This DIYed House is Filled with the Coziest Nooks Ever

published Jan 27, 2019

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Name: Rebecque Asher, husband, dog, and cat
Location: Columbia neighborhood — Bellingham, Washington
Size: Less than 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 7 years, owned

We are first-time home owners in Bellingham, Washington. We live a five-minute drive away from the ocean. We were able to buy our small, historic house (built in 1904) through a local organization called Kulshan Community Land Trust. They help low-income families achieve the dream of home ownership in our community. A few years ago, we received a full grant from Kulshan CLT for solar panels—reducing our electric bill to almost nothing (while generating solar incentive revenue that is used to assist other low-income families purchase their first home.)

The view showing a long (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

Over the years, we have been making improvements to the house with our budding DIY design and building skills. I am an illustrator/graphic designer and my husband is a writer. We share the house with our cat and dog.

A remodeled kitchen with the original brick chimney intact (over the oven and into the upstairs converted attic.) (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: historic, compact, and energy-efficient Craftsman

The front room/entry into the house. We made the serving tray as our coffee table (on top of two chairs) and the narrow table with pipes near the door to create an entry foyer feel. (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

What is your favorite room and why? The kitchen and dining room are the heart of our home. The kitchen features an original (defunct) brick fireplace that extends into the finished attic space and our dining room features our built-in table seating with hidden storage. Very cozy.

Our two downstairs offices/bedrooms with our handmade sliding doors and built-in features in both rooms. (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

A partial view of our upstairs converted attic and master bedroom. (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? Adding a second bathroom upstairs (to complete our master bedroom.)

Our guest bedroom and library. We created the headboard (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

We designed and built the DIY cable rail fence (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We do a lot of DIY projects for our home. The last thing we made was the additional counter space for our kitchen. It features a butcher block-style counter, shelving for cookbooks, and a pet feeding area with built-in bowls.

We designed and constructed our built-ins to create additional storage that complemented the style of this 1904 home. (Image credit: Rebecque Asher)

Any advice for creating a home you love? Create some of your own art and build your own things to feature in the home. Even if they’re not perfect, they express your personality.

Thanks, Rebecque!

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