One goal of this extensive remodel was to gain Puget Sound views, which the new upper story does. A den is at the very top.

North Seattle
Architect: Joseph Herrin of Heliotrope
Builder: An Urban Co.
Construction cost/size: $375,000/3,732 square feet; four bedrooms, three and a quarter baths

The intent: The lot offered the potential of a panoramic Puget Sound view, which the dated 1953 rambler that sat upon it didn't provide. So Brett Stevens, owner of An Urban Co., took down most of the house and replaced it with four stories (including basement) that nearly doubled the home's size and maximized the view. One way architect Herrin accomplished the latter: By putting the living/dining/kitchen areas one floor above the bedrooms, which themselves are a floor up from the daylight basement. The basement also includes a full guest suite. On the very top is a crow's nest of a den. Special touches include an Italian kitchen-cabinet system, a Japanese soaking tub and huge windows allowing the home to seem light-filled even on the cloudiest of days, all attributes Stevens hoped would convince buyers that his $995,000 sales price was appropriate.
 

A partial wall with a fireplace separates the living and dining rooms yet lets traffic flow.