At Home by Brian Paquette

Author:Brian Paquette [Paquette, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

Firehouse

This apartment, in the middle of Capitol Hill in Seattle, was formerly a firehouse but was split up into individual homes many years ago. Upon first entering the space during our initial interview, I knew I needed to do anything to get this job. The brick, the large black-trimmed windows, the ceilings, and the open floor plan were my late ’90s, New York City, Thomas O’Brien dreams come true. By the time we had sat down to discuss the work ahead, I had already designed the entire place in my mind.

The client, who travels back and forth between Seattle and Los Angeles for work, had owned the apartment for a few years but, like most people with his packed schedule, hadn’t tackled making it into a home. He didn’t want endless meetings or back-and-forth phone calls to get the job done and, after reviewing a few mood boards, he entrusted us to the job. I should stress: this is not the norm, and quite honestly, it’s a very stressful approach. As much as you might think it would be a dream for a designer like me (who loves to talk about the organic nature of the design process), it’s not. There are technical elements of my job, such as spreadsheets and sign-offs on specific pieces, that make me happier than you could imagine. I like the order that comes with the business side of my creative chaos (especially when so much of what we create is custom and therefore not returnable). Well, I needed to get over the lack of structure and just get to the task at hand. I didn’t stray from my version of the late ’90s New York City loft. I couldn’t do much wrong with these architectural bones—we didn’t even paint downstairs except for the kitchen. We kept the palette neutral, comfortable, and created multiple seating areas on the main floor for entertaining, which our client does quite a bit when he is in town. Upstairs are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an outdoor patio—all of which posed a challenge, being, in fact, New York City size. When spaces are small, I tend to embrace their diminutive nature and make them super cozy. We carpeted the whole floor in a gray wool and matched the walls, trim, and ceiling in a complementary gray paint to minimize the small footprint and eaves in the space. It should be noted that this project is included in this book because the client loved it all. I am hoping to get down to his LA home next to see if he lets me loose again.

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