röm architecture

Carol Sundstrom, AIA, is a Seattle architect specializing in pre-1960's home remodeling and universal design.
romarchitecture.com

Three Centuries of Color in 30 Seconds

Bj_moore

TRIVIA: What was the first synthetic paint color ever produced?
ANSWER: Mauveine (purple) in 1856!
Benjamin Moore’s records of American’s most popular choice of colors over three centuries creates a language that reflects how war, peace, youth, and technology have influenced our lives and style.

Familiar earth tones which tend to be deep and warm were most common and comforting during war times. 
Cool tones became more popular when consumers valued living glamorously and women’s suffrage was finally achieved. 

Bold and bright colors came into pop culture as “flower power” and the “youth takeover” began. 
More recently, our tastes have turned to more natural colors with pops of bold.  One theory is that this satisfies a desire to balance instant gratification (technology) with a greater awareness (global concerns).

Simply said, “Color is language!”

Vintage Plumbing Fixtures, circa 1931, for sale

One of our clients has some fixtures that were removed from their brick Tudor in Laurelhurst.  If you are looking for some period-authentic fixtures, these are for sale but will go quickly!  Contact us if interested.

Fixtures_for_sale

Nob Hill featured on cultivate.com

If you are remodeling a kitchen, or just dreaming about it, check out William Sonoma’s kitchen design resource website cultivate.com.  There are lots of searchable inspiration photos for many different styles and color themes, and the images can be pinned directly to your own virtual corkboard on Pinterest.  

Today, our Nob Hill project was featured in “Cannes Film Festival Celebration:  7 Sweet French-Inspired Kitchens.”  For this kitchen, the first item purchased was the beautiful range in a custom color — robin’s egg blue!

Cultivate_120517

Find us at the Historic Seattle Building Renovation Fair on April 14, 2012

“Timeless Style, Modern Living” hosted by ROM architecture studio

Carol Sundstrom, AIA, will be speaking at 11am in a free seminar to fair attendees.  Learn what you need to know in order to successfully navigate the challenges of making a kitchen in an older home work for today’s lifestyle.  

The studio will also have a booth at the fair with helpful handouts and inspiring images.  

2012brfpostcard_front_small

Nob Hill project featured in today’s Pacific Northwest Magazine

Media_httpseattletime_dcbub

Read about this dramatic resurrection of a Four Square style home on top of Queen Anne in today’s Pacific Northwest Magazine (glossy insert found inside the Sunday Seattle Times). Phoenix Construction masterfully executed the interior restoration. Cabinetry by Pete’s Cabinets and Contour Woodworks. Interior design collaboration by Lucy Johnson Interiors.

Magnolia Mid-Mod featured on William Sonoma’s cultivate.com

Mag_mid-mod_cultivate_120404

Magnolia Mid-Mod is the featured kitchen today on William Sonoma’s kitchen inspiration and resource website cultivate.com.

See more pictures of this whole-house Universally-Designed remodel here.

Mock-up first for a perfect banquette, Round 3

The banquette I blogged about here and here is now complete.  When it comes to banquettes, the details make the difference between something that looks pretty in a photograph and something that you actually use AND ENJOY.  Here, we were careful to consider the height and slope of the backs, as well as room for the biggest feet in the family to tuck under and be crossed.

Salvaged gym floor boards (from Ingraham High School) were upcycled for the table top and some old gym bleachers from a middle school that were used for the bench tops.  

From the homeowners:

We are absolutely delighted with this new set-up in our kitchen. I think we’ve used that space more in the last two weeks than the whole time we’ve lived in the house (11 years). It feels like we added another room! Thanks, again, for the great design.

Banquette_final

FOR ROUND 2, CLICK HERE.

FOR ROUND 1, CLICK HERE.

Teenage fun in front of the cameras

Magnolia Mid-Mod was used as the location for marketing photography for Varilite, a wheelchair cushion manufacturer. The photos show how fun it is to cook in this kitchen!  

(photo credit:  copyright Earl Harper/harperstudios.com)

Tour of Architects 2012 to showcase Pioneer Square

Kit-01

The Pioneer Square loft project will be open for tour as part of the Tour of Architects this year. Purchase your tickets now. Read more about the project here

Somerset Master Bath - AFTER

Click here to see BEFORE pictures.

More Information