Article:
Looking beyond the surface
By Shelley Anderson
February 2008
Transforming an outdated condo into a home
Interior designer Shelley Anderson spent the better part of 2006 remodeling an outdated condo into the home of her dreams. Over the next few months she chronicles her experience in hopes of inspiring others to look beyond the surface to a home’s hidden potential.
When I saw the 1964 era condo I immediately knew this was the space I was looking for. Beneath the faded peach-colored grasscloth wallcovering, the popcorn ceiling, the laminate cabinets and the colorcoordinated blue and rose bathrooms, I saw the potential for our new home in the city.
We were searching for an in-city condo that would suit our blended family needs. With three adult children living on their own, but one still in high school, our needs included three bedrooms, or a den large enough for a convertible bed to double as an office since I work from home. A kitchen large enough for both of us to work in was a must, as was an open concept floor plan for the living areas. Something to look at besides the brickwork of an adjacent building was also high on the list.
Walking in the front door of the unit I was struck by an incredible view of Elliot Bay and the Olympics. That’s about where the list ended. The place was very tired. Stained carpet throughout the condo showed where all the furniture had been for years. The entry wallcovering was dark and showed all of its 40 years. The bedrooms (only two) had obscure glass windows, which made the east facing rooms perpetually dark. As for the two bathrooms, I can only say that I wasn’t aware you could match your laminate cabinets and your bathroom fixtures to your toilet paper. But, the areas designated as living and dining rooms were fairly open — once the shoji screen dividers were removed. This place had potential!
The main thing we were looking for — space — was here, not just in square footage, but in the openness of the floor plan. The building was concrete and steel construction, therefore the only supporting structures in the condo would be the concrete columns that marched through the center. This became an open slate for designating use of space.
For the next four months, the place was totally stripped of all wall covering, the asbestos was abated and the dropped ceiling was removed, leaving us with nine and a half foot ceilings and even more perceived space.
I was ready to create the interior of my vision!
Shelley Anderson has been creating interiors in the greater Seattle area since 1990.You may contact her at (206) 719-6814 or email her at
shelley.anderson@shelleyandersoninteriors.com.