SHED Architecture & Design’s Dyes Inlet Farmhouse on Dwell

Before & After: A Couple Crack Open a Cramped Brick House on a Washington Oyster Farm

SHED Architecture + Design refreshes a Kitsap Peninsula home by taking down walls, doubling down on dormers, and polishing up its interior with pearly-white shiplap.

Text by Melissa Dalton

For many years, Kirsten and Rick lived in a very rural part of the Kitsap Peninsula, across the Puget Sound from Seattle. “We were living out in the woods,” says Kirsten. “The closest town was 25 minutes away, and gas was 25 minutes away. We loved it—it was beautiful and quiet, but a little too remote.”

The couple started looking for something closer in, when Kirsten’s oldest daughter came across a listing for a 1930s brick farmhouse on about two acres in Silverdale. The Dyes Inlet property was once an oyster farm, and the residence had the same quiet, rustic quality as the home they were leaving.

Before: Rear Facade

Before: Kirsten and Rick’s 1930s brick farmhouse is located on a former oyster farm in Silverdale, on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington. "There are very few brick houses around," says Kirsten. "That’s part of why we decided to remodel rather than tear it down." This side of the house faces the water.

After: Rear Facade

Exterior, House Building Type, Gable RoofLine, Brick Siding Material, Farmhouse Building Type, and Metal Roof Material SHED Architecture & Design worked with Joe Gates Construction to preserve the brick shell, while making room in the 2,182-square-foot plan for two complete bedroom suites upstairs, an open main level, and a finished basement. To the left is a partially buried concrete 380-square-foot "boat bunker," which acts as a windbreak and provides storage for gear.

The couple were surprised at the find. “Silverdale is a community that grew up around a mall,” says Kirsten. “It has a Costco, a Trader Joe’s, and all the franchise restaurants. But we came to see the house, and it was this little corner of paradise right in the heart of Silverdale. Its original, rural nature had been preserved.”

Before: East Facade

Before: The original builder’s initials, "CM," were still clearly visible. "My feeling is they were very proud of building this house," says Kirsten. — Before: The original builder’s initials, “CM,” were still clearly visible. “My feeling is they were very proud of building this house,” says Kirsten.

After: East Facade

Exterior, Brick Siding Material, House Building Type, Metal Roof Material, Gable RoofLine, Farmhouse Building Type, and Boathouse Building Type SHED converted the home’s side door into the front door and established a new entry sequence with landscaping, stairs, a porch, and a metal awning. Wide steps and a patio lead down to the basement, which now holds utility spaces and an office / media room. The firm kept many of the original openings on this facade while installing new Andersen E-Series windows. Two smaller openings were bricked in. — SHED converted the home’s side door into the front door and established a new entry sequence with landscaping, stairs, a porch, and a metal awning. Wide steps and a patio lead down to the basement, which now holds utility spaces and an office / media room. The firm kept many of the original openings on this facade while installing new Andersen E-Series windows. Two smaller openings were bricked in.

Less paradisical was the home’s interior, which still had its original 1930s layout—complete with compartmentalized rooms, low ceilings in the upstairs bedrooms, and few windows to capture views of the inlet. Still, there was something about the brick that captivated the couple—it isn’t a common building material in the area, and it still bore the original builder’s initials in a flourish on the east facade.

Before: Side Door

Before: The original front door opened directly to the kitchen, so SHED adapted this side door to serve as the main entry.

After: Front Door

Doors, Exterior, and Swing Door Type The steel awning and railing sync with the home’s new metal roof. — The steel awning and railing sync with the home’s new metal roof.

After purchasing the property, Kirsten and Rick set about updating the farmhouse to suit their lifestyle. Their grown children and grandchildren come to stay for extended periods, so they needed more space and privacy than the existing three-bedroom / one-full-bathroom home offered. While researching local firms, they discovered SHED Architecture & Design, and they consulted with the firm about how to best proceed.

After: Entry

Storage Room and Cabinet Storage Type The new front door leads to a wood-paneled entry alcove with a built-in bench, storage, and coat hooks. — The new front door leads to a wood-paneled entry alcove with a built-in bench, storage, and coat hooks.

After: North Facade

Exterior, Brick Siding Material, Metal Roof Material, Gable RoofLine, House Building Type, and Farmhouse Building Type SHED installed a large dormer on this side of the building to fully accommodate the new upper-level plan, and provide views of the apple orchard on the other side of the building. — SHED installed a large dormer on this side of the building to fully accommodate the new upper-level plan, and provide views of the apple orchard on the other side of the building.

