The Evergreen House: A Whole-Home Remodel in Olympia

Every project we take on comes with a story. Sometimes it's a family that has outgrown their home and doesn't want to leave the neighborhood. Sometimes it's a couple planning for aging in place who wants their forever home to actually work for them. Sometimes it's a homeowner who bought a dated house at a good price specifically to renovate it into what they wanted from the start.

This month we finished The Evergreen House, a whole-home renovation in Olympia. Here's the story of that project, the choices we made along the way, and what we learned from it.

The homeowner brief

Every project starts with a conversation about what the homeowner actually wants. Not just square footage and finish materials, but how they'll actually use the space, what they don't like about their current setup, and what would make the biggest difference in their day-to-day.

For our clients, the goal was to turn a dated 1990s home into a warm, timeless home they could comfortably stay in for the next 20 years.

They specifically wanted a larger and more functional kitchen, a primary bathroom that felt calm and comfortable, and better flow between the kitchen, dining room, and main living spaces.

The site added its own set of considerations. The home sits on a heavily wooded lot, so preserving natural light was important. Inside, several load-bearing walls separated the main living areas, and the existing plumbing layout limited how far we could move certain fixtures without adding unnecessary cost.

The design phase

Design took three months. We went through three rounds of iteration before landing on the plan that got built.

Some of the key decisions:

Opening the kitchen to the living room without removing every wall.
Instead of creating one oversized open room, we widened the main opening and kept enough separation for each space to still feel intentional. It gave the homeowners the connection they wanted without losing the character of the home.

Expanding the kitchen island rather than increasing the kitchen footprint.
The original kitchen had plenty of square footage, but it wasn't being used well. A larger island added seating, prep space, storage, and a natural gathering point without requiring an addition.

Reworking the primary bathroom around a large walk-in shower.
The homeowners rarely used the existing soaking tub, so we removed it and used the space for a larger shower, double vanity, additional storage, and wider clearances that will make the room easier to use long-term.

Construction highlights

Demolition began January 2026. Construction took seven months from demo to final walkthrough.

Some highlights from the build:

A load-bearing wall was hiding more than expected.
Once the kitchen wall was opened, we found that the original framing had been modified during a previous renovation. Rather than covering it back up and working around it, the structure was rebuilt properly and a new engineered beam was installed to create the wider opening the design called for.

The cabinetry was built around the way the homeowners actually cook.
Instead of filling the kitchen with generic cabinet sizes, storage was planned around everyday use: deep drawers for cookware, vertical tray storage, a concealed appliance area, and dedicated pantry cabinetry.

An awkward ceiling transition became a design feature.
Removing walls exposed two different ceiling heights between the kitchen and living room. Rather than trying to disguise the transition, we used a finished beam detail to make it feel intentional and visually separate the spaces.

Materials and finishes

Key materials used on this project:

Cabinetry: Crystal Cabinet Works, painted maple in a warm white finish with a natural white-oak island
Countertops: Taj Mahal quartzite with a simple eased edge
Flooring: Hallmark engineered white oak flooring in a natural matte finish
Tile: Bedrosians Cloe tile for the kitchen backsplash and large-format porcelain tile in the primary bathroom
Appliances: Sub-Zero refrigeration and Wolf cooking appliances
Lighting: Visual Comfort pendants with recessed LED lighting throughout the main living areas
Plumbing fixtures: Kohler fixtures in polished nickel
Paint: Benjamin Moore White Dove throughout the main living areas, with warmer accent tones in the bedrooms

Naming specific products matters here. Homeowners search for products by name when they're researching, and AI tools cite specific product mentions when answering questions about materials.

The finished result

The biggest change isn't any single countertop, cabinet, or fixture. It's how the house feels when you walk through it.

The kitchen is now connected to the living and dining spaces without feeling like one oversized room. Natural light travels farther into the house, the island has become the place everyone naturally gathers, and the homeowners have significantly more storage without the kitchen feeling heavier or more crowded.

The primary suite changed just as dramatically. What had been a dark, divided bathroom now feels open, quiet, and comfortable. The larger shower, double vanity, better lighting, and additional storage made the room feel more luxurious, but also much more practical for everyday life.

The result is a home that feels new without feeling unfamiliar.

One of the homeowners put it simply:

“It finally feels like the house we always knew this could be.”

What we learned

Every project teaches us something. From this one:

The best remodels don't always require adding square footage.
This home already had enough space. The real opportunity was using the existing square footage more intelligently.

Opening a floor plan doesn't mean removing every wall.
Keeping some architectural separation gave the home more character and allowed each room to maintain its own purpose.

Planning for the next 20 years doesn't have to make a home feel clinical.
Wider clearances, better lighting, easier storage, and a more accessible shower were incorporated into the design without changing the overall aesthetic.

Getting started

If you're weighing a similar project—whether that's a whole-home renovation, custom build, or major remodel—First Finishers is happy to walk your home and talk through what might be possible.

Family-owned since 2005 by brothers Kai and Tim Fyrst. Design-build in Olympia, Yelm, Lacey, Tumwater, and the South Sound.

Call (360) 400-7767 or visit firstfinishers.com.