What began more than 100 years ago as a community of crude, one-story floating homes inhabited predominately by struggling seasonal laborers, has transformed into one of Seattle’s most highly prized neighborhoods with quaint, lavish and sometimes eclectic houseboats dotting the shores of Lake Union and Portage Bay.
Today only about 500 of the more than 2,000 floating dwellings remain. Many of them have undergone extensive renovations that equal, if not rival, the amenities of their land-lubber counterparts. Such was the case with this houseboat transformed by Marie Lail Blackburn, CMKBD, CID and owner of MLB Design Group in Seattle, who worked with architect James Jessup, who is well known for his work designing/renovating houseboats, and Schaefer Industries, who served as the general contractor.
ENGAGE NATURAL LIGHT
The remodel began with a complete overhaul of the entire structure, including adding insulation and a heat source as well as rebuilding the floor. “This is one of the original houseboats, and as the floor was being fixed, you could see the huge logs it floats on,” she says. A second floor was also added to accommodate a sleeping loft, which meant the owner could move his bed upstairs, freeing up more space on the first floor for living and socializing. A new spiral staircase provides access to the loft, but according to codes, the loft technically isn’t considered living space so the addition still left the houseboat with a footprint of about 545 square feet.
While small, the owner wanted a space with a kitchen that worked well for entertaining, a bathroom that had all of the amenities he’d experienced at fine hotels, and a place to work from home as needed, “without having to pile things on the dining room table,” Blackburn states. Storage was much needed as well.
To start, Blackburn assessed the overall space, considering opportunities to improve traffic patterns, take advantage of interior and exterior sight lines and enhance ease and efficiency in how tasks and social functions are accomplished.
“Very importantly, too, I am always on the lookout for ways to engage natural light in design planning because it’s such a big challenge in our low-light environment,” she says.
To address the natural light issue, Blackburn focused on a design that would allow her to keep the window in the kitchen, while adding one in the stairwell. The designer also purposefully located his desk underneath a window. “There was some conversation about eliminating the kitchen window in favor of storage,” she says, adding that she added an open shelf above the main sink to make up for some of the lost space. “But we kept it for good reason. It adds natural light into an otherwise dark space. We are coming to realize how much we are affected by our environment and how good design can make people feel better.
“The windows also provide a nice vantage point for looking outside to see the beauty surrounding this tiny home…the water, trees, birds, etc.,” she continues. “The natural beauty of the water and sky is really the focal point of the space. My job was to make sure the interior paid homage to and ‘framed’ the exterior beauty.”
COMBINE FUNCTION WITH AESTHETICS
Because he likes to cook, Blackburn widened the kitchen a few inches from its previous footprint, creating a space where he can more comfortably prep food, clean up and entertain. Special features include a second sink – a Kohler trough model added beneath the window – which provides the prep area with its own water source while leaving more than 11′ feet of counter space between it and the 30″ Viking range. The cleanup area features an 18″ Miele dishwasher and extra-deep single-basin sink. A trash bin with Blum’s Servo Drive also makes cleanup easy.
Aesthetically, schist stone waterfall countertops play to the natural aspects of the space, as do the Nova Blue limestone floor tiles and mix of glass and porcelain wall and backsplash tiles. “The glass has a striated pattern that feels like rain or water,” says the designer. “And the floor is a subtle bluish gray that, on certain days, looks like the water.”
The floor is also heated, which is especially welcomed since the house hovers above the water. “Many of my clients are heating tile floors in the kitchen,” she says. “We do it without thinking in the bath, but more and more, I’m also heating kitchen floors.”
Knotty alder cabinetry mixes with hickory flooring and splashes of cherry and teak throughout. “My client loved the hickory,” she says, “but since it’s ‘active,’ we wanted the other woods to be ‘quiet,’ without being too ‘matchy-matchy.’”
CLASSIC SAILBOAT FEEL
Overall, the home exudes a nautical feel, without being overbearing, the designer says. Blackburn exposed the ‘beams’ and finished the walls with wood or a hard-surface material, tying everything together with a natural, organic, contemporary style. “These are details one would perhaps see in a classic sailboat,” she says.
While she included some freestanding components, such as the dining table/chairs and the couch and coffee table, Blackburn focused on building in many elements, including a large closet that stores everything from clothes to linens to the water heater. “Again, built-ins provide a feel like you would get in a boat,” she says, noting the storage closet has proven to be one of the best ideas according to the homeowner. “But also important is the fact that this is a very small home, and my experience is that small homes work best with built-ins, such as furniture, storage and equipment. The more we can build in these elements, the more ‘fitted’ the small home becomes, and the more spacious it will feel.”
While evaluating details for plusses and minuses is important in any size home, the discussion becomes especially important when space is a challenge. “Results are always better when you think things out, and I have found that this type of conversation is especially valuable when working in smaller spaces because they can become cluttered very quickly,” she says. “It’s also important to think about multi-functionality, such as the desk that can also serve as a buffet. Certainly, the more space you have, the more you can play. But I am finding there is a tendency to think small again…and you can still live a very grand and wonderful life in less space.”
She continues, “Manufacturers are also doing some great things with products and technology that make small-space living a lot more desirable. Even though this house is tiny, he can live big in it.”