Blending Work and Home: An Innovative Addition
for a Woodworking Professional

PROJECT CASE STUDY: Custom Woodworking Shop Addition

A 1,500 Sq. Ft. Addition Designed for Work & Creativity 

The need to work from home has become increasingly important, especially for this homeowner, who makes a living from their custom woodworking business.

The Better Builders team developed plans to replace the existing garage with an innovative and architecturally pleasing 1,500 sq ft addition. Our primary goal was to maximize the space and provide the homeowner with all the necessary functionality they needed while complying with zoning regulations and preserving the existing residential home feel.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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AFTER

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AFTER

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What the Client of This Project Had to Say

"I found Better Builders easy to communicate with, even on tough stuff."
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Customer in Bellevue, WA

Addition of Clerestory Roof & Courtyard

The woodshop addition boasts a striking clerestory roof, where one side of the vertical wall rises dramatically above the surrounding roofline. This distinctive feature not only catches the eye but also helps carve out a charming courtyard, a peaceful space nestled between the existing home and the new addition.

Adding to its allure are the bold, 65-inch eaves, extending gracefully to provide extra covered space—one of the defining elements that make this design both functional and unforgettable.

 

Seamlessly Integrating the New Roofline

One of the main challenges was aligning the new woodworking shop with the unique roofline of the original structure. To maintain the home's curb appeal, we incorporated a beautiful standing seam roof that seamlessly spans both the new addition and the existing house.

From the west side, the added height and square footage of the addition are clearly visible. This design allowed us to include two clerestory windows and two operable windows flanking a central picture window, optimizing natural light and ventilation. To ensure visual harmony, the addition is clad in vertical tight-knot cedar siding that matches the original house.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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Extended Slab, Added New Retaining Wall & Raised Garden Beds

Outside of the featured carriage doors, we extended the concrete slab, allowing the shop to grow by utilizing this mostly covered outdoor space. The area is nicely finished with tasteful hardscaping, including a new retaining wall, gravel, and raised garden beds.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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Focal Point: Custom Craft Carriage Doors

One of the shop's focal points is the stunning Real Craft Custom carriage doors. Weighing over 700 pounds, installing them was no easy feat.

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Interior Updates: Separated Garage from Woodworking Shop

Looking inside, we removed an old wood stove and replaced an interior overhead door with a wall and man doors, creating a separate workspace from the garage.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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Interior Updates: Lighting, Unique Walls & Energy Efficient HVAC

New electrical and lighting were installed to support the workshop’s requirements. Uniquely, the shop walls were covered with ¾" AB plywood for clean aesthetics, so the homeowner could hang anything, anywhere.

The LED lighting and mini split system, along with the extensive insulation package, help reduce energy consumption, partially offsetting the use of the shop tools.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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The Final Result

The final result of the Better Builders team's project for the home-based woodworking business in Bellevue, WA, is a perfect solution that meets all the homeowner's needs. By replacing the existing garage with a 1,500 sq ft addition, the team successfully created a spacious and functional workspace.

The addition's design is not only innovative but also architecturally pleasing, seamlessly blending with the existing residential home feel. The team ensured that the project complied with all zoning regulations, guaranteeing a smooth and hassle-free process. With this new addition, the homeowner now has the ideal setup for their woodworking business, allowing them to work efficiently and comfortably from the comfort of their own home.

Take a look at the full gallery of the Bellevue garage & workshop project.

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