In the shadow of a mature tree canopy, Model Remodel’s contemporary home combines Northwest living with Mediterranean pattern and colors. This Built Green 4-Star certified home recently was awarded a 2023 REX Award for Green Remodel. The 1950s home was fully remodeled, including a 2nd story addition for a primary suite. Integration of indoor spaces with the natural environment was a key element to its redesign. The open floor plan with generous windows and glass doors creates a front-to-back view through the entire home, and easy access to its extensive outdoor activity spaces. Abundant with natural light and worldly décor, this playful remodel of a classic midcentury modern property made air sealing, eco-conscious materials, and green certification a priority.

Achieving an improvement of 29.3% over Washington’s 2015 energy code, an airtightness blower door score of 2.94 ACH, and a 4-Star Built Green rating, the home is comfortable all year round. The ductless multi split system in the bedrooms provides efficient heating and cooling using ceiling mounted cassettes, making it so you hardly know the system is there. A combination of rigid foam board and caulked foam were used to achieve such an airtight tight seal of the older home. Spot ERVs provide fresh air, while recovering temperature and moisture. A centrally located ducted system provides optimal comfort in the vaulted-ceiling open floorplan of the home. In-floor heat radiant heat in the bathroom floor tile offer additional comfort.

Above-code fiberglass windows and doors provide tons of natural light, eliminating the need for electrical lighting during daytime hours. LED lighting is used at night. A beautiful nano door and pocket window in the kitchen can be easily opened for an indoor-outdoor living environment. Low-VOC finishes on the flooring and shelving, plus no-VOC interior paint, keep air quality excellent.

Increasing the functionality of the home’s existing living space two rooms were redesigned into flexible multifunctional spaces. One area has a built-in murphy bed that can be pulled down for overnight guests, and another room features a sliding partition wall that can separate one room into two functional spaces.

One of the most obvious décor choices in the home is the Mediterranean-style patterned tile, which was salvaged from previous jobs and used here for multiple backsplashes and bathrooms. Cork flooring was used in multifunctional rooms to enhance comfort and warmth. It’s the patterned tile and flooring that bring color and vibrancy to a neutral paint palette. Lighting, cabinet hardware and décor are all sourced from the homeowners’ worldly travels, giving the home unique personality. Large 55 foot glulam beams effortlessly transition between indoor and outdoor evoking the tall trees on the property. Additionally, reusing the existing concrete foundation and basement, and fireplace, preserved and reduced embodied carbon emissions that would have been emitted had the home been torn down, rather than remodeled. A recycled content metal roof protects this home for the next century of its lifecycle.

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