Paxson Fay is a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in the architecture, design, and arts industries.
Paxson Fay
2309 E Madison Street
Seattle, WA 98112
info@paxsonfay.com
Best Practice Architecture’s Phinney Mini on Sunset Magazine
This Family of Four Lives in a 16-Foot-Wide House—Here’s How They Do It
A tiny home without an inch to spare delivers big results.
When a family of four outgrew their adorable but tiny home in Phinney Ridge, Seattle, they knew they needed more space. The problem was that they loved their historical 1907 house, and they didn’t want to leave their neighborhood, which is close to picturesque Green Lake. To stave off a move, they turned to Kip Katich of Best Practice Architecture in Washington, who did so much to make the house more livable—while only adding 30 square feet to the home’s footprint—that it feels like a magic trick.
Rafael Soldi
“They didn’t want to leave just because of the shortcomings of the inside,” Katich says. “Instead, they wanted to increase access and connection to the landscape, and create more storage and exterior living space.” And although the house, which Katich calls the “Phinney Mini,” is on a compact lot that’s only 25 feet wide, he could see that with some creative thinking, he could maximize the space.
He started with a gut renovation of the first floor and the basement. As with many older homes, the kitchen, dining, and living rooms were too compartmentalized, so Katich removed interior walls to help with the home’s flow and to bring in natural light. One major move was counterintuitive: Since there’s only one bathroom in the Phinney Mini, he made the kitchen smaller and the bathroom bigger and more luxurious.
Rafael Soldi
Of course, it sounds like heresy to make a kitchen in a small home smaller, but Katich pulled it off by adding more practical storage and integrating the refrigerator and dishwasher with the white oak cabinetry by the contractor, Kable Design Build.
Meanwhile, the clients had an excellent idea for the now larger bathroom. “The husband grew up in Japan and loved Japanese bathing,” Katich says. “He wanted to include that in his family’s culture while integrating the tub with the outdoor space via a large window.”
But Katich realized he could take that impulse one step further and really open it up. Now, glass doors open from the soaking tub to the patio, which has made the space multi-functional. “When it gets really hot on a summer day, the tub acts as a cool little dip for the kids,” he says, “and the adults sit on the back porch and stick their toes in, so it becomes another gathering place.”
Rafael Soldi
More great ideas turned the basement into a playroom/den/guest room. The challenge with a space like this was how to turn a dark afterthought into a room you’d actually want to hang out in. Katich replaced one wall with a sliding glass door to add access to the yard and bring in natural light. Shelves hold kids’ books for reading time, while the bulletin board hides a Murphy bed that can be opened when the family has guests.
One issue was where to put an office since, like a lot of people nowadays, the clients were working from home. “I asked myself, ‘How do you have a space that’s productive and a delightful space to work in, but doesn’t interfere with your day-to-day life?’” says Katich.
Rafael Soldi
The answer was a modest cube that integrates into the backyard landscape. Interestingly, it was the client’s idea to sink the cube three feet down into the earth and add a green roof. “They didn’t want to look down from the bedrooms onto a box,” he says. “And they didn’t want it to be too large because they wanted to be sensitive to their neighbors.”
Katich also helped the family pick out furniture that would fit the home’s small scale. Narrow spaces are especially challenging because something like the wrong dining room table can make it hard to walk from one room to another. To visualize sizing, he put masking tape down to make sure the oak table by Another Country wouldn’t be too large. The matching bench comes with an added benefit: When you’re not using the dining area, it can be pushed under the table to open up the walkway.
Rafael Soldi
A white pendant light from Design House Stockholm hovers, while in the living room, they managed to add a large Hem sectional by placing it against the window wall. “This way the couch is open to the room, so if you’re entertaining you can have someone on the couch, someone in the dining room, and someone in the kitchen, and the whole thing feels like a gathering space,” he says.
The result of all these innovative ideas? The family has decided to stay in the neighborhood and home they love. “Everything turned out beyond our expectations,” Katich says. “And the house feels open and effortless.”
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meet the team
We’re a team (and a dog named Evie) inspired by diverse design perspectives, innovation, technology, art, and the world around us. We live for the chance to create and disperse powerful, genuine messages that resonate.
amy golden
principal
amy@paxsonfay.com
Growing up in Seattle, Amy was always exploring the great outdoors but she found a particular thrill in traveling. During a visit to New York City at age 10, she knew that was where she wanted to live. After high school she left her home in the Pacific Northwest behind for the great unknown to attend Fordham University in the Bronx. Upon graduation, Amy received a phone call from CNN offering a job opportunity of a lifetime working in television ad sales at Manhattan's Time Warner Center. When a job opportunity in Los Angeles opened up a few years later, Amy couldn't say no to a new adventure back on the west coast. But Seattle eventually called her back home and Amy returned to pursue a Master's degree in Business Administration with the hopes of learning the skills she needed to feed her entrepreneurial spirit. Before graduating, Amy co-founded Paxson Fay with Tessa Andrews in 2015. Amy focuses on marketing strategy, public relations, social media, and partnerships.
