This large hillside property on Mercer Island affords panoramic views of Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline, and the Olympic Mountains. Our client’s goal was to entirely re-envision and upgrade their home, which was built in the early 1970s. In the process, the 10,500-square-foot house was taken back to the studs, interior walls were repositioned, and new mechanical and electrical systems were added.

Inside, we relocated the stairway, transforming it to a lightweight, transparent floating system that becomes a dramatic sculptural organizing element for the home. We selectively removed walls on the main floor to create a more open floor plan. For entertaining, we carved out a new two-story formal dining room featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. A new kitchen with two islands equipped for entertaining replaced the old kitchen, and a wall was removed to create an opening to the family and informal dining areas—a hub for family gatherings. The master suite was substantially enlarged with a new bathroom featuring a skylight over the bathtub to flood the previously dark space with daylight.

Materials and furnishings complement the modern aesthetic. Bright orange chairs in the kitchen and dining room provide drama and punctuate the otherwise muted palette, which includes white walls, blackened steel, and light-colored fabrics. No longer walled off from the outside, the home is flooded with natural light and fully connected to the beauty of the surrounding landscape. In the master bathroom, a sculptural, freestanding bathtub floats in the middle of the all-white room. A single slab of semi-precious stone serves as the only counterpoint.

While Northpoint residence is rigorously modern, its rich palette of materials and textures delights the senses. In the best Northwest modernist tradition, it captures an innate sense of place, making the best possible use of our light and landscape. It is designed for the enjoyment of the water and mountain views and take full advantage of its site to create an extraordinary architectural experience.

Outside, the landscape has been redefined by landscape architect Richard Hartlage. The property has been sculpted to merge the outside and inside together as one seamless experience. While the residence is rigorously modern, its rich palette of materials and textures delights the senses. In the best Northwest modernist tradition, it captures an innate sense of place, taking full advantage of its site and magnificent water and mountain views, to create an extraordinary architectural experience.

Architecture and Interiors: Stuart Silk Architects Interiors

Landscaping: Land Morphology; AHBL

Construction: Schuchart Dow

Photography: Alex Hayden

Year 2014

Status Completed works

Type Single-family residence