SEATTLE 鈥� So let鈥檚 assume it鈥檚 true, and you really can鈥檛 go home again. But what if 鈥� what if you could recreate a home and a sense of home 鈥� architecturally, geographically and especially emotionally?
Allison Ainslie and her family are living that hypothesis of reminiscence. Early results are lovely on many levels.
As children, Allison and her brothers, Neill and Bruce, lived with their parents in a Madison Park home built in 1967 by their father, Hugh Ainslie.
Now, Allison and Neill are business partners at Ainslie-Davis Construction, and they have used their historic homestead to inform a new home they designed and built 鈥� a mere five blocks away 鈥� for Allison and her modern-day family: husband John Martynovych, daughter Aleksandra and Blitz the dog (son Nicholas is grown and on his own).
鈥淭his is a redo of our childhood home,鈥� Neill said. 鈥淚t seems like in the last 10聽years, a lot of people are gravitating toward remodelling midcentury-modern houses. We had this property. How much better could it be to build a new midcentury-modern the way my dad did?鈥�
Quite a bit better, as it turns out, in every way that counts.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of a nostalgic family. My dad is nostalgic, too,鈥� Allison said.
鈥淚t connects me to my childhood in general 鈥� hopefully, in a healthy way. I鈥檓 still in Madison Park. My daughter went to McGilvra [Elementary School], and I went to McGilvra. It鈥檚 the small town I grew up in, and I鈥檓 raising my kids in that small town.鈥�
It鈥檚 not exactly the same home, of course 鈥� but it absolutely is grounded in sentimental inspiration.
鈥淚 visited the [previous] house and had it in my head,鈥� Allison said. 鈥淚 introduced myself to the lady living in the house and told her I wanted to build this house. They walked us around. I came back and drew up the plan view and elevations with some tweaks and went to 鈥楿ncle Mick鈥� (actual uncle/architect Bruce Michael O鈥橬eill), who drew it up on CAD. Then we hired architect Thomas Isarankura of BAAN Design to help me tweak it and put together a permit set.鈥�
The floor plan of her updated, more modern, midcentury-style home is 鈥渂asically the same,鈥� Allison said, as are some features and materials:
鈥� 鈥淭he main part was on one level, with the master up and the kids on the main level. I liked that,鈥� she said.
鈥� Daughter Aleksandra鈥檚 room is in the same location as a younger Allison鈥檚. 鈥淲hen we were doing the back bedroom, I鈥檇 get real nostalgic,鈥� Neill said. 鈥淭hose were our middle-school days. We鈥檇 crack the 鈥� window and sneak out while our parents were upstairs.鈥�
鈥� 鈥淭hat particular house was really built around the indoor/outdoor connection,鈥� Allison said 鈥� as is this one, with a central, cosy glassed-in courtyard off the sitting room and kitchen.
鈥� 鈥淣eill and I do a lot of midcentury-modern, with massive fireplaces as a focal point and mahogany trim,鈥� she said. Here, Allison鈥檚 husband, 鈥渁 stone guy鈥� with Lambert Marble & Tile, built the impressive Canadian limestone fireplace. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very similar,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd the floating hearth is very midcentury.鈥�
鈥� 鈥淭he siding is reminiscent 鈥� cedar 鈥� and the colour is the same,鈥� she said.
The usual change agents 鈥� time, taste and basic reality 鈥� necessitated the few design tweaks:
鈥� 鈥淢y lot is a little bit skinnier,鈥� Allison said. 鈥淭hat house had a floating staircase, and we couldn鈥檛 fit it on here without modifications.鈥�
鈥� The kitchen is more open and more modern, thanks to 鈥渞e-imagining鈥� by Isarankura.
鈥� 鈥淭hen, all the floors were oak,鈥� Allison said. 鈥淢y husband installed porcelain tile floors, because of the dog.鈥�
鈥� Also new: a 400-square-foot detached accessory dwelling unit over the garage, which is rented out. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how you afford to live in Seattle now,鈥� Allison said.
In creatively re-creating a home, and a feeling, this reminiscent redo honours family history, and generations.
鈥淚鈥檓 really happy,鈥� Allison said. 鈥淎nd Dad just thinks it鈥檚 the greatest thing in the world. He just thinks it鈥檚 awesome. 鈥業 want to copy you, Dad.鈥� What better form of flattery?鈥�
