Board & Vellum: Design Without the Ego
A multidisciplinary Seattle firm built around collaboration, client advocacy and thoughtful design
By Like Media Team
Before Board & Vellum became a multidisciplinary design firm, it began with a philosophy. Managing Principal Jeff Pelletier wanted to create a company that advocated for its clients while building a workplace where people felt supported, respected, and free to contribute.
What began in the attic of his Capitol Hill home has grown into a multidisciplinary Seattle design firm that brings architecture, interior design and landscape architecture together under one roof.
"I wanted to build a firm that truly advocated for its clients, no matter what design style they were drawn to," Jeff says. "Just as important, I wanted a workplace where people could be fully themselves, feel comfortable, and be treated well."
That philosophy influenced nearly every early decision, including the company's name. He intentionally avoided putting his own name on the firm or building the business around one recognizable design style.
Board & Vellum references the drafting boards and vellum paper once used throughout the profession, giving the company a name that reflects craftsmanship and intention without centering it on one person.
The firm's earliest foundation was equally personal. Without a large portfolio to showcase, Jeff began writing a blog in his own voice, sharing ideas about design, client advocacy, and treating people with respect. Within the first year, that approach began gaining attention.
As the company hired its first employees, the team also began defining the type of workplace they wanted to create together.
One belief became especially important: great design does not require a great ego.
"For me, it was never about getting my way," he explains. "It was always about our clients getting the best possible outcome from a group of talented people working together."
That collaborative approach extends across disciplines.
Board & Vellum initially added interior design after recognizing the unique perspective interior designers brought to client relationships and finish selections. Landscape architecture soon followed. Within roughly two years, the firm had developed the three-discipline model that remains central to its work today.
Even when a project falls primarily within one discipline, team members from other areas may be brought in to offer another perspective.
"Different disciplines simply think differently, and our goal is always the best possible design," he notes.
The same openness guides the firm's relationship with clients. Rather than applying a signature look, the team considers the client, property, context, lifestyle, interests and practical restrictions of the site.
The goal is not to create something that looks like Board & Vellum. It is to create something that feels right for the person who will live there.
Jeff compares the process to appreciating art. A design can be beautiful and thoughtfully executed even when it differs from what the designer might personally choose.
As the firm has grown, preserving its internal culture has remained just as important to him. Younger designers are encouraged to contribute ideas and work alongside experienced team members rather than waiting years for a voice in the process.
Today, the firm is expanding its work beyond the Puget Sound, including vacation homes in mountain and coastal settings and projects elsewhere around the country. The team has also moved into a new home in Seattle's Smith Tower, placing the company within a larger downtown community.
Photo by Cleary O’Farrell Photo by Andrew Giammarco
Left photo by Cleary O’Farrell | Right photo by Andrew Giammarco
For Jeff, however, growth has not changed the original objective.
Building great spaces still comes back to the ideas Board & Vellum started with: listening to clients, collaborating across disciplines and creating an environment where good ideas can come from anyone.
Board & Vellum
506 2nd Ave., Suite 1600, Seattle, WA 98104
206.707.8895
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