Our new home is in the heart of Capitol Hill’s Pike Pine Corridor, teeming with nightlife, old warehouse buildings, and the ever-encroaching tide of condominium buildings. Our elegant, turn of the century brick building has escaped the wrecking ball so far…

Formerly the Seattle Automobile Company showroom, it’s now home to architects, the Petit Rosso Cafe, a structural engineer, landscape architect, developer, linen importer and more.

We share our 2nd floor space with Blackbird Consulting, a sustainable building consulting firm.

To reach us:

Mail and phone remain the same.

Our new physical location (buzz at either the Pike St or 11th Ave doors):

1101 East Pike St.
Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98122

The most common and inevitable question I get from clients – and one that really can only be answered by your General Contractor. But there are rules of thumb that my experience has found to be accurate. For older (pre-1950) Seattle homes, both for remodeling and additions, remodeling ranges from $200-$275 per square foot (sf), and the new construction of additions runs $150-$225/sf.

Remodeling costs more than additions/new construction because of the time and labor to tear things apart – carefully – before the new construction can happen. Dealing with old wiring and plumbing systems, often done incorrectly, takes time.

My cost averages have several assumptions:

· Projects size of ~400sf or larger – smaller projects cost more per sf, as many subcontractors have minimum fees to come out to work on any project. Travel time, set up and clean up take time, so even a few hours of actual work can take an entire day.

· Kitchen and bath projects cost more per sf than other areas. Plumbing, electrical, built in cabinets, and expensive finishes drive the cost up in these rooms. Here’s an idea of kitchen pricing.

· These averages do not include freestanding appliances, and landscaping.

· These averages are for construction cost and do not include design and permit fees.

Homeowners often want to lower this cost by taking on parts of the project such as demolition or painting. Most demolition is best left to the Contractor, unless the owner has construction skills. Wiring and plumbing can be inside any wall, requiring skill to avoid or reroute.

One of the best things home owners can do to keep their project cost down is to keep the contractor on the job working – not spending time tracking down fixtures and materials. If you have all appliances and fixtures picked before the GC bids your job, you will get a much more accurate bid and the construction process should go quicker and cost less.

There are many articles and data about the return on your remodel project. Look for regional data instead of national surveys, such a this article in the Seattle P.I.

Here is another article on a local kitchen remodel that has some good kitchen pricing as well, and an article outlining four improvements which will add value to your home.

It seems like there are three of four of these a year… acres of hot tubs, gas fireplaces, windows. If you are working on a home remodel project and can brave the crowds and salesmen, the Seattle Home Show is a good place to compare cabinets and doors, appliances, flooring etc. It’s all under one roof and you can come back a 2nd day on one ticket. the show runs Feb. 17-25th at the Qwest Field Event Center and is open til 8:30 weekdays and 9pm on Friday and Saturday. The $10 entry fee ($8 with coupon found in the Seattle daily papers) also gets you a year subscription to “This Old House” magazine.

Be wary of contractors/vendors you find here though - I’ve had clients find what they thought was a great cabinet vendor at the show only to have their kitchen remodel turn into a nightmare due to this vendor. You still need to check their references and work despite a good sell.

I usually go to at least one of these shows per year to see what the latest products being pushed to everyday homeowners are. Last year there was a bounty of tankless water heaters - a great space saving solution in tight quarters, as well as an energy-saver.

Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and go early on a weekday if you can. OH, and don’t forget your suit for the hot tub action!

On August 15, Mayor Greg Nickels signed Ordinance 122190 that allows detached accessory dwelling units (sometimes called Mother-in-law units, which really refers to attached units) in single family zones in Southeast Seattle. This area is bounded by I-90 on the north and I-5 on the west, and Lake Washington on the east. Here’s a quick rundown on the specifics:

• Your lot must be 4,000 sf or more to be eligible
• Lot coverage and rear yard coverage are the same as your current single family zoning restrictions
• One off-street parking space is required
• You (the owner) must live in either your main structure or the detached unit
• The DADA is limited in height and size.

Client Assistance Memo 116B covers these new requirements.

If you want to consider turning your garage into an apartment, or adding a structure to your yard, I can help you understand the requirements and see what is possible on your lot! This is a great way to earn extra income to help offsite the expensive mortgage payments that come with buying a house in Seattle these days.
Official notice can be found at this link:

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/news/20060830A.asp .

I often have homeowners ask me what it would take to turn their unused garage into an apartment. Under the current zoning regulations, the city doesn’t allow that in single family zones. But things could be changing. Seattle moved one step closer in allowing a pilot program for allowing detached accesory dwelling units (ADU’s) to be built in Southeast Seattle. Two Seattle Planning Commissioners testified in favor of allowing the program at a June 27th public hearing held by the city council. Steve Sheehy and commissioner M. Michelle Mattox both sang the praises of allowing detached ADU’s on single family lots. This would allow a homeowner to turn their detached garage into an apartment, or build a new structure in their backyard that could be rented out. “Detached ADU’s generally provide lower cost rental housing options, an opportunity for homeowners to augment the cost of their home ownership, and provide housing for extended family members”. Both the mayors office and the planning commission are in favor of this program, now the city council needs to get behind it and get the south east Seattle pilot program rolling. Seattle’s DPD would be responsible for overseeing the program.

Featured in the May/June issue of Northwest Home + Garden Magazine is one of my projects, a live/work loft remodel for Adam and Xiomara Weintraub. A collaborative effort with Adam, a professional photographer, the project involved turning a bleak all white apartment into a vibrant home studio. An exposed metal sleeping loft (fabricated by the craftsmen at Shadowmaker Designs) was created in the space, bringing a natural material palette into the space. Beams and concrete were exposed, a built-in cabinet under the open stair matches an existing built in book shelf and hides shoes. Milestone floors, counters and fireplace surround were installed by artisan Tina Randolph. A bold red-hued accent wall blends with Adam’s vibrant photographs and Xiomara’s Peruvian art. A spiral stair cuts through the floor to the photo studio below, which came up for sale during the construction.

Welcome to the new web home for Studio DEC. Studio DEC is the architectural design firm consisting of yours truly, Daniel Corcoran, and occasional support staff as well as a variety of design collaborators.

Thanks to Dan McComb for the Wordpress help and Matthew Grimes for the banner graphic!