Some projects are large, others small… and some are tiny! This petite guest house on Capitol Hill is barely over 180 square feet, but it still tucks in a loft bedroom, a 3/4 bath, a bar, a washer/dryer, a closet for hanging clothes, and a flexible main space that converts from living room, to dining room, to (even) another bedroom.

With so much in a small footprint, the challenge was to keep it as efficient as possible, but still create a comforting and inviting space where guests would feel welcome.

To maximize efficiency, it was crucial that nothing added was frivolous, and that furniture pieces were precisely-sized, multi-functional, and adaptable wherever possible.

For example, the room needed a coffee table between the sofa and chair, functioning as the centerpoint for conversations when the space is in “living room” mode. But, where would it go when the room needed to convert to another bedroom with the Murphy bed lowered? There was nowhere to move it that wouldn’t be in the way.

So, we paired up with furniture maker Ben Cruzat to design a custom coffee table that doesn’t have to be relocated. Instead, it lowers to the floor where it can hide underneath the bed, out of the way, and completely hidden.

For the look & feel of the interiors, the intent was to cultivate a modern and moody Pacific Northwest vibe. Dark walls, warm wood tones, rich leather, and natural textures fill the room, with small pops of bright blue in the accessories and decor that tie in the existing bright blue, tiled walls.

A quirky, deer table lamp inspired a “critters” theme, which then quickly evolved to center around the iconic crow. Just like the city, the more you look, the more you find these intelligent birds busy with their activities. In this petite guest cottage, crows and their cousins populate the art on the walls and the accessories on the shelves, giving the guest house its name, the Crow’s Nest Cottage.