MInext: Small Business Saturday

November 27, 2020

Wikipedia defines Small Business Saturday as “an American shopping holiday held during the Saturday after Thanksgiving” between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a day set aside specifically to encourage Americans to make holiday purchases from small brick and mortar businesses in their area.

Whether online, curbside, safely in-store, or highlighting your favorite small business on social media, you can help make an impact on your community by shopping small this Saturday. Check out MInext to learn more about Mercer Island business owners ‘behind the mask’.

Fed up? Outraged? Overwhelmed? You're not alone.

October 1, 2020

Established in 2020, O.SH!TT is born from one mother’s frustration, anger and a desire to scream out loud over the devastation caused by the pandemic, race/gender inequities, ongoing political corruption and the climate crisis, to name a few. Heartbroken, she sought solace and an opportunity to safely check-in, blow off steam and trade survival secrets with fellow moms she admired and trusted.

By simply creating the time and space, O.SH!TT invites all caring, beautiful and intelligent women to self-organize in small groups, garner strength and inspiration from one another (even in respectful disagreement), amplify their voices, and create a safe harbor of humor, hope and empathy in pursuit of a brighter future.

Parker Eberhard re-thinks working from home.

August 8, 2020

If you’re anything like me, the past few months you’ve been spending a lot more time at home. Also, if you’re anything like me, the home that you have found yourself spending that time in now happens to be your office, school, exercise gym, art studio, sourdough bread bakery…As we are all now acutely aware, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed every facet of our lives, including the relationship that we have with our home environments.

Being at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our homes are now being asked to be something that they were never designed to be: functional multi-purpose spaces that accommodate numerous activities simultaneously and seamlessly. And in its current form, my home is failing at the task. We just didn’t foresee needing two dedicated work spaces for adults, as well as room to play and learn for two kids… and that’s not even mentioning the fourth pet we adopted early in the pandemic. With work-from-home and school-from-home guidelines in place for a seemingly indefinite time, it is time to make our homes the multi-tasking spaces they have the potential to be.

We asked, and you answered - Thank You.

June 30, 2020

This has been a challenging time for us all. The WeLoveMI campaign launched on April 15th, its aim to support local businesses and organizations. To date, it has raised $122,306.00 in generous contributions from our Mercer Island community. Fantastic!

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy & prosperous re-opening!

Latest & Greatest

Featured

October 1, 2026

Fall Harvest at Suzanne's

October 1, 2026

Fall Harvest at Suzanne’s home on Mercer Island will be Friday, October 16, 6-9PM. RSVP for location.

Bring a plate to share, clippings from your garden for a centerpiece bouquet and/or an instrument to play. Suzanne has a piano & darbuka!

During the evening, community member, Mariam Sughayer will be available to offer exclusive updates on a historic, first-of-its-kind, Palestinian-led congressional fact-finding delegation departing in mid-January 2027 over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day congressional recess (January 15–20).

Organized by A New Policy, the delegation will bring key U.S. lawmakers into direct contact with the realities of the occupation, military legal systems, and Palestinian daily life, while experiencing the depth of Palestinian culture and community resilience. The journey will be documented by an Emmy-winning filmmaking team—led by international journalist Matthew Cassel and West Bank cinematographer Ayman Abu Ramouz—in partnership with The Guardian, capturing a critical turning point in American foreign policy.

October 1, 2026

June 29, 2026

Do you DADU? | Podcast Series with Shakiba Ahmadi, Architect.

June 29, 2026

Across the Greater Puget Sound region, communities are evolving towards greater density, flexibility, and multigenerational living. One emerging housing type that is gaining traction but still remains shrouded in mystery for many homeowners is the Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU): an independent, self-contained residential structure located on the same lot as a primary single-family home. As interest in DADUs grows, so do questions about zoning, site conditions, cost, design decisions, and overall feasibility. SZ Design | Build is dedicated to helping homeowners navigate this shift with clarity, design intelligence, and care.

We are excited to announce our new summer podcast series “Do you DADU?”, hosted by SZ Architect Shakiba Ahmadi. This 8-episode series offers a detailed breakdown of the entire DADU process and timeline to answer some of the most common questions faced by homeowners. Each weekly episode will tackle a specific aspect of DADUs, with a dedicated field professional serving as a guest speaker to share their expertise on the subject - ending with the SZ team’s unique approach to DADU design and construction. With these series, we hope to give homeowners a deeper insight into the DADU typology and the confidence to explore their property’s potential to create a home that aligns with their future, families and lifestyles.

The series will release every Thursday at 10 AM, launching July 9 on the SZ Design | Build website, as well as on our YouTube channel. See below for a sneak preview of the episode schedule and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel below for series updates.

