This article is part of our special Design section on new interpretations of antique design styles.
Six years ago, Sonya Schneider and her husband, Stuart Nagae, a federally designated Historic Landmark in Seattle, purchased a 5,000-square-foot, two-story home sheathed in dark, old-growth Western cedar shingles with multiple gables and dormers. and a cedar roof. It stood on an unusually large three-quarter-acre lot of mature maples, Douglas firs, and a hemlock, in Ballard, an old Seattle neighborhood on Puget Sound.
The house, for which the couple paid $2.5 million according to public records, was built in 1933 by a Norwegian ship captain, Ole E. Nilsen, reportedly as a replica of his childhood home in Bergen, Norway.
In the early 20th century, Ballard’s shipbuilding, timber and fishing industries attracted thousands of immigrants from Scandinavia, and today the community retains its strong ethnic identity, with an annual Norwegian heritage parade and a new National Nordic Museum.
The house is a unique example of Scandinavian architecture, both inside and out. It was built by highly skilled craftsmen who meticulously paneled the walls and ceilings with Douglas fir. (The planks are placed parallel in front of the wainscoting and vertically above.) The living room has a double-height vaulted ceiling with a balcony loft typical of 19th-century Norwegian houses; the railing has carved balusters and the support beam is decorated with colorful curls, acanthus leaves and floral designs, a style of traditional rural Norwegian folk painting called rosemaling or rose painting.
When she first saw the home, Ms. Schneider, 45, a San Diego playwright, recalled immediately recognizing its value. “I grew up in a 1933 house with similar qualities,” she said. “I was raised to understand the quality of space and fine craftsmanship.” (Mr. Nagae, 46, is a Japanese-American venture capitalist from Seattle.)
A family of two daughters, ages 14 and 11, the couple has spent the last few years building their growing collection of contemporary art (from photographer Nan Goldin, Oregon native artist Marie Watt, and Seattle native Roger Shimomura, among others) and an eclectic mix of mid-century and modern style furniture.
The result is a fresh mix of time-transcending design elements. “We have the two worlds talking to each other,” Ms. Schneider said. “The old house is happy to be covered with contemporary art. We introduced light and color into the dark rooms.”
There was only one problem: the galley kitchen was too small. “I think Captain Nilsen had a servant who cooked,” Mrs. Schneider said. “There is a small bedroom in the basement.”
The couple decided the house deserved a bigger kitchen, though they didn’t seek out any architects until they met one in Rome six years ago, at a Pearl Jam concert.
Mike Mora, the co-founder of Heliotrope Architects in Seattle, and his wife, Jessica, were attending the concert and seeing their old friends Jeff Ament, a Seattle band member, and his wife, Pandora Andre-Beatty.
“That night, Pandora introduced me to Sonya and Stuart, and we found out we lived half a mile apart in Seattle,” Mr. Mora recalled. “I really knew the house because I pass it every day on my way to work.”
Mrs. Schneider invited Mr. Mora and shared her dreams.
She wanted a new, bright kitchen where her family and friends could gather, that allowed movement between the interior and garden spaces.
She was completely open minded: “When we started talking I said, ‘Let’s go for the wildest plan and then scale it back; we are drawn to modern architecture. ”
Mr. Mora was delighted. “We were glad we didn’t have to design a replica of a 100-year-old building; we can be influenced by it, but make an addition that is very contemporary, with contemporary lines and more spacious glass.”
Founded in 1999, Heliotrope Architects has several high-profile institutional clients, including REI, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nordstrom. In 2020, it won the James Beard award for outstanding restaurant design. However, the residential work is often minimalistic and durable and has, they say, the quality that ‘weathers’.
Mr. Mora’s plan for the kitchen followed these principles; it looks deceptively simple, quiet and elegant.
The 500-square-foot addition is a contemporary post-and-beam construction.
“It’s one story, because we didn’t need a program anymore,” said Mr Mora. It complements the house, but stands on its own.
The two structures are connected by a glass passageway that accentuates the distinctive character of each. Mr. Mora chose black brick walls as a nod to the house’s dark gray shingles. His plans easily received approval from the local landmark board. As Ms. Schneider said, “They wanted us to do something that reflected the current period.”
The kitchen interior is equally refined: like the house, it is fully paneled, but in a fresh, contemporary way. The cabinets are stained white oak; the beams and columns are stained Douglas fir. The ceiling is made of clear cedar wood. The floor is polished concrete.
In the cooking area there is a long counter with a farmer’s sink under a glass wall. Behind it is a large quartzite-coated island, which houses the stove and another counter with bar seating, where you can eat and admire the chef.
Space is all about clean surfaces; there is no clutter. The cabinets have no external hardware.
On one side, glass doors open to the west (and a deck overlooking Puget Sound).
On the opposite wall, built-in cabinets lead to a kitchen table and four chairs, created by Brooklyn-based designer Bowen Liu, and an impressive Lindsey Adelman blown glass chandelier. The glass wall offers a view of the new south-facing garden, designed by David Berleth Landscape Architect.
The south-facing outdoor patio, which is shaded by an overhang, has a built-in wood-burning barbecue for grilling, a favorite pastime of Mr. Nagae, but the main action outside is the west-facing back garden, with a loggia for private outdoor dining .
The Norwegians have an expression: “Wood is our living archive.” Already in the year 800, the Vikings showed their excellent craftsmanship and knowledge of wood construction techniques in their longships.
Heliotrope Architects honors such craft traditions, which might explain the kitchen’s deep resonance for Ms. Schneider.
“The kitchen really feels like a collaboration; it really turned out as I hoped,” she said. “This project now makes me feel connected to this place: it’s a tribute to the old house and a nod to my husband’s Japanese, very minimalistic sensibility.”