SHED principal Prentis Hale was struck by the uniqueness of the brick home, and thought the best approach was to preserve the integrity of the original structure while reorganizing the interior plan. “This was a 1930s brick house with some charm and character that didn’t deserve to be torn down,” says Hale. “It had been part of the fabric of Silverdale for a while, but the interior really no longer worked for the way people live these days.”

The firm came up with a master plan for the site that would convert the brick house into a guest residence for visiting family, and create a separate primary house for Kirsten and Rick. (They’ve just broken ground on the latter.)

Before: Kitchen

Before: The original front door opened directly to the kitchen.

After: Kitchen

Kitchen, Engineered Quartz Counter, Medium Hardwood Floor, Ceramic Tile Backsplashe, Undermount Sink, Wood Cabinet, Range Hood, Colorful Cabinet, Dishwasher, Range, Open Cabinet, and Refrigerator In the new kitchen, an Alpine Mist Caesarstone slab tops Alder cabinets. A mint-green custom steel hood conceals a Vent-a-Hood insert, and Ann Sacks Context tile in Frost covers the backsplash. — In the new kitchen, an Alpine Mist Caesarstone slab tops Alder cabinets. A mint-green custom steel hood conceals a Vent-a-Hood insert, and Ann Sacks Context tile in Frost covers the backsplash.

Dining Room, Ceiling Lighting, Chair, Medium Hardwood Floor, Stools, Pendant Lighting, and Table SHED removed dividing walls to expand the kitchen. A peninsula counter separates the space from the dining room. — SHED removed dividing walls to expand the kitchen. A peninsula counter separates the space from the dining room.

Dining Room, Table, Ceiling Lighting, Medium Hardwood Floor, Pendant Lighting, and Chair Thick Alder trim frames the windows and doors in select places to avoid having an awkward strip of drywall above. "Putting the wood panel above the doors was a way to make the window and door systems feel like they went floor to ceiling," says Hale. It’s a handy trick for places where the design/build team were constrained by structural beams that wouldn’t allow for units to be installed close to the ceiling line. Ambit pendants by Muuto hang above the dining room table. — Thick Alder trim frames the windows and doors in select places to avoid having an awkward strip of drywall above. “Putting the wood panel above the doors was a way to make the window and door systems feel like they went floor to ceiling,” says Hale. It’s a handy trick for places where the design/build team were constrained by structural beams that wouldn’t allow for units to be installed close to the ceiling line. Ambit pendants by Muuto hang above the dining room table.

SHED worked with Joe Gates Construction to keep the roof’s pitch, as well as the east and west facades, most of the window openings on those faces, and the OG initials. They took more liberties with the North and South facades.

On the water side, they extended the dormer all the way across to make room for two bedroom suites upstairs, and inserted new windows in the dormer to capture the views. “It neatly arranged itself in a very centralized, symmetrical (as we could make it) floor plan on the upper level,” says Hale. SHED mirrored that symmetry on the lower level, with two large sets of sliding-glass doors that align with the dormers above and connect the main living spaces to the view.

The firm also leaned into asymmetry by exaggerating the roof overhang at the rear facade to create a protected porch. Other exterior elements, like a simple steel canopy above the front door, and a metal railing, sync up with that dramatic move.

Before: Living Room

Before: This was the biggest window on the main floor that captured the water view.

After: Living Room

Living Room, Chair, Shelves, Recessed Lighting, Lamps, Floor Lighting, Coffee Tables, Medium Hardwood Floor, and Sofa SHED opened up the main floor plan so that the kitchen, living, and dining rooms flow into each other. "The interiors feel very calm, and the house is small enough that the open plan doesn't seem too large," says Hale. White oak floors run throughout the home, and La Cantina doors lead to the protected porch. — SHED opened up the main floor plan so that the kitchen, living, and dining rooms flow into each other. “The interiors feel very calm, and the house is small enough that the open plan doesn’t seem too large,” says Hale. White oak floors run throughout the home, and La Cantina doors lead to the protected porch.

Kirsten says she wanted the interior to feel “both light and airy, but to also have the character of a farmhouse.” To hit these notes, the design team selectively applied white shiplap to the entry, kitchen, and custom cabinetry upstairs. The wood paneling also serves a functional purpose: “I like something that can get dented,” says Kirsten.

To sync the home with the surrounding landscape, the team selected deep-blue floor tile for the bathroom, and pale green upholstery for a window seat. “It’s the opposite of a rabbit warren, which is what it felt like before,” says Kirsten. “Now, everything opens to the water and sky.”