June 29, 2026

Summer Sahras at Suzanne's with Ya Hala!

June 29, 2026

Not every gathering is about the occasion. Sometimes it’s about the stories shared with an old friend or someone new, or the simple comfort of being surrounded by people who make a house feel like home.

In a heartbreaking world that moves quickly, gatherings remind us to slow down, regroup and create moments to hold on to.

Summer Sahras (gatherings) at Suzanne’s home on Mercer Island will be Fridays, July 10, 17 & 31, 6-9PM. Bring a plate to share, clippings from your garden for a centerpiece bouquet and/or an instrument to play. Suzanne has a piano & darbuka!

Ya Hala will be serving refreshing Spritzers for suggested donations. Will have cards, backgammon sets, and dominoes on hand, along with a houka or two…

Goal is to pause, breathe and be together. Yalla, join us!

June 29, 2026

Catalog of Art | We Are Palestine.

June 29, 2026

Delaney's Back!

June 29, 2026

After three long but rewarding years, Architectural Intern Delaney Carmen has finally graduated with a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the University of Washington and has returned to SZ Design | Build to kick off her professional career.

I feel very lucky to have been a part of UW's Master's of Architecture program. Architecture is an ocean of knowledge an inch deep, and I feel that I've at least got a sea's worth by now. Through this program, I've come to understand the things I'm passionate about: craft, storytelling, and intentionality. In an age where AI, corporate greed, and conformity dictate so much of our lives (and consequently, our built environment), I have used my education to learn how to actively fight complacency and ensure that my work as an architect is purposeful and authentic. A few of my favorite works throughout the program have been largely driven by those same passions.

Get a glimpse into her experience at UW through her reflection below.

June 29, 2026

March 5, 2026

PICHA - Women Shaping Creative Spaces

March 5, 2026

SZ Gallery has had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with Josiane Faubert, Artist and Photographer, born in Gabon. She is also the Founder of PICHA, a stock photo agency that brings curated, diverse visuals to brands and business looking to tell richer stories, inclusive of Afrocentric communities. Together, soulful exhibitions ranged from showcasing talented photographers selected during PICHA’s annual call to artists, Afrofuturism and SKIN, to a presentation of Weaving Stories, a visual storytelling book that celebrates the beauty, reslience and vibrancy of Afrocentric communities across the globe.

For International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, PICHA is preparing a special series highlighting women shaping creative spaces. It’s their way of not only celebrating creative talent, but also leadership, influence and impact. Suzanne Zahr has been invited to participate. She was asked these very thought-provoking questions below. How would you respond?

Who are five women who have shaped the way you see, build, or create?
How does your identity as a woman influence the way you work?
What is one structural change you would love to see in your industry that would meaningfully shift access or equity for women — especially women of color and intersectional voices?
What do you believe is your creative superpower?
What would you tell your younger self — or a young woman entering your field today?

March 5, 2026

How to care for your diasporic and immigrant friend…

March 5, 2026

This is a care guide for people who are still protected by some form of privilege, and who have immigrant and diasporic friends, partners, colleagues, employees, neighbors, etc. who are cut off from their home and support systems, and who are forced to navigate normality while being torn apart on the inside.

Experiencing war and disaster while in the diaspora is isolating, distressing and harrowing. Watching horror unfold back home while people around you fall into silence without extending actual care is also traumatic.

Care is deeply political. We know this because care can be commodified, weaponized and withdrawn as a form of punishment. If care is political, then choosing not to care is also political.

This is a care guide to make sure you don’t cause more harm.

March 5, 2026

January 28, 2026

Should I Stay or Should I go? Design & Permitting Process.

January 28, 2026

Ever wondered if it is better to substantially remodel and/or add-on to your existing home, rather than sell and buy another? Real estate values have gone up considerably, and in our current seller's market, it's the buying-back-in that can be costly if it's not timed just right.

Considering the resources involved in the design, permitting, & construction process, is it worth it to leverage the appreciation gained in your current house and transform it into your dream home?

The simple answer is: It depends. Each property is unique, and each family is different. The best thing to do is explore all options and make informed decisions with the help of your professional real estate, design, & build community.

We recently ventured down this decision-making process with our Mercer Island clients. They purchased a lovely 1,800 SF lakefront home a few years ago, but it didn't meet their family's personality & lifestyle. They selected Suzanne Zahr as their Architect to help lead them down a path of discovery that would ultimately result in an informed "go / no-go" decision.

With each phase of the design process, new insights were creatively explored and considered. Here's a brief summary of our collaborative journey in creating their 4,500 SF dream home.

January 28, 2026