design?   Sculpted Stairs Seattle …

Permanence: Stone, Wood, and Glass

“Home” is a deeply personal concept. The visions, smells, sounds, and textures it conjures in the imagination are unique to each individual. It’s personal, yet it’s also universal. Maya Angelou writes that, “the ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” …

Wisteria in the Virginia Woods

One of the hallmarks of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative residential architecture is his insistence on a unified home. Prairie homes eschew the compartmentalized Victorian style and prefer rooms that flow one to another. A poetic cadence weaves every space in the home together. When Seattle architect Curtis Gelotte designed Prairie House in the Virginia Woods, …

The Future of Home Design

Each year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) holds a home design competition for collegiate architects. They inspire students to design innovative residential spaces along a specific theme. This year’s theme: “Here + Now.” AIA encouraged student architects to envision homes in light of “context, culture, and vernacular, but fully embracing 21st century technology and …

A Balcony for Breakfasts

“Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space…On the one hand it’s about shelter, but it’s also about pleasure.”  – Zaha Hadid Environment and Design Summers are an oft overlooked gem of the Pacific Northwest. Long expanses of daylight, bright mornings, days fit for fun, and warm …

Crafting a Family Home

“Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” Frank Lloyd Wright We put every effort into making each custom home beautiful, yet we also recognize the everyday lives led within the walls of our home designs. Families dine, wash laundry, play, and launch their …

Suburban Tranquility: A Pacific Northwest Retreat

“I like to think of myself as being concerned with a higher order of things and probably the clearest manifestation we have of some higher order in the universe is what we see in nature and what we feel in nature.” E. Fay Jones Seattle and the Eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland) brim with life, food, …

8 Superb Outdoor Entertaining Spaces

As we head into the extended Fourth of July weekend, we can’t help but think of all the BBQs, family reunions, pool parties, and lake house gatherings that launch the true Pacific Northwest summer season. Independence Day weekend presents an opportunity for laidback, fun-in-the-sun memories with friends and family, so we’ve gathered a few of …

Exploration Through Collaboration

Excellent home design is born from exploration and collaboration. When a family of five approached Scott Hommas with their vision for a custom family home, they assumed they needed a traditional style house to blend with the rest of their neighborhood. Scott showed them otherwise. Throughout the design process, the initial traditional concept morphed as …

Capturing the Vision

It’s been just over a month since we welcomed Eric Drivdahl as a name partner at Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl Architecture, and we want to provide you with a glimpse of what allows him to thrive as a custom residential architect in Seattle. What draws you to work each day? Eric: The greatest success is when …