Yardhouse on Capitol Hill Yields Nice Features for a Homebody

On some of these gray, wet Seattle days, you just want to stay at home, curl up with a blanket and crack open that book you’ve been meaning to read. That’s the thought I had when I toured the Yardhouse on Capitol Hill recently. With the rain coming down and the clouds darkening, the building’s large bay windows seemed like the perfect location for a lazy afternoon.

Yardhouse, located at 1406 E. Republican St.

The bay windows are one of the nice features at Yardhouse, a new residential building located at 14th and Republican.

“We were interested in creating a boutique-sized apartment building, centered around a community courtyard. This allows for maximum access to light and air for all our units, and enabled us to create unique unit layouts,” said Denise Schack of schacka+d, the architect and developer of the project.

When I visited, the courtyard was still under construction so I can’t speak to that feature but I can say the windows – bay or regular – are sizable and bring in a lot of light, even on a dreary day. The light comes in handy since the units are not very big, ranging from 353 sq ft for the smallest studio to 655 sq ft for the largest one bedroom apartments.

If residents want to limit the light or have some privacy, they can activate exterior shutters that are custom steel and cedar slat shades. “The inspiration came from European architecture, where you often see similar shade systems as a modern interpretation of traditional shutters,” said Shack.

On the inside, the style is modern and European-inspired. The architect made good use of the spaces, fitting microwaves and refrigerators into nooks in the kitchen. Flooring throughout the apartments is natural strand-bamboo. The countertops are quartz. Instead of stainless steel, the developer opted for contemporary white appliances. Fixtures are Grohe and all bathrooms have handheld showers.

Yardhouse will be ready for move in in December. Meanwhile, pre-leasing has begun. There are 13 floor plans to choose from. Here are the price points…

Studios:                  353 – 418 sq ft –  $1,525 – $1,675

One Bedroom:     448 – 655 sq ft  -$1,525 – $2,200

When completed, the building’s courtyard will have a gas fire pit and built-in seating. The roof deck will have a BBQ area with bar seating, lounge seating and a pea-patch. A few more pictures to share…