Bellevue, a highly sought after city in Washington, is known for its many restaurants, coffee shops, parks, and a waterfront. Many young professionals are drawn to the city and its highly rated public schools plus its proximity to the larger city of Seattle. Niche gives Bellevue, Washington an A-plus overall and reports it is ranked number three in the U.S for the best public schools. More than half of the residents are homeowners. As a homeowner, you can put your unique stamp on your Bellevue, Washington home and be part of a varied, interesting, and visually pleasing neighborhood.
What is Your Vision for Your Bellevue, WA Home Design?
Whether you are a new owner or ready to make some changes in the home you have lived in and loved for years, a home design both inside and outside must suit your needs and the character of your family. According to Structural Homes, the following are today’s most popular home styles:
Storybook homes have a fairytale architecture, some looking as if they came to life from a drawing in a children's storybook. This architectural style was popular in the 1920s in England and the United States. It fell out of favor, but now it is back like a beloved classic with enchanting drawings that just won't stay stored in the attic. These homes may have cobblestone walkways, uneven roofs, and doors and windows with unique shapes;
Craftsman homes have a contemporary look and are built of stone and wood. Roofs are low, windows are multi-paned, and columns are tapered. The exterior is usually painted wood siding, often with stucco and stone accents and painted in earth tones. Craftsmen homes are as popular today as they were a century ago. They emphasize horizontal lines with low-pitched gable roofs that extend over the exterior walls to create wide, inviting porches. Rooms are small and cozy, but today many homeowners are remodeling them for a more open-floor interior.
Mission Revival is a popular West Coast style with low-pitched, clay tile roofs. They usually have white adobe walls. This style works best with a large yard. This style is influenced by Early Spanish colonial architecture with adapted but recognizable motifs from churches. Dormer or roof parapets, an arcade, and sometimes a mission-church bell tower configured into the design.
Spanish Colonial Revival homes are a marriage between the craftsman and mission revival styles. They feature flat roofs, balconies, tall windows, and iron trim. Their earth tones complement the landscape.
Modern is contemporary and trendy. They are defined by lines, colors on the grey and white scales, and huge windows for an open, uncluttered feel
Bungalow is similar to the craftsman with low-pitched roofs. They are made of stone and wood, often surrounded by lush lawns, and give the owners easy access to the outdoors. They are smaller than craftsman homes.
Once you identify your house style, which may not be listed above, and its characteristics, it is time to decide what you would like to change, both on the inside and on the outside. You can maintain the integrity of the style and add your unique vision. You can modify rooms and outdoor features to suit your family today and grow with it. Or the house can change as the children leave home. When you no longer need so many bedrooms, think about what these rooms can become. Libraries, studies, an updated guest room, an enlarged bathroom to create a spa, a sleeker kitchen. You know what you have always longed to do with that room. Maybe now is the time for the dreaming to stop and the planning to begin.
How Will You Design and Remodel Your Bellevue, Washington Home?
Keeping in mind that the outside should reflect the inside and that remodeling should remain true to a vision and the most efficient floor plan to meet a particular purpose, many people hire professional architects, designers, and artisans. Few people possess all of the skills required to complete a professional remodeling job. Those that do seldom have the time.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the two most common projects in 2017 were the bathroom and the kitchen. Nearly half of all the remodelers decided to tackle the whole house with a lower number of homeowners building room additions. Due to plumbing concerns, kitchens and bathrooms are often the most complicated remodeling jobs. If the plumbing is reconfigured, it is crucial that the homeowners be pleased with the remodeling job for years after.
The biggest bathroom trend for 2020 is biophilic design. This brings the outdoors inside through plants, outdoor features on surfaces, bright lighting, larger windows and nature’s natural shapes such as a vessel sink on a simulated tree trunk. Other hot trends include stand-alone, asymmetrical bathtubs, glass-walled open showers, terrazzo shower walls and flooring, console-style vanities instead of bulky bathroom furnishings, elegantly textured tiles in neutral colors, and minimalist and linear lighting, which allows other bathroom fixtures to shine brightly. The latest bathroom design trends work as well in powder rooms and small bathrooms as they do in a master bath.
Kitchen trends are writing “done” all over white cabinets. Mint green is the new white. To balance the color, natural stone is the new way to re-create a kitchen. Homeowners want natural stone beyond their countertops, continuing to waterfall edges and tall backsplashes. Matte black fixtures and hardware are growing in popularity as stainless steel appliances are being replaced with the more popular black finishes. The new hood is no hood for a cleaner, modern look. A remodeling job would build in downdraft ventilation to do the work of the typical fan over the stove. Mixing two different colors and/or combining painted and wood cabinets require an eye for design. When done with an artistic eye, the effect can be breathtaking.
The bottom line is that your home design should look the way you envision and work for you, not against you, in space, function, and appearance.
How We Can Partner with You in Home Design
We’ve worked with thousands of satisfied local homeowners over the last two decades. Our priority is your vision for your home. Our experienced building team will transform awkward areas, eyesores, and rooms that need to be re-visioned or just spruced up to a more contemporary look. We will advise you on which projects will have the greatest impact on resale value.
Our designs win awards because they reflect your personal style and the personality of your family. We don’t just show up and start tearing off the wallpaper or digging up your patio. First, we consult with you to make absolutely sure that your home design fits you and your budget. Our professionals can advise you on designs and materials that are a natural fit for your family.
Please contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation. We look forward to doing business with you!
In addition to Bellevue, we serve Seattle, West Seattle, the Mamish, Kirkland, Renton, Issqua, Covington, all of Pierce County, parts of Thurston county, Puyallup and surrounding cities.