Seattle allows cottages in the backyards of single family homes, provided that they are less than 800 square feet, and 23′ maximum height to the ridge. The owners, an empty nest couple, wanted to downsize from the primary house (about 2500 sf) to a smaller, more manageable house in preparation for retirement.
Our solution is a 800 sf 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath cottage which borrows heavily from the existing house and the neighborhood’s turn of the century bungalows to create a home which lives much bigger than it’s footprint.
The house features a ‘tansu’ staircase with media, audio, and bookshelves underneath, a 1500 gallon rainwater catchment system for flushing toilets, clothes washing and irrigation, and an super efficient kitchen for cooking and entertaining.
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Cottage exterior
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main floor living dining and kitchen with tansu cabinet stairs
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View from kitchen
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Stair cabinet detail
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Bedroom Barn Doors