tessa franchini
principal
tessa@paxsonfay.com
Tessa graduated from Fordham University in New York with a dual bachelor's degree in Communications and Political Science. During her time at Fordham, she worked for an interior designer and at NBC News where she developed her love for both design and communications. After graduating, Tessa managed marketing at 3form, a pioneer in the sustainable building products industry. During her tenure, 3form was repeatedly named one of the most recognized manufacturers in the design industry among architects and designers, and the company won multiple awards for its innovative product launches. After 3form, Tessa consulted on marketing efforts with leading product manufacturers in architecture and design before starting Paxson Fay with Amy.
claire butwinick
senior account coordinator
claire@paxsonfay.com
Claire Butwinick specializes in marketing and social media strategy, copywriting, and public relations. Formerly the Assistant Editor at GRAY Magazine, an international architecture and design publication based in Seattle, Claire brings to Paxson Fay her editorial background and a passion for all things design. In addition to her writing experience, Claire is a seasoned public speaker, moderating a number of panel discussions with IDS Vancouver and Be Original Americas, and hosting the 2019 GRAY Awards. Last year, she took her speaking skills virtual, conducting several Instagram Live interviews with designers amid the pandemic. A graduate from the University of Washington’s School of Communication: Journalism, Claire was honored with a Pioneer News Group Excellence Award for Visual Journalism, selected for the Communication department’s prestigious Career Exploration scholarship, and nominated for a Hearst National Journalism Award. Her work also appears in GRAY Magazine, Office Insight, SagaCity’s Jewish in Seattle Magazine, and more.
colby wood
senior account coordinator
colby@paxsonfay.com
After graduating from Fordham University in New York City with a major in Communications and Media Studies and a handful of marketing and PR internships, Colby moved to Boston to manage marketing for a small, women-owned, creative consulting agency. While in that role, Colby managed public relations and marketing efforts for some of Boston's most prominent events and public art initiatives, including the Boston Pickle Fair and The Bulfinch Crossing Projections in downtown Boston. Colby gained experience crafting brand stories and identities through social media marketing and creative copywriting, seen through the successful launch of a premier Massachusetts adult-use dispensary and the revamp of her agency's own website. After two years, Colby decided it was time to figure out what the West Coast was all about. Looking to blend her marketing experience with her passion for design and architecture, Colby found Paxson Fay, where she focuses on social media strategy and management and public relations.
Chloe Edwards
account coordinator
chloe@paxsonfay.com
Chloe Edwards is a PNW native and recent Summa cum laude graduate from the University of Washington, where she studied Communication and Anthropology. While interning with the strategic communications firm Parsons + Co. Chloe developed skills in messaging and branding development, media outreach, and social media management. Chloe joined the Paxson Fay team as an intern in the fall of 2020. At Paxson Fay, Chloe creates social media content for a variety of client campaigns and profiles and leads engagement on several accounts, coordinates internal communications efforts, and assists with media outreach. As Paxson Fay's full-time Communications Assistant she uses her experience to achieve social media marketing, content strategy, and media relations success for clients and for the Paxson Fay brand.
Ryan Hulsey
digital marketing manager
ryan@paxsonfay.com
Originally from Las Vegas, Ryan (they/them) graduated from the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!) and considers Seattle to be home. Ryan’s career has shifted many times - from being a campaign organizer in politics to being a professional photographer and wedding planner - but they have always gravitated towards the art of marketing and know it's their true calling. After working at multiple start-ups and building digital campaigns for companies like Google and Amazon, Ryan is excited to be a part of a team that aligns with their passions for architecture and design. Ryan is bringing years of marketing, data analysis, and social media experience to the team and is thrilled to start supporting clients in achieving their marketing goals.
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what we do
We are a communications firm founded in our passion for good design. Our unique approach to marketing and public relations in the architecture and design community has elevated our clients work to the next level. We’re backed by a talented community of creatives. From copywriters to social media experts, we provide a complete package of customized services. We strive to create a personal experience with each client, integrating teams and tackling your biggest marketing and public relations challenges from a high level. Then we help execute those plans ensuring lots of reporting along the way, with lots of coffee breaks in between because we’re from Seattle and that’s what we do.
marketing
marketing strategy
brand strategy
project management
partnerships acquisition and management
e-mail blasts
public relations
media strategy
content production
media communications and outreach
awards: strategy, content development and submissions
social
platform strategy and management
content production
targeted campaigns
results + reporting
advertising
advertising strategy
budget strategy + negotiation
calendar management
creative coordination
content
storytelling
copywriting
website and e-mail marketing
video: sourcing, storyboarding and scheduling
photography acquisition + curation
events
event management
sponsorships + partnerships
tradeshow coordination
press tours
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clients
Here is a little taste of who we love to work with and what we love to do.
