Room for Play: A Stylish, High Function ADU with Paul Moon Design

The child of a stately 1907 Tudor home near the shore of Lake Washington in Seattle, this accessory dwelling unit - sometimes a guest cottage, at other times a work studio or a nightclub - was a born multitasker.

Located in the back of the property, the modest structure had to fit the look of its parent. It also needed to adhere to the main house's value of craft quality. But like many children, it wanted to take a more modern and independent approach.

Architect Paul Moon, who had renovated the main house, designed the details of the cottage's exterior to speak the same language, without ignoring its own more contemporary sensibility. The architectural family portrait is cohesive without being void of individual personalities.


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While it gave a nod to the stately Tudor architecture that it sat next to, this offspring had the freedom to develop its own interior character. The foe in that effort was the limited square footage.

Henrybuilt joined the team to take the challenge head on. How to bring elegant utility to the small space.


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To squeeze living, working, entertaining, and cooking spaces into 600 square feet is one thing. Doing it in a way that feels composed, relaxed, and functional is another. Henrybuilt applied a holistic, system-thinking approach to create the artful composition. Careful consideration was paid to scale, proportion, transparency, and positive/negative space, resulting in a refined and cohesive feel.

"This is not your typical crowded small apartment," says Moon. "Henrybuilt's system was efficient and flexible in a way that created space and breathing room."

The efficiencies of specialized functional storage provides room to move more freely and naturally. These unique-to-Henrybuilt products, like the integrated knife block, create a high-functioning quietness. Everything in its place. Not a standing-room only event.


HENRYBUILT KITCHENS: OUR APPROACH

The small environment of the cottage demanded that it be more flexible and adaptable than its old-fashioned parent.

Enter the multitasker. The design maximized the integration of Opencase, Henrybuilt’s open-wall room solution that combines the beauty and substance of architectural wall paneling with specialized functionality to address the changing needs of daily life. The intelligence needed to switch between tasks.

In the main living room, one wall performs multiple tasks simultaneously and in a compositionally elegant fashion. Work space during the day. Music and movie studio at night.

Behind its feeling of crafted permanence, Opencase is a quick change artist. It can be easily reconfigured, enabling the client to adapt it to their changing needs – or whims.

With interchangeable elements, the daytime drop zone can be transformed into a host’s bar for entertaining that evening. A low-lift, high impact way to activate the space or create an entirely new interior environment.


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That same how-the-house-worked sophistication was applied in how it looked and felt. The project sensibility demanded a more modernist aesthetic without sacrificing the craft quality evident in the post and beam construction of the main house.

Durable walnut was the material of choice - impeccably crafted with details that disappear except in feel, function, and durability. Solid wood edge banding milled by hand. Heirloom grade solid brass hardware. Materials and methods that stand the test of time, not only in terms of design, but also craft quality.

While beauty runs deep, the surface wasn’t ignored. Finish choices were key to the composition and the feeling of connection and containment.

Different tones were used to create distinction between the spaces. Dark ‘Iron’ stained walnut in the kitchen creates a threshold between the adjacent living area finished in a natural walnut finish.

Like a well-composed painting, there is a visual coherence as your eye moves through the space. The consistency of the quality and species of the wood is the connecting thread. Rhythm and unity. Balance and contrast.

Designed for function and beauty. Crafted to endure. Adaptable and interchangeable to address the changing needs of daily life. An ADU with a mind of its own.