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MEDINA, Washingon 鈥� Graham Baba Architects had just one commission under its creative belt when opportunity knocked, urgently, all the way from Kentucky. Lisa and Terry Davenport, then living in Louisville with their four children, were moving to Medina, Washington. They鈥檇 bought a promising 1965 rambler on a serene and secluded site, and they really were hoping some of those promises would materialize before they got there.

鈥淥n Oct. 15, I got this call: 鈥楾he moving truck is coming Dec. 15,鈥� 鈥� says architect Brett Baba, clearly a fearless fan of opportunity. 鈥淭here were two months to do 鈥榓rchitectural triage鈥� on the house.鈥� The home had survived 鈥渢hree disparate, major additions over the years,鈥� he says. There were all sorts of resulting options for intervention, but triage demands quick assessment and prioritizing 鈥� and a deadline demands especially quick work.

In the end, which ultimately was only the beginning, Baba and Beacon Remodeling and Restoration remodelled the Davenports鈥� den, entry and powder room; spiffed up the master bedroom; raised the door heads; refinished floors; redesigned fireplaces, stairs and railings; and swapped out hardware and lighting.

Whew.

Deadline met and promises fulfilled, the happy Davenports moved in 鈥� and pondered all those other options for intervention.

鈥淭he dialogue that ensued included a wish list that led to a master plan for completely transforming the home into a contemporary, open and livable family refuge,鈥� Baba says. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 want to compromise their vision for the home, and chose to patiently do the work as resources became available.鈥�

In the actual end, that turned into five phases of home work 鈥� over nine years.

Under the master plan, Lisa says, the idea was: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to pick away as we can afford to, and we鈥檙e not going to cut any corners. It was as good as it could be, picking away at the plan. I think we touched every inch of the house. We tried to be as smart as we could.鈥�

During one especially clever cost-efficient phase, updating the exterior involved splitting the house down the spine, and meant that replacement of the siding and windows was only done on the street side, Baba says.

(The rear siding and windows were finished later, when the office also was addressed.)

Another phase transformed an attached kit greenhouse from an aging plant-growing room into a light-filled sitting room.

And yet another modernized the master bathroom and kitchen.

At one point, King Construction (which handled phases 2 through 5) created a 鈥渂rilliant gerbil-tube tunnel/Habitrail,鈥� Lisa says, so crews could access work areas while the family 鈥渓ived in the house basically unscathed.鈥�

As the phases evolved, Baba says, so did the process. 鈥淲e were always in sync with the vision, never missing a beat. It became very efficient. By the time we got to phases 3 and 4, it was very quick and easy.鈥�

Still, the visionary master plan evolved a bit through phases and years. 鈥淚t became about connecting in-out and out-in, and organizing the progression as we designed the entry,鈥� Baba says.

鈥淲hen you first walked in before, you felt frustrated. The big vision was: Sooner or later, we have to connect it.鈥�

Now, says Baba, 鈥淭he various phases are knitted together and seem as if they were done at once. What鈥檚 great about this project is that you can鈥檛 look and see where Phase 1, 2, 3, 4 starts and ends.鈥�

Not surprisingly, everything else evolved, too: Terry recently retired from his job as a Starbucks executive. Lisa wound up with an especially appropriate new job: project co-ordinator for King Construction.

Graham Baba Architects held a 10-year anniversary event, 鈥渁nd the whole wall was a timeline of clients,鈥� Lisa says. 鈥淲e were No. 2.鈥�

And the Davenport kids grew up and moved out, leaving Terry, Lisa and Otis the French bulldog to enjoy their cohesively contemporary 5,000-square-foot home and its spectacularly, methodically updated and connected spaces.

鈥淚 think because we took time to live in it, we were able to figure out what we wanted, and refine it,鈥� Lisa says.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing we鈥檝e done that I鈥檝e regretted or wish we鈥檇 done differently. That鈥檚 the benefit of being patient. We feel like we live in the house, even as empty-nesters.鈥�

May 2016 marked the final-final remodeling phase, she says. 鈥淥ur goal was to finish it for our son鈥檚 high-school graduation, and our daughter鈥檚 college graduation.鈥�

Adds Terry: 鈥淣othing like a deadline.鈥