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My Houzz: Playful, Eclectic Family Home in Seattle
Quirky collections, secondhand finds and a spirit of fun enliven this renovated Northwest home
Portland photographer and freelance writer.
Portland photographer and freelance writer. More »
Seattle homeowners Eric Krauss and Elisabeth Archer are kids at heart. Unique artwork (including some by daughter Evangeline), kitschy toys and playful collections take center stage in their remodeled home as an homage to childhood, fun and family. Krauss and Archer remodeled extensively two years ago, teaming up with architect Tom Maul and Brad Wageman of Ambrose Construction to completely revamp their living space over five months. They opened up the main floor that was formerly a dark hallway with three bedrooms in a row. "We loved the retro '50s vibe, but the house was too dark and the layout seemed wrong," Archer says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric Krauss and Elisabeth Archer, daughters Simone and Evangeline, 3 cats and 7 chickens
Location: Seattle, Washington
Size: 3,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
That's interesting: Eric and Elisabeth collect robot figurines and have 37 throughout the house.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric Krauss and Elisabeth Archer, daughters Simone and Evangeline, 3 cats and 7 chickens
Location: Seattle, Washington
Size: 3,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
That's interesting: Eric and Elisabeth collect robot figurines and have 37 throughout the house.
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by John Prindle
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| A figure painting by Carole d'Inverno welcomes in the entryway. The shelf is from Krauss' childhood home. |
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| Angled slits were cut through the center wall to connect the two living spaces of the main floor, and a large skylight was added to illuminate the staircase. On the wall, a red plantlike sculpture adds a splash of color. The plant pieces, from Algue: At Home, come separately; you assemble them any way you want. |
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| In the multipurpose room, Krauss and Archer knocked down the walls and enlarged the windows, turning the former bedroom space into a spacious area in which to hang out and enjoy views of the yard, garden and chicken coop. A wall-to-wall desk serves as a home office space. Twisp, one of three cats, rests on one of the chairs — both Craigslist finds. The family tries to reduce, reuse and repurpose as much as possible, so most of the furniture is secondhand. Rug: Angela Adams |
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| The couple's robot collection. The first member is second from the right. |
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| The couple remodeled the kitchen, adding more space, new appliances, a skylight and recycled bamboo flooring. "Most of the new kitchen came from a little place called Ikea," Archer says with a grin, "but some of the drawers and cabinets were customized to fit into the space." |
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| This kitchen shelf serves as a stage for this trio of colorful wrestler toys, and dishware is tucked underneath. Lucha libre figures from Screaming Sky Gallery in Portland, Oregon; radio: Tivoli Audio |
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| A secondary dining space is outfitted with another Craigslist find: a '60s-era knockoff of an expensive '50s-era Saarinen table and chairs. Archer says, "Secondhand, vintage, Craigslist, eBay — this is the way to get fun, unusual items with character. We would rather buy that way than new." Red FLOR modular carpet tiles complete the look. |
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Evangeline drew this framed Sharpie marker figure study when she was seven years old.
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| A view of the simple yet eclectic dining room. A painting by Manuel Abril hangs on the wall, and a bell jar centerpiece covers a tiny Godzilla figurine. Krauss found the table legs, which are actually stove legs, years ago on a street in San Francisco. He saved them, and Tom Eckhoff built a custom plywood top and combined all the pieces into a unique dining room table. |
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| These cool felt creatures by "moxie" are displayed in a small acrylic box on a living room wall, modern museum–style. |
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| The couple picked up this bas-relief by Juan Torres on a road trip in Mexico. It was framed by Tom at Framesmith Custom Picture Framing in Seattle. |
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| The living room is home to this retro orange couch, another Craigslist find. Archer says, "We sunk a lot more money into that one and had it reupholstered and refinished." Paintings by Manuel Abril; lamps: Ikea |
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| Greeting visitors at the top of the stairs is a playful skateboard deck from kidrobot. |
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| It's hard to know where to start with the lower-floor den. From a framed Elvis concert record to a felt-lettered "Thank You For Not Smoking" sign, the whole room oozes retro cool. There's even a built-in hidden turntable above the white-grill speakers. Archer says, "We bought the bar stools from Louise, the original homeowner, who was 91 when we bought the house. Her husband was an engineer and built the shelves behind the bar." |
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| The media room is simple but functional. The media stand is original to the house, and Krauss and Archer added a new white top. Honeymooners painting, on a bedsheet, by Manuel Abril. |
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| The master bedroom remains essentially the same, and is the only room untouched by the renovation. In the corner is a guitar, which Archer is learning to play. Lamps: Urban Outfitters; painting of Citroën: Tom Eckhoff; vintage phone: Russell Johnson Imports |
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| Simone's bedroom is full of brightly colored decals. She wanted a guitar on the wall, so Krauss made her this one out of plywood and strings. |
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| A spacious deck looks out on the backyard, which is large for a city lot. Krauss and Archer are avid urban gardeners. There are metal tubs with bamboo and raised garden beds for vegetables. |
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Krauss built this treehouse for the kids and a chicken coop below it that houses seven chickens. The clubhouse door and window are leftovers from the house remodel, as are the shelves inside.
More Houzz Tours
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Comments
Judy The Evengeline picture is such a nice keepsake. Plus, it's pretty darn good artwork!
14 months ago · Like
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steve2426 Wow! I love al the artwork throughout the house - very interesting and each piece has meaning for the homeowners. Thanks for sharing your home.
14 months ago · Like
Janet Paik What a fun backyard treehouse. Thanks for sharing this home, John!
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on March 27, 2012.
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