Home & Garden
Minecraft Motivation
Couple uses video game for renovation inspiration
They had a hard time visualizing what their new home might look like, so they turned to Minecraft, a hugely popular video game Microsoft markets as a tool for creative types to “battle mobs, construct shelter, and explore the landscape.” They had been playing the game for years, and didn’t need to consult the box for instructions. Michael served as Minecraft’s chief creative officer for seven years before moving on to Fortnite.
A Light-Filled Oasis
Mercer Island residence embraces natural beauty by drawing it inside
When Kent and Lisa Sacia decided to put a bow on their latest remodeling triumph, they turned to a trusted collaborator, Sander Groves Landscaping President Dan Groves. He was more than happy to take on the project, a reimagining of a 1972 Northwest contemporary by a noted Mercer Island architect. “I am in a position to…
Living: The Lightness of Seeing
Challenging ‘Lopez Lookout’ project places a premium on spectacular scenery
The regulators and nesting eagles weren’t the only ones peering on with interest. The third largest of the San Juan Islands at 30 square miles, Lopez is home to about 3,000 year-round residents known for friendly waves at about anything that moves. Islanders are also known for their intense interest in protecting their remarkable environment….
A History Museum at Home | Sponsored
Creating your own mini galleries with art, photos, and objects you love
Everywhere you turn in Brendan’s home is a piece of history with a compelling story. A small delicate piece of metal stamped with a man and lion sits inset against a vibrant red matboard. “This is a gladiator fight ticket from the Colosseum in Thracian during the slave uprising in Rome. The time of…
A Poetic Quality of Light
Portage Bay floating home embodies a feeling of spaciousness
Suzanne Stefan rides a housing bubble that bursts many times each day. Stefan, a cofounder of Seattle architecture firm Studio DIAA, combined light, sound, and materials to create a bright, 650-square-foot floating home on Portage Bay (the eastern arm of Lake Union) that reverentially reflects its idyllic surroundings. Bright, but not dazzling, as glare, contrast,…
Crescent Bar: An Undiscovered Gem | Sponsored
Legacy vacation spot turns luxury home destination
Turning south from Highway 28 midway between Wenatchee and the Gorge Amphitheater begins a weaving descent down to the Columbia River that brings back memories for many — some going back decades. The unmistakable vistas overlooking this stretch of the Columbia, set against a 500-foot basalt cliff, imprints an image hard to forget. And yet,…
Cult Paint Brand Lick! Develops a Seattle Palette
Hip paint brand describes Seattle’s color palette
You’d be forgiven if you thought the ideal color to describe Seattle is “gray” — at least for eight months of the year. That’s certainly not how paint brand Lick! sees it. The cult favorite home-décor brand chose Seattle as one of only five cities for its new collection of U.S. City Palettes — a…
Turning the Other Peak at Suncadia
SUNCADIA VACATION HOME REFLECTS FAMILY’S OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Interrupting their travels to build a vacation home from scratch was the last thing on the minds of Sherri and Ali Anissipour in 2019 when they went on an anniversary holiday to Suncadia resort, located about 90 minutes east of their Seattle home. “We wanted to travel the world,” Sherri says, “not go to the…
From the inside out
INTERIOR DESIGNER ANNA POPOV DID NOT WANT TO WORK ON HER OWN HOME. THEN SHE FIGURED SHE COULD DO IT BETTER
Anna Popov never wanted to design her own house. An interior designer by trade, she didn’t want to put the amount of time, energy, and thought that she offers to her clients into designing her own home. She’d rather just find a place that checked all her boxes. But after two years of searching, nothing…
Publisher’s Note: Can Our Architecture Make Us Better?
Seattle's built environment reveals a lot about the city
With this issue’s focus on iconic Seattle architecture, we continue to drive awareness of the fact that Seattle is a world-class city, even if we ourselves may not know it yet. It’s been said that architecture stands as a representation of how we see ourselves, of how we see the world. At its most practical,…
AIA Home: Goodbye 1970
Family fixes design flaws to bring midcentury home into modern era
“Treehouse” by Floisand Studio Architects returns to glory a Ralph D. Anderson home that had lost its compass. Nick and Rachel Lenington purchased the 1970 Mercer Island home in 2010, attracted to the quiet neighborhood because of its midcentury vibe, big, west-facing windows, and abundant wildlife. An advertised water view didn’t really pan out, but…
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