Last year Ballard residents Drew and Jacob decided to tear down their "scary little garage" and build a backyard cottage. Fast forward to this week and they are now living in an intergenerational family compound, sharing their property with Drew’s parents. Let's see what they built.
The cottage is small even by backyard cottage standards. In Seattle, backyard cottages are limited in size by their overall gross square footage and their footprint is limited as a percentage of lot size. In this case, the parent lot is relatively small limiting the allowable footprint to a mere 14 ft x 24 ft. To maintain the minimum required side yard setback the top floor of the cottage is even smaller.
On a winters day the cottage is filled with natural light
Even given the limited footprint we were able to create a comfortable living room, kitchen, powder and laundry room on the ground floor. The height of backyard cottages is also limited. To increase the apparent size of the cottage we left the ceilings joists exposed. This also adds a sense of rustic warmth which is further enhanced by the owner's furnishings and choice of fixtures.
The kitchen: compact but designed for use
The kitchen is compact but designed for people who like to cook. The refrigerator and stove are both compact 24 in x 24 in. The table fits into a nook with a bench but is also expandable so that the whole family can eat together. A pantry is located under the stair and to the left of the table is the entry to a powder room that also contains a washer and dryer.
The bedroom is located on the second floor and features vaulted ceilings and lots of natural light. A bathroom is located off of the bedroom at the top of the stairs.
The tongue and groove fir floor is also the ceiling below.
The bathroom features a nice walk in shower, vaulted ceilings and a skylight. There is a walk in closet located off of the bathroom.
Click here to read an interview with Drew and her families experience building a backyard cottage.
