Greek Revival Cottage
Not all Greek temples faced south, but we think they should have. This sunny view is from the sidewalk. We were amazed to see scale and proportions resolve as detail was added--Gosh, it's just like the drawing!Owners picked the perfect color to paint their cottage. Building was raised on a tall foundation for more light and privacy. We covered exposed concrete with a clay brick veneer.Inside mudroom entry there are Shaker pegs for coats and a black slate floor for wet shoes and bikes.Mudroom opens to a large room with vaulted ceiling. Living, dining and kitchen are combined as in a vacation house. Island became the "hearth," the focal point that draws people in. Hall leads to a bedroom and bath, and includes alcoves for study and laundry. This is the big room looking south to front porch. French doors at mudroom provide a buffer in cold weather. Ceilings are fir bead board with 2 x 4 decorative rafters. Engineered red oak flooring has radiant heating. Bath has a custom console and medicine cabinet that we designed. Tile floor is Carrara marble. Flat ceilings are 9' high, allowing room for transoms above doors.Photo taken during construction shows a third of the front porch enclosed, as if the house had been "remodeled" at some point to add a mudroom. Hmmm.Another construction shot, this one taken from front door. Porch soffit and siding continue into mudroom to suggest it could have been added later. Who knows, perhaps someday the porch will be opened and "restored."Back view of cottage shows stair to garden. Siding is fiber cement with 4" exposure, and exterior trim is borate-treated pine. These are durable materials, and less expensive than traditional red cedar.
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New cottage was built to fit a 30' lot in one of Seattle's favorite streetcar era neighborhoods.  It's only 940 square feet.  Like a vacation house, living, dining and kitchen areas are open to one another.  Entry is through a covered porch with mudroom. There is one bedroom and bath. Alcoves in hall are for study and laundry.  This historic type is both graceful and cost effective to build.  Greek Revival exterior provides dignity, while interior is informal and comfortable.
Photos of completed project by David Whelan