Southbay Bed & Breakfast Remodel

"The 88 year-old bungalow was free. But the house came with a price tag all its own."
(The following represents portions of the complete text, which appeared in the June, 1999 edition of Remodeling Magazine, pp.54-61.)

Project:
Move an empty bungalow, scheduled for demolition, a mile uphill to a new site and triple its size to turn it into a combination family home, bed & breakfast, and home office.

Size:
Before: 1400 square feet
After: 4600 square feet

Location:
South end of Lake Whatcom on a sloping 5 acre view parcel

General Contractor, Designer & Owner:
Dan Moore, TPS Services, Inc.

Cost (in 1994):
$460,000

It was clear from the beginning that it would be a financial squeeze to manage such a complex project. The view, the lake, and the proximity to the San Juan Islands and Canada – it all added up to an attractive getaway site. Maybe by factoring in a few rooms for paying guests, the financials could work. Moore envisioned two scenarios: Either simply expand the house to include a couple of guest rooms, or go all out and add five guest rooms and a two car garage.

Against steep odds, Moore bought the property in March 1995. Whatcom House Movers, Bellingham, WA., transported the house to the site in April. Along the way, he succumbed to the "as long as we’re doing it, let’s do it right" disease that so many homeowners come down with. Moore and his wife Sally decided to opt for the larger-scale renovation. He drew new plans and had the foundation built.

The old two story bungalow now sits on a walkout basement – the garden level – where a bank of French doors brings a stunning view of the lake into four guest rooms. A living room addition at the first-floor level creates ample common space for guests and family. Dormers – four gables in front, and a shed at the rear – allowed the upper story to be expanded into a larger guest room (the penthouse suite) and private space for the Moores. The family space includes a master bedroom suite, a TV room, a library, an exercise room, and a home office for TPS Services. A back stairway allows construction business traffic to come and go without tracking through the main house.

The house’s original interior Craftsman-style trim was buried under decades of white paint, so Moore opted to replace it. He called on Bellingham cabinet maker Jim VanWoerden to do the job. VanWoerden created Arts and Crafts style trim out of fir, similar to what had been in the house, and fabricated surrounds for a through-the-wall fireplace that serves both the living room and the dining area.

The original kitchen and dining room were combined to become a "near commercial" kitchen for Sally, innkeeper and chef. There’s enough space and heavy duty equipment to easily handle meals for dozens of guests. In keeping with the notion of recycling old structures, the solid oak cabinetry in the kitchen was rescued from a university science lab.

Outside, traditional cedar boards and shingle siding – as well as the muted, earthy trim colors – give a nod to the Craftsman style as well. Replicating the home’s original eight-over-one windows would have been prohibitively expensive. So Moore chose an energy-efficient six-over-one style that still echoes the windows common in bungalows.

Moore knew just how to finish the project off with drama and light. Because many of his jobs include sunrooms, he opted to anchor the corner of the dining area with a cozy conservatory. Eight floor to ceiling windows and an eight-section vaulted glass ceiling offer up a panoramic view of the lake or the stars as guests dine. That sort of ambience keeps the guest rooms booked.

The South Bay Bed & Breakfast project received the 1997 "Award of Excellence in Remodeling" from the Washington State Builders Association.