A kitchen remodel followed by a second story overhaul in a 1901 central Seattle home

Some projects unfold in chapters. The owner of this 120-year-old Cherry Hill home came to Neil Kelly in 2022 with a 170-square-foot kitchen that wasn’t keeping pace with how she lived. Designer Anne Bauer solved that in phase one. Two years later, the same client came back with a vision for the entire upstairs. Primary bathroom, two bedrooms, closet, powder room, hallway, and her laundry/sewing room. What emerged across both phases is a beautifully personalized home that functions the way it should have all along.

PHASE 1 — THE KITCHEN AND DINING NOOK (2022)

The Challenge

The existing kitchen was 170 square feet and falling short on storage, prep space, and flow. The client wanted better organization, more room to cook, and a design that could hold traditional architecture and eclectic personal taste in the same room without either one winning.

Framing and electrical conditions complicated the work. “There were considerable framing and electrical issues that required creative on-site problem-solving,” said Anne. Creating a layout that made sense while expanding storage and adding custom features required close collaboration between the designer, carpenter, and project manager throughout.

The Solution

Anne relocated a pocket door to create an inside corner, removing the door from the workspace and improving traffic flow. The move gave the kitchen clearly defined work zones while leaving room for guests to gather comfortably outside them. Custom cabinetry in dark gray—built to specific sizes to maximize every inch—handled the storage problem, and we painted the insides of the cabinets green, just for fun. Warm walnut on the perimeter and the island’s waterfall countertop brought contrast against the cool-toned cabinets. A concrete sink basin with a stone faucet base kept water off the wood. Hand-painted tile was installed on the seating side of the island, and bold, intricately patterned wallpaper anchored the breakfast nook.

“The wallpaper selected for the nook added a cozy touch for both dining and work while adding a touch of whimsy to the entire kitchen,” said Anne.

PHASE 2 — THE UPSTAIRS (2024–25)

The Challenge

The upstairs hadn’t been substantially updated in decades. The primary bathroom was divided awkwardly, with no real separation between the toilet and the rest of the room and fixtures well past their useful life. The hallway connected the surrounding rooms—primary bedroom, guest room, powder room, and laundry/sewing room—but an open staircase to attic storage consumed square footage that could work harder.

The client came with a clear aesthetic perspective: warm, layered, and personal, with color used intentionally rather than sparingly. The challenge was delivering that vision coherently across a complex, multi-room scope.

The Solution

Anne and her team restructured the upstairs around better circulation and cleaner separation between spaces. The primary bathroom became the focal point of the phase.

Key changes across the upstairs:

• Primary bathroom fully redesigned with a separate enclosed toilet room, frameless glass shower, and freestanding soaking tub
• New pocket doors throughout—primary bath, bedroom, guest room, and laundry—a detail that preserves wall space and improves flow, echoing the same move that defined phase 1
• Attic staircase removed and replaced with ladder access; the freed hallway space reframed as a niche
• Wall-mounted sink added in the primary bedroom, reducing traffic through the bathroom
• Laundry/sewing room refreshed with a new utility sink and updated finishes
• Paint and wallpaper introduced across all rooms: blush in the primary bedroom, crisp white throughout the bath and hallway, with wallpaper planned for the toilet room and bedroom ceiling

The primary bathroom carries the most design investment. A frameless sliding glass door opens to a shower lined with large-format white hex field tile, with a blue-and-white vertical brick accent wall that continues across part of the shower ceiling. A custom mosaic in azurite, talc, and ink art glass marks the shower niche. Opposite the shower, a freestanding oval soaking tub sits on a floor-mounted brass filler. The enclosed toilet room has its own walnut cabinetry with a clear coat finish—visually distinct from the painted white vanity cabinetry in the main bath. Throughout, fixture selections carry deliberate warmth: A turquoise wall-mounted bucket sink and antique brass faucet in the primary bedroom are the most personal notes in the project.

MATERIALS AND FEATURES – Phase 1

Cabinets — Crystal Cabinets— Customized Encore line painted in “Iron Range,” full overlay construction, dovetail soft-close drawers, recessed panel door style

Countertop — Crosscut Woods — reclaimed walnut, 1.5″–2″ thick, natural finish

Island face tile — Statements Tile — Tab Deco mosaic, Lavan on Extra Virgin, 6″ x 6″

Nook wallpaper & upholstery fabric — Scion Living — Rumble In The Jungle in “Midnight/mint leaf”

MATERIALS AND FEATURES – Phase 2

Cabinets — Crystal Cabinets — Frameless construction in Maple painted Frosty White, soft close. Walnut shelves in toilet room.

Countertop — Crosscut Woods — walnut, 3CM satin eased edge with 9″ backsplash

Shower field tile — Daltile — Gaudi Lux Hex, 8-5/8″ x 9-7/8″, white

Shower accent tile — Walker — Zanger 6th Ave, 3″ x 6″, Marlin Blue Gloss

Shower accent tile, secondary — Walker — Zanger 6th Ave, 3″ x 6″, White Gloss

Shower niche mosaic — AKDO — Sublime Bouquet via Statements Tile and Stone

Bath and shower floor — Daltile — Stagecraft Matte Galaxy Kaleidoscope, Arctic White Matte

Freestanding soaking tub — Signature Hardware — Hibiscus 59″ Oval Acrylic

Plumbing fixtures — Kohler — Artifacts collection in “Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass” for shower head, handheld, and tub filler

Vanity faucet — Axor — Montreux in Brushed Gold Optic

Bedroom sink — West Elm — Mini San Francisco Bucket Sink in turquoise

Vanity sconces — Visual Comfort — KSW1132BBS, white with burnished brass

Toilet room pendant — Visual Comfort — ARN 5453G-WSG,  white strié glass with gild finish

Primary bedroom ceiling fixture — Visual Comfort — KS 4066SB-CRE, soft cream with brass;

Guest room ceiling fan — Visual Comfort — Maverick 70″, 3MAVR70BK , walnut blades with matte black

Hallway chandelier — Visual Comfort — Talia Large, JN 5112G/CG, clear swirled glass with gild finish

Hallway sconce — Seletti — Monkey Lamp, white

Primary bath toilet room wallpaper — Schumacher — Boråstapeter collection, Kvackstepp, Multi colorway

Primary bedroom ceiling wallpaper — The Workroom — Sanctuary in “Wandering Vine”

Powder room wallpaper — Spoonflower — “Dreamy Watercolor Evergreen Conifer Pine Tree Forest,” design by Kim Marshall Studio

Ready to a whole-house project of your own? 

If you’re thinking about a custom remodel for your home, the design/build remodeling experts at Neil Kelly would love to chat. Our teams of experienced designers and craftspeople work on residential spaces of all sizes throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Get in touch with us today to get started.