North Beacon Hill Complete Remodel
The Highlights
As real estate agents with Get Happy at Home, we helped our client purchase this home in North Beacon Hill. Our client decided to do a complete remodel on the home.
Our client bought the house for $750,000.
Our client spent $140,000 on the basement remodel. Based on comparable sold homes in the area, we estimate the basement remodel alone added $300k - $350k to the home’s value. Time will tell!
The Story
As real estate agents with Get Happy at Home, we worked with our client to purchase this house in Seattle’s North Beacon Hill neighborhood. The new owner wanted to completely remodel the entire home, from the kitchen and bathrooms to the basement. This home remodel was unique in that the owner could have spent less to do a high-quality, beautiful refresh, BUT they spent the money to do exactly what they wanted. From the moody bathrooms to the statement-making dining room, you’ll find the owner went all out on design. Needless to say, the owner plans to live here for a long time!
The Basement
The owner had many reasons to remodel the basement with Happy at Home Contracting. First, we knew we needed access to all of the plumbing and electrical in the basement, so we stripped it down. It turned out that the electrical panel was not to code. The client also did not like the floorplan in the basement at all; we agreed that it seemed like the walls were put in at random, and there didn’t seem like much of a reason for anything being where it was! There was even a 20’ x 6’ bedroom with barely enough room for a twin-sized bed. Our client also didn’t like the fact that there were only 2 windows, there was not a bathroom, and the carpet needed to go.
Our client decided that we should gut the basement. They wanted the basement to include a nice full bathroom, an appropriately sized bedroom for guests, a living room with windows, and the potential for a kitchenette in the future.
We began by reworking the design of the basement. We had to break up the concrete floor so we could run plumbing for a potential kitchenette, the new washer and dryer area (under the stairs), and the bathroom. We also moved the water heater into a closet, and redid all of the electrical. There were big pillars in the center of the basement that had to be worked around, which was the limiting factor for the design. We found a way to incorporate the posts so you don’t feel like you’re in a basement—anything like a post or a concrete wall will definitely remind you that you’re in a basement! That being said, the client decided they did want concrete floors for long term durability. So, we poured concrete floors and had them polished and sealed.
We also opened up the stairwell, which is always crucial when remodeling a basement. We didn’t want the stairwell to feel like you were going into a dungeon; when we remodel a basement, we want to make it feel like part of the house. You also get more light this way! Brightening up a basement is always a top priority as well. We added a ton of canned lighting, added a glass outside entry door, and added another big window.
As for the bathroom in the basement, we pulled elements from the main level to create a cohesive feel. For example, the shower and the tile behind the mirror here matches the shower and tile in the primary bath, the countertops and cabinets match those found in the kitchen. It’s a more utilitarian bathroom, but it ties in perfectly with the rest of the house! The bathroom ended up being a continental bath with two doors, and the guest suite has access to the bathroom. We also added a ton of closet space (and the potential to add even more closet space in the future).
The basement is a circular floor plan, and the layout flows from the bathroom and open office space and into the family room. The owner wanted an office space since he’s self-employed and needed a decent amount of space at home. Then, in the family room, we took out the old window and installed a new window, increasing the size of the window in the process.
The Main Level
The owner knew they wanted to embrace a dark and moody vibe, and they wanted the house to feel modern yet have the whimsy of a historic home. As we designed everything together, we chose finishes that are on the cutting edge of design today, so the aesthetic should have some long legs!
The kitchen and the main level bathroom are spaces where you’ll find a dramatic, dark, and moody vibe. As you can see from the photos, we used a lot of black—you’ll see matching black tile in both the kitchen and bathroom, and tons of black in the main level bathroom and primary bathroom. Luckily, this home gets a TON of natural light, so we all agreed that doing for a darker aesthetic would suit each space just fine.
On the main level, there are some gorgeous vintage (and vintage inspired) details, like coved ceilings, wallpaper, and light fixtures. We smoothed out the walls and painted them bright white. And in the dining room, we added some cool modern wallpaper to the ceiling.
Testimonial
Coming soon!
The Results
Our client decided to do a complete remodel on the home. Our client bought the house for $750,000.
For example, they spent $140,000 on the basement remodel. Based on comparable sold homes in the area, we estimate the basement remodel alone added $300k - $350k to the home’s value. Time will tell!
