A Seattle Classic Remodeled: Honoring Anhalt Architecture
There are not many Frederick Anhalt homes left, which makes working on one feel like something of a privilege.
If you know Seattle architecture, you know the name. Anhalt's Capitol Hill apartment buildings — Mediterranean courtyards, English Tudor bungalows, the grand Medieval English complexes along Belmont and Boylston — are among the most beloved structures in the city. Later in his career, after the Depression reshaped what was possible, he turned to single-family homes, bringing to them the same extraordinary quality and conviction. And there aren't many left.
So when this Bryant-area homeowner and their architect, Paul Michael Davis, reached out to Blue Sound Construction to undertake a full remodel and addition of one such home, it was an opportunity we were honored to accept.
The Vision: Where History and Freshness Meet
The design intention was clear: honor the heritage of this classic cape cod while bringing it fully into the present — sensitively, thoughtfully, with the level of craft the original deserved. What emerged from that collaboration is architectural eye candy: a home where history reached forward and we reached back, meeting at a nexus that feels inevitable, and absolutely at home in its environment, as any true cape cod should.
What We Did
The work began at the foundation. We shored up the existing structure while carefully dismantling the slab in sections to preserve stability, then dug down through hard-packed soil to pour a fresh foundation at a lower elevation — gaining meaningful basement head-height in the process. There was considerable thought required around formwork and drainage, and our crew met every challenge with skill and care.
From there, the transformation took shape:
Home addition off the back of the house, with a gorgeous light-filled stairwell — all carpentry, including the stair rail, self-performed by our in-house craftspeople to the standard an Anhalt build demands
Outdoor living room on the corner lot, complete with a masonry fireplace, that settles into the property as though it was always part of the original design
Full interior remodel — new kitchen, bathrooms, fireplace built-ins, and mantel
Foundation rework and basement dig-out for improved headheight and long-term structural integrity
View from the back— you would never know this home that looks so modest from the front actually has a roomy, light filled interior thanks to the addition at the back.
An all new outdoor living room with lovely masonry to make the most of Seattle’s mild climate.
Even our pets know when we’ve made your happy place : )
The light filled stairwell in the foreground and the outdoor living room/ kitchen beyond. The architectural views Paul Michael Davis envisioned would make Frederick Anhalt proud.
The Thing About Shingle Siding
There is something enduringly alluring about shingle siding, and on this home — with its cottage-and-courtyard sensibility — it is simply right. That quality of rightness is what happens when a thoughtful architect and a crew that genuinely cares about craft are working toward the same vision. Paul Michael Davis brought a design-forward perspective that never competed with the home's Anhalt bones; it completed them.
We believe Anhalt would delight in the result.
To see more of this project, go to its portfolio page here:
Project Credits
Design: Paul Michael Davis Build: Blue Sound Construction Concrete: QE Concrete Photography: Mark Woods
Thinking about a remodel or addition of your own? Blue Sound Construction works throughout Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area, specializing in whole home remodels, home additions, and historically sensitive renovations. We'd love to hear about your project.