If you’ve ever toured the Palace of Versailles–or simply wandered through an art museum–you’ve probably encountered the enfilade. In this architectural arrangement, the rooms (whether of a palace, museum, or shotgun shack) are arranged in a row, with one room opening to the next, and often with a sightline aiming straight to the farthest room. (The word enfilade comes to us from the French word meaning “to thread,” so one can imagine rooms strung together as pearls on a cord.)
At this addition and remodel in View Ridge, the kitchen, living, and dining room are all in a row, separated by large, open doorways. Each room is flooded with light, with the wall of windows viewing the Cascades to the east and, to the southeast, Mt. Rainier and a peek-a-boo at Lake Washington. The door openings break up the space and give each room its own definition, while maintaining the open feel.
Here we look from the living room straight through the dining room and into the kitchen (which has yet to receive its new windows). The vaulted ceiling adds to the airy, open feel.
Here we’re viewing from the kitchen to the living room. At the left, a new skylight floods the basement stair with daylight.
In the dining room, a wall of French doors leads to the deck. All four doors can be accordioned open, for maximum outdoor access on summer days.
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