Paxson Fay is a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in the architecture, design, and arts industries.
Paxson Fay
4770 Ohio Ave S
Ste B
Seattle, WA 98134
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 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.
colby wood
account executive
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.
stasha vincent
communications specialist
stasha@paxsonfay.com
Originally from Spokane, Washington, Stasha relocated to Seattle after completing her studies in communications at Eastern Washington University. Over the past seven years, she has held various communication roles at Amazon, specializing in crisis communication and brand reputation. In June of 2023, Stasha joined Paxson Fay as a Communications Specialist, providing her with the opportunity to blend her communications expertise with her passion for design. Stasha focuses on PR efforts for a variety of clients at Paxson Fay.
zoe mcphail
communications coordinator
zoe@paxsonfay.com
From San Francisco, California, Zoe moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington. She graduated with a dual bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science. Shortly after graduation from UW, Zoe hopped across the pond to pursue her Master of Science in Urban Economics and Real Estate Finance at the London School of Economics. Focusing on Sustainable Development, she found herself drawn to adaptive reuse and preservation projects in the world of architecture and design. Building on prior marketing and social media experience, Zoe returned to the PNW in July of 2023 to work on social media strategy and content creation for clients at Paxson Fay.
martina povolo
communications assistant
martina@paxsonfay.com
Martina joined the Paxson Fay team as an intern when she was a senior at the University of Washington. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Interest Communications, Martina is now continuing with the team as a Communications Assistant. During her time at UW, Martina worked as the Special Sections Editor at the university’s newspapers where she won multiple awards for her front page spreads. Looking to blend her minors in real estate and environmental science with her focus in communications, Martina is passionate and excited to join the Paxson Fay team.
We are looking for a star communications specialist to join our team, leading creative brands in their communications efforts across platforms. Click here to read more.
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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.
