RCD is pleased to announce that The Sanctuary is now sold out. The completion of this unique townhome project was a collaboration between Robin Chell Design and Runberg Architects.  This historic landmark church (circa 1911) has been converted into 12 modern urban townhomes, ranging in size from 1600 to over 3000 square feet.

The building includes a fabulous interior atrium, featuing a custom illuminated resin screen.

In addition to the atrium, RCD furnished the 3500-square foot model home and coordinated artwork with Seattle’s Fetherston Gallery

*All photos by Michael Walmsley

RCD will be featured on an upcoming episode of DIY Network’s Bath Crashers. Dubbed “Sleek Seattle Waterfront Bath”, the episode will air Thursday, July 12^th, at 5pm (PST). The episode is premiering as part of DIY’s annual Crash Week (July 8-July 13).

This will be RCD’s second appearance on the show. Host Matt Muenster works with his team of builders to complete an extensive bathroom remodel using mostly donated materials and fixtures. After assessing the goals and tastes of the homeowners, the designer (RCD, working behind the scenes) puts initial plans and a wish-list of specifications together.  The show’s producers then work with both local and national suppliers to get material donations.

We were fortunate enough to get to work with Environite products, which was at the top of our list for countertops. Environite is a local, Camano Island-based company that makes beautiful solid surface countertops using 90% recycled products, including recycled glass. The result is a fabulous, sustainable material with a look and performance similar to quartz and terrazzo.

Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect to see on the show:

We started with a “Roman Bath meets 70’s Disco” interior, complete with walls of mirrors and faux columns. The goal for the new look was to incorporate natural woods and materials, and to create a sumptuous freestanding bath and shower room, as well as a unique water feature.

Below are our project renderings, which will be “unveiled” during the show.

The result is a fabulous spa bathroom suite with a walk-through shower,  a seating area that features a unique LED candle feature, natural wood flooring and a stunning water wall behind the freestanding bath.

We really enjoyed the challenge of keeping the project vision while making necessary design and finish changes based on what was donated. The result is fun, fresh and luxurious.

We hope you enjoy!

There was so much to see at this year’s NeoCon, Chicago’s colossal contract furniture show. We’ve decided to categorize our favorites, and we will be sharing these with you over the next month or so. This year’s show featured some hot new chairs, as well as some familiar ones. Here are some of our favorites:

The Perillo Chair by Dauphin. Designed by Martin Bellendat, this sexy and amazingly comfortable swivel chair is made from one continuous sheet of high gloss material, and it comes in colors that range from white to hot red. Sophisticated, ultra-modern and very sexy…

The New Brandy, designed by Lievore Altherre Molina, is from Andreu World . We fell in love with this stylish armchair, which won the “Best Guest Chair” award in the Best of NeoCon awards.  The line of chairs is locally represented in Seattle by Bill and Esther Dugraf. You can visit their Interbay Showroom at 2233 15^th Avenue West or contact them by Email The chair has five different options for bases and comes in a range of colors and fabrics.

We were also smitten with the New Rhonda , a  retro-modern swivel chair, also from Andreu World. This slick and comfortable oak wood shell chair was featured with four legs, although the manufacturer offers a variety of  steel and wood bases. Comfortable, stylish and modern.. we loved it!

Last but not least is the Up-Chair  by Sandler Seating. This snazzy chair comes in a great variety of colors and was amazingly comfortable. The chair is made from unique solid-colored integral foam, which is why there is such a high degree of both comfort and durability. We fell in love with the green one with the black walnut and steel peg legs. The chair is also available in a variety of bases, including chrome and plastic.

More NeoCon favorites coming soon!

This mid-century modern makeover in Laurelhurst was recently featured on a “Houzz Tour.”

The extensive and colorful remodel of this mid-century modern house in Seattle’s Laurelhurst was a collaboration between Robin Chell Design and  Coop15  architects.

“Our goal was not to re-create or preserve a midcentury-period piece, but rather to build upon the best of those elements, while creating a home setting that is completely fresh and relevant to contemporary living,” says Robin Chell.  Read the entire article on HOUZZ online magazine.

Photos by Daniel Sheehan

Ballard mixed-use project will set new standard for sustainable development in Seattle.

Construction is underway on a very unique new urban development in Ballard. Robin Chell Design is thrilled to be part of the team. We are providing comprehensive interior design services for this mixed-use project, which includes apartments, offices and retail. The Greenfire Campus, located right next to the new Ballard library, will include plenty of open space, including rain gardens, riparian habitat and p-patches for residents to grow food.

Designed by Johnston Architects, Greenfire campus incorporates a very modern aesthetic, and it will have unique exterior features such as a water cistern, expansive rooftop terraces and solar panels. Sustainable interior design elements will include unique materials such as Environite, a solid surface countertop made of recycled glass and resin, which is manufactured on Camano Island.  Flooring materials will include Bolon, a Scandinavian plant-based flooring product, which achieved the highest rating for flooring durability and water resistance.

Completion is slated for Spring 2013.