Kenna Stout, the Principal + Design Director of Seattle-based Brio Interior Design, has experience working with a variety of clients—each bringing a unique perspective or level of experience to their home renovation. In this West Seattle Tudor, however, experience was everything.

“The home belongs to a young family of three,” Kenna shares. “The husband, Bret Gravett of Counterbalance Construction, also happens to be the contractor. His wife had a clear aesthetic vision for the project from the start and was very collaborative.”

The home had retained most of its character, and preserving architectural details was of utmost importance. “Our goal was to make intentional timeless updates that honored the original architecture while adding some eclectic elements, and leave room for the family to bring home special pieces from their travels over time,” Kenna explains. Her firm worked with the clients to design the kitchen, the primary bathroom, and the powder bath. “We also consulted with them on furniture, decor, and lighting in the primary bedroom, living room and dining room. We really took more of a supportive role to the two of them in the project as they were both hands on and experienced.”

Before the renovation, the primary bathroom was simply an adjoining room to the primary bedroom. “It was being underutilized and had an amazing arched window and a lovely view,” Kenna shares. “We managed to create just enough privacy with window treatments and still create a layout that was focused on the beautiful arched window.”

In the kitchen, they preserved as many of the existing leaded glass windows as they could, and a new floor plan took shape: “We combined three areas that had previously been separated to create one large open kitchen. A nook, a powder bath, and the existing kitchen,” the designer explains. “The new powder room was then moved into a closet at the base of the main staircase. We added new archways to the room openings to mimic the original existing archways that remained.”

As a contractor, Bret admittedly puts his own home last on the list. “He likes to squeeze his projects into his schedule in between his client projects,” Kenna explains. Therefore, the project has been a bit more slow-going than Brio Interior Design’s usual timeline. “Overall, it’s taken about three to four years to complete the scope of work thus far. They are both very happy with the outcome and have enjoyed the process of collaborating with our team. We’re planning to continue to work together on future projects and finish their child’s bathroom in the near future!”