Own Home
We bought the house in Madison Valley in the summer of 2002 with the intention of building a new home. I designed the new house in the next two month and we began the construction as soon as we got the permit, 3 months later. Custom details throughout the house were designed as the house was being constructed.
The view is fantastic and the existing house was located nicely on the property with a newer foundation, so we were able to reuse part of the existing basement foundation for the new home. In connection with the purchase we obtained a construction loan of $140,000 which we had to make stretch as far as it would go. With this in mind, and because we wanted to, we became our own general contractors and did most of the construction work ourselves, including some interior framing, siding, flooring, tiling, trim and wood work, drywall, custom cabinets, countertops, plumbing, heating, electrical, painting and earth work, decks and fences. We subbed out the main rough framing, insulation, roofing, gutters and specialized steel and stone work and had good help from professionals in consulting with us.
The new home has three levels with office, two sitting rooms, kitchen, pantry, dining and powder room on the main floor and view decks accessible from the combined living room, dining room and kitchen area. Upstairs we have three bedrooms and one bath, including a master bedroom with balcony overlooking the valley. In the basement we have a guest suite with bath and kitchen which can be rented as a mother in law apartment. The design is a blend of modern and traditional architecture – a sort of transitional style inspired by contemporary style and room lay-out and the more traditional Seattle homes in the neighborhood.
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