SHED Architecture & Design

The team at Shed gave me fabulous design on my condo remodel. The attention to detail and consistency of design turned my builder condo into a stunning, serene, modern work of art.

We've built quite a few projects with SHED over the last seven years, and we're as impressed with their professionalism, thoroughness, and the great architecture they are putting out as ever. It struck me right away that Thomas and Prentis were interested in collaboration, and were respectful of what we, the builder, were bringing to the table. They also have a great cadre of folks working with them now, so we know that no matter who we are dealing with in their office we are going to be working with someone who is talented, diligent, and cares about what they do. The best thing about working with SHED, however, is just getting to build cool spaces.

Loved working with the SHED team on my condo remodel. A couple years prior to the project I purchased an 1100 sq ft mid-century condo that I knew had good bones and remodel potential. Prentis Hale was the principle architect for my project and the SHED team was involved in concept, design and project management from start to finish. It was important for me to keep them involved until completion to carry the vision to the end. Their previous experience as a design-build firm was valuable throughout the entire project with regards to design and then troubleshooting the execution and problem solving. In my opinion, so much contemporary and modern design has become so cliche and too many architects lead with trendy, leading to a project days away from cliche by completion. It was important to me to avoid this, since I wanted the design / build / space / architecture to be the focal point, not the finishes or the decorative add-ons. I felt that SHED understood this and they succeeded on my project. I did not interview any other firm for this job, and never have I regretted not doing so. SHED was easy to work with and the handful of times we met face-to-face they were always prepared with drawings, material choices and timeline for decisions, and as a result, meetings were productive and efficient. They remained sensitive throughout the project to budget and timeline. I used a contractor whom they recommended, based on a track record of good work and timeliness of completion, and in all honesty had a very stress free remodel. Using SHED as primary project managers allowed for more efficient problem solving during the remodel, which was done in a 1960's concrete and steel condo, which held many surprises once the walls came down. Without hesitation, I would hire them for future projects. Of course they have a style that is theirs, but nothing ever felt cookie cutter and I know that a few of the things we did in my condo were on their 'bucket list' of things they would like to try some day.... like my combination toilet and sink :)

My husband and I are both former designers, and we discovered Thomas Schaer and Shed through friends who are designers--so we figured maybe we could work with him. We hired Thomas to create a "master plan" for a remodel of our quirky Seattle house. Thomas asked a lot of questions about how we live and what's important to us, and designed our spaces to be useful, beautifully simple, but also reflect our personalities. Thomas' ability to listen, then synthesize--and his attention to design details--are his two secret weapons. We got a ton of value working with Thomas and the team at Shed. They worked seamlessly with our contractor, whom they recommended. As a plus, all the people at Shed are fun to be around. The remodel happened in two phases over three years. Phase one included adding a kitchenette to our guest apartment, adapting our garage to include a playroom, and completely remodeling the kitchen and the entryway. Thomas saw that our kitchen needed to be restructured to maximize the view from the dining room windows. His redesign made our laundry area much more user-friendly--and gave us the ability to hide it when we want to. The new plan opened up the place we spend most of our time to the light and beauty that surrounds the house outside. Two years later, in phase two, we tackled the master bathroom, reducing unused space, adding a walk-in closet and allowing for more privacy. All of this created a lovely, quiet sanctuary off the master bedroom. The interior of our home is now a beautiful mix of practical functionality and high design.

I purchased an awesome bungalow in the Montlake area in 2010. The place had a ton of potential but needed to be re-imagined. Hiring and finding an architect and a contractor is extremely challenging. I did not know where to start and who to rely on. Most of my friends who had worked with architects had larger projects or were done in a totally different style than what I was trying to acheive. I interviewd a number of great architects but continued to strugle to find the right fit. Most of them were awesome but at the same time a bit too eager to please and secure the client. I was lucky to encounter Prentis Hale from SHED at a small, community home show. I was searching for an architrect who would not simply say yes to what I was proposing but would challenge me from the get go on style, direction, priorities, assumptions. From the get go, Prentise brought a great mix of design suggestions but also a deep technical understanding and maniacle focus on details. As a client, the process felt very collaborative. Some of the ideas that I suggested were openly embraced and enhanced by Prentise. I am very satisfied and pleased with the outcome. My house interior has been transformed into an awesome mid century modern space that gets compliments from every guest that comes visit. The pizza man and even proselitizing evangelical misionaries who only see a small sliver from the doorstep have mentioned how cool the space is. More importantly, along with the style, the house has the warmth and functionality I need to trully enjoy it. And yes, I have recommended SHED to my friends with at least one having completed a project with the happiest results.

My wife and I began our yard remodel with a very fuzzy idea of what we wanted. We had just finished a 2 year remodel of a 1939 Paul Thiry house in Seattle's Denny Blaine neighborhood. Turning our attention to the yard, we knew we needed design help to both create a completely new outdoor space while maintaining the relationship between the house and the future yard. In our research for an architectural firm, we were lucky to disocver SHED. Everything in their online portfolio resonated with us—these were our people. Fast forward to present day and the concrete wall, patio, floating bench, ipe sheds and plantings are complete. We get an equal number of compliments about the yard as we do the house—because of SHED's smart design, the two work in concert. I've heard from some home owners that at the end of a big project you are often "done" with your architect—the experience can deflate the initial high of finding a creative partner. The opposite is the case with SHED. We've made friends and are always happy to have SHED over to show off their stellar work to other clients. Prentis, Thomas, Cindy, Chris, Greg and Alex are welcome guests at our house as their yard redesign has been such an awesome addition to the house and our active outdoor lives. Thanks SHED!