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Coasting Into Calm
After purchasing a weather-worn, ant-infested cabin on an Oregon beach, a Seattle couple hires a regional team to transform it into a stylish weekend retreat.
When architect Andrew Montgomery first pulled up to his clients’ house in Arch Cape, Oregon, there were logs in the driveway, courtesy of the sizable swells that come with the coast’s king tides. At just 28 feet above sea level and as close as you can get to the water without being on the beach,…
82 Million Tons of E-Waste by 2030. Now What?
Smart ways to handle old electronics after a holiday upgrade.
Every holiday season, our houses fill with upgraded gadgets and the promise that we’ll deal with the old stuff later. Meanwhile, the drawer of mystery cords multiplies, and some items just get tossed out. Most of us mean well, but those castoff electronics often end up somewhere they really shouldn’t. And with about 59% of…
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…
Collaborating Cultures
Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.
For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…
Underground Overhaul
Going low solves couple's woes
The Seattle underground is alive and well and living in Montlake, a close-knit community in more ways than one. Dense suburban charm is what lures many families to Montlake. Dense suburban charm is also what forces many families to leave Montlake. “The lots here are very small, with setback and height restrictions,” says architectural designer…
Not Flown, Grown: The Slow Flowers Movement is Having A Moment
New book — The Flower Farmers — promotes the use of locally grown, seasonal, and sustainably harvested flowers
A few years ago, Debra Prinzing — speaker, podcast host, outdoor living expert, and founder of Slow Flowers — and her business partner, Robin Avni, pitched an idea to an editor at Abrams Books. The editor passed, but quickly came back with another offer. They didn’t have to think twice about it. Prinzing had extensive…
Where Function Meets Finesse
Without the use of a single brick, Little House turns the tables on the Big Bad Wolf.
Texas residents John and Julie Connor had spent many summers visiting family near Seabeck, an unincorporated waterfront village and former mill town in Kitsap County. They loved the wildness of the southern Hood Canal and imagined a small retreat here of their own, so they purchased a large lot with lush second-growth trees on a…
Master of Transparency
Award-winning architect Eric Cobb’s work seamlessly meshes glass, space and light
Noted architect Eric Cobb is collaborating on a second-home project near The Gorge Amphitheatre with a former junior high school soccer teammate, embodying a classic Seattle story of connection. The new Cliffe Pointe at the Gorge project located within the Cave B Estate grounds features 60 second homes surrounded by vineyards, natural sage, and rolling…
Sandy Sanctuary
Mercer Island couple find bliss with a cabana on the beach
With 8,000 lakes, fifth most in the country, Washington is a happy hunting ground for waterfront lots. Highly popular Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in the United States, is not on the top of the list of affordable freshwater options, at least not anywhere near Chelan, where scarce waterfront residential lots start at $2 million….
Prairie Townhome Companions
Couple remakes Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired property
Place two architects, a hedgehog, and more than $100,000 under house arrest, and watch the magic unfold. Sandy Wolf founded Seattle’s Office of Ordinary Architecture in the belief that beauty is found in everyday objects. She and her husband — fellow architect Daniel Ash — were not disappointed in that regard in their long search…
Tide and True
How Dilip Wagle and Darshana Shanbhag found their dream second home on Bainbridge Island
By May 2022, Dilip Wagle and Darshana Shanbhag’s dream of retiring on the beach was dead in the water. The Bellevue couple had spent years searching the west-facing waterfront corridor from Bellingham to Oregon, but always found themselves a step behind the pandemic-induced buying frenzy. They were about to give up when they noticed a…
Gables Queen Anne
Images courtesy of Gables Queen Anne Awaiting you in the heart of Queen Anne is the inspired lifestyle of Gables Queen Anne with unparalleled views and most importantly, a community created for you. Imagine yourself living in this upscale space with all the conveniences you need within walking distance. Our community provides well-designed high-end finishes…
Publisher’s Note: The Beauty Of A Second Home
A place to relax, refresh, and a solid investment
Nobel prize Literature Laureate Paul Thomas Mann had the right idea about a change in scenery when he said: “We know full well that the insertion of new habits or the changing of old ones is the only way to preserve life, to renew our sense of time, to rejuvenate, intensify, and retard our experience…
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