Reichert House + Studio Historic Renovation Blair-McAdams Residence

CAST architecture has recently completed a historic renovation of modernist architect Robert Reichert's Seattle home for its current owners. With the final details finished in February 2021, this home has not been published. The owners are happy to be named by Dwell.

The original architect, Robert Reichert, built this home for himself and his mother in 1954. It includes architectural elements he is best known for like the massing of the shed roof and bold graphic art elements. The home was designed to be “expressive at all times” with shadow paintings on the south wall.

A series of renovations stripped the structure of its original striking presence and obscured much of what made the home special both formally, and in terms of historical value.

The current homeowners’ goal is to pay homage to the playful, idiosyncratic, and sculptural nature of the building, updating the home’s materials and systems while tailoring it to their lifestyle - a renovation sensitive to the original intent.

Through an intensive process, the true character of the 1,400 square foot home has been restored. The bold graphic murals on the exterior and throughout the interior have been impeccably replicated from historic documents. The exterior wall art has the colors mixed into the plaster in a fresco-style treatment. Details like floor tile and custom handrails were intentionally designed and fabricated to compliment Reichert’s original vision. A tower of windows connects all three levels, and the upper loft railing repeats the graphic details.

This restoration pays homage to modernist architect’s former Seattle home and creates an artful right-fit home for the new owners.