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Mark Your Calendars for the Modern Home Tour

This self-paced, self-driven, home-viewing circuit takes place on Saturday, May 2

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This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.

For the fourth year in a row, Austin, Texas–based Modern Home Tours is bringing its road show to Seattle. A self-paced, self-driven circuit—from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 2—features total access to between five and eight private Seattle-area residences chosen for their unique modern design aesthetics.

“The entire Northwest corridor, from Portland to Vancouver, is filled with some of the best modern homes in the country,” says vice president Ken Shallcross. “One of the unique building motifs in Seattle is the melding of traditional aspects of modern architecture (clean lines, green building materials, natural light) with a focus on showcasing the natural surroundings, such as the stunning views of downtown Seattle or the Puget Sound.”

Included in the tour is the private Maple Leaf residence of noted local architect James Chiarelli, built between 1948 and 1950, and newer homes designed by Chris Pardo and Shed Architecture & Design. Advance tickets can be purchased for $30 at modernhometours.com and $40 on tour day at any tour home. Children younger than 12 are free.

 

A San Juan Island Home for All Seasons

A San Juan Island Home for All Seasons

With an eye toward the future, Prentiss + Balance + Wickline helped two Seattle professionals design a house perfect for weekend getaways now—and permanent living during their post-retirement years.

It was early 2017 when a Seattle-based empty-nester couple started searching for a property in the San Juan Islands. They still had jobs in the city, but were nearing retirement and wanted a home they could use on weekends, and eventually settle in after they left the workforce. Initially, the two weren’t planning on a…

Can Alaska Kelp Help Washington Crops Beat the Heat?

Can Alaska Kelp Help Washington Crops Beat the Heat?

A Ketchikan company is working with WSU researchers to see whether its kelp-based biostimulant can help grapes and berries withstand environmental stress.

From the floatplane, reddish-brown kelp traces the edges of the small islands between Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island like brushstrokes on the surface of the water. Up close, on a rare 70-degree July day in Alaska, the kelp is glossy and beautiful, though the wind coming off the water makes it nearly impossible to…

PlantCon Is Coming for Seattle’s Windowsills

PlantCon Is Coming for Seattle’s Windowsills

The nation’s largest gathering for houseplant lovers makes its Pacific Northwest debut this August with 200 booths, hands-on workshops, and a DJ.

My house is full of plants, enough that I’ve lost count. Houseplants have the same suspicious math as tattoos: One is rarely the final number. I propagate cuttings in jars of water, regularly rearrange corners of the house in pursuit of better light, and like to imagine the entire collection is improving the air. That…

Noir Lux Lights Up Fourth Avenue

Noir Lux Lights Up Fourth Avenue

The Seattle candle brand’s new two-level pop-up brings workshops and community gatherings downtown through September.

It’s often said that good things come in threes, and for Colina Bruce, founder of the lifestyle and home fragrance brand Noir Lux, that’s certainly proving true. With a flagship shop in Belltown and an outpost in Ballard, Bruce is rounding out a Noir Lux trio with the opening of the Noir Lux Collective on…