Before: Upstairs Landing

Before: The upper level felt like a "rabbit warren" before, says Kirsten. — Before: The upper level felt like a “rabbit warren” before, says Kirsten.

After: Upper Landing

Hallway and Medium Hardwood Floor Thanks to the new dormer, both bedroom suites have views of the waterfront. — Thanks to the new dormer, both bedroom suites have views of the waterfront.

Before: Bedroom One

Before: The bedrooms felt small, with low ceilings, small windows, and awkward ceiling angles.

After: Bedroom One

Storage Room, Closet Storage Type, Cabinet Storage Type, and Shelves Storage Type SHED embraced the angled corners with custom cabinetry. According to Hale, the inspiration images that the couple chose were "less American Midwest farmhouse, and more contemporary Scandinavian farmhouse," which inspired the design team to consult Nordic farm layouts for the master plan. — SHED embraced the angled corners with custom cabinetry. According to Hale, the inspiration images that the couple chose were “less American Midwest farmhouse, and more contemporary Scandinavian farmhouse,” which inspired the design team to consult Nordic farm layouts for the master plan.

Before: Bathroom

Before: "You had to crouch to get into the bathtub," says Kirsten. — Before: “You had to crouch to get into the bathtub,” says Kirsten.

After: Bathroom

Bath Room, Cement Tile Floor, Engineered Quartz Counter, Accent Lighting, Wall Lighting, and Undermount Sink Dandelion tile by Marrakech Design covers the floor of the enlarged and reorganized bathroom. The vanity is topped with a Caeserstone Cloudburst Concrete slab. — Dandelion tile by Marrakech Design covers the floor of the enlarged and reorganized bathroom. The vanity is topped with a Caeserstone Cloudburst Concrete slab.

Before: Bedroom Two

Before: A closet chewed up the floor plan in another bedroom.

After: Bedroom Two

Bedroom, Bed, Storage, Medium Hardwood Floor, Bench, Shelves, and Ceiling Lighting Custom shiplap cabinetry saves floor space, and visually links the bedrooms to the rooms downstairs. — Custom shiplap cabinetry saves floor space, and visually links the bedrooms to the rooms downstairs.

Windows, Wood, Picture Window Type, and Casement Window Type Both bedrooms now glory in coastal views. — Both bedrooms now glory in coastal views.

After: Bathroom Two

Bath Room, Engineered Quartz Counter, Wall Lighting, Undermount Sink, Wood Counter, and Accent Lighting The second en suite bathroom features a matching material palette. The sconce above the mirror is by Schoolhouse. — The second en suite bathroom features a matching material palette. The sconce above the mirror is by Schoolhouse.

After: Boat Bunker

Shed & Studio and Storage Space Room Type SHED designed a half-buried, concrete boat bunker with a green roof to provide a windbreak and privacy from the neighbors, as well as storage for watercraft. The concrete is repeated throughout the landscape, and the design references coastal defense bunkers seen around the Kitsap Peninsula, says the firm. — SHED designed a half-buried, concrete boat bunker with a green roof to provide a windbreak and privacy from the neighbors, as well as storage for watercraft. The concrete is repeated throughout the landscape, and the design references coastal defense bunkers seen around the Kitsap Peninsula, says the firm.

Shed & Studio and Storage Space Room Type Even the boat bunker frames the view.

Floor Plan of Dyes Inlet Farmhouse by SHED Architecture & Design

More Before & After stories:

Clever Changes Bring Out the Charm in a 1920s Seattle Bungalow

A Timeworn Midcentury Home Gets a Reverent Renovation

A Kandinsky Print Inspires a Seattle Rambler’s Radiant Remodel

Project Credits:

Architecture: SHED Architecture & Design / @shedarchitecture

Builder: Joe Gates Construction

Structural Engineer: Todd Perbix

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SHED Architecture & Design’s Dyes Inlet Farmhouse on Dwell

Before & After: A Couple Crack Open a Cramped Brick House on a Washington Oyster Farm

Before: Rear Facade

After: Rear Facade

Before: East Facade

After: East Facade

Before: Side Door

After: Front Door

After: Entry

After: North Facade

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

Before: Upstairs Landing

After: Upper Landing

Before: Bedroom One

After: Bedroom One

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

Before: Bedroom Two

After: Bedroom Two

After: Bathroom Two

After: Boat Bunker

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Main content

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