Although conventional wisdom would argue that "you can't have your cake and eat it too," remodelers would beg to differ. A much-loved home can be given a face lift and a nagging drawback to an otherwise fabulous house can be eliminated with the help of a contractor. From adding rooms to morphing existing quarters, the entire purpose of remodeling is to provide homeowners with their own personalized visions of perfection, whatever those visions might be.
One local couple had such a vision for their home - to give their Ballard farmhouse with typical turn-of-the-century dimensions a modern kitchen with the type of multi-use accommodations for the way people live today. And, like many local homeowners, the couple had both a limited budget for the project and a commitment to keep the construction as earth-friendly as possible.
To implement their vision, the couple called on the help of Master Builders Association member, JAS Design Build, Inc., a residential design and construction firm in Seattle. The owners asked to keep the old world details and the original Ballard-esque character in place, while revamping their kitchen into more of a lifestyle area instead of just a cramped utilitarian space for cooking.
They also wanted to open up the back of the house to the backyard to create a seamless transition from their indoor living space to their outdoor living space. The backdoor had been their primary entrance for the entire time they had lived in the house, yet the entrance was less than inviting.
