sINGLE MOM. GAME sOUND DESIGNER AND COMPOSER.

"I got a job in Seattle and we moved to my parents’ basement temporarily. We began looking around for houses. And I looked in surrounding areas with great school districts. We couldn’t find anything. So I thought, ‘What if we stay in the basement and I modify it so that it looks like a house?’ Then I thought the same thing about the garage. This just feels perfect. As a single mom, it was really important for me to create a nice nest for my daughter. We wanted my parents to watch my daughter grow up. They are helping raise my daughter. I figured I wanted to be around my parents for this chapter in their lives too. We need each other, so I’m glad that we’re here.

My sister’s ex-husband is an architect, so we worked with him on the design. It was a collaborative process. It’s a wonderful space. It took some time to understand the permitting and zoning rules. The zoning and permitting changed after we built this house. It’s unusual for Americans; we’re more about independence. There’s a stigma about living with your parents. But I don’t feel that as much now. I think I’m a stronger person because of it. We can stay out of each other’s way but we can also do things together and help each other out too."