Featured Project

Our clients wanted a home that would celebrate beautiful wood and fine craftsmanship, and were drawn to designs of the Arts and Crafts period. Visits to Charles Greene’s Gamble House -- built in 1908 -- became an inspiration as well as a rich and valuable source of information. Clad in brown shingles and replete with timber details, the exterior of the house is typical of the style of the Arts and Crafts period. Construction crews worked carefully to preserve as many of the mature cedar trees and evergreen shrubs as possible, saving much of the original landscape.

At the entrance to the house, visitors are greeted by a custom mahogany door. Inside, the foyer is flanked on either side by stained glass pocket doors. One set of doors opens into a formal dining room, the other, a music room. Each room is accented with mahogany paneling and appointed with hand-crafted cherry furniture, designed in the style of the Arts and Crafts period.

Beautiful fir floors were reclaimed to be used in these spaces from the original 1920’s era cottage which had occupied the lot (and had fallen into irreversible disrepair).

As you enter the Great Room you are stuck by the views beyond a two-story wall of windows and French doors which overlook Puget Sound. While the house needed to accommodate frequent guests, the owners required it to be a comfortable home as well. The solution was a two-story central “Hall” or “Great Room” with wings at either end to access the master bedroom suite on one side, and the guest rooms on the other.

The grand scale of the Great Room is complimented by a vaulted wood ceiling, a tall rock fireplace, and a generous over-looking loft which doubles as a library and game room.

Walls colored with subtle earth tones combined with the rich hues of wood trim help contribute to the feeling of warmth and serenity in the large room. During the day, the Great Room and the staircase leading to the second level of the house are flooded with natural light from skylights placed above the central ridge of the structure. In the evening, carefully placed lighting illuminates the wood surfaces. The reflected light produces a warm glow that unifies the two levels of the vaulted room.

On the north side of the Great Room, the kitchen appliances are skillfully concealed by wood paneling and stylish cabinetry. A hallway adjacent to the kitchen gives access to the north wing which includes the stairway to the second floor, a butler’s pantry, a laundry room, and an office which easily converts to a small guest suite designed to be more easily accessible by guests with disabilities.

The island home has become such a popular retreat for family and friends that it was decided to add a guest suite above the detached garage.