8.02.2010

SOLD

We purchased this one-of-a-kind 2.5 acre property in 2005. We strove to build a home that maximizes the view and setting. It is a Northwest Craftsman, built with attention to every detail. The finishes are timeless, classic, durable, and comfortable. View windows, natural light, radiant energy-efficient heat, and inviting functionality of rooms and fixtures for family members, young and old, present and future, were the priorities. The home was completed in the year 2006 with these priorities realized. It has been a splendid home with ongoing potential in a wonderful property. The slopes and terraces can be developed into striking landscapes. The forest contains a natural fresh water spring and stately cedar trees. The little spot has a sense of remoteness among the wildlife, but in reality sits among a friendly neighborhood, a short distance from urban convenience. Mile hill is just 5 minutes away with grocery, gyms, dance studio, cinema. Down the hill is beach drive with a restful, easy commute to Bremerton around the bay, through Old Town Port Orchard. Port Orchard is a great harbor community with history, family fun community events, and day to day bustling activity of shops and private businesses. Manchester State Park is just over the east side of the hill, and in fact, you can hear the seals barking in the quiet of the night at the pier. Manchester community has its spectacular view of the Seattle skyline and hosts a great community supported library that is plugged into the greater Kitsap Regional Library system. The Southworth Ferry to Fauntleroy, West Seattle is a 15 minute drive for an easy Seattle commute alternative or an occasional day excursion on the Washington State Ferry system.

Four Sides of the House

Front door, standard two car garage, hardiplank siding, metal roof, Northwest craftsman. Alan Mascord, the Clearfield design plan. We were pleased to find a house plan with interesting lines and pleasing angles from all sides. This plan met all our needs for a house on a slope with view facing windows and decks facing the front of the property without compromising the need for a "front door" and side garage approach entrance at the rear of the property.
Turning up the drive at the crest of the hill.
Northwest Exposure.
View from the east property line, southeast corner of house and garage. Laundry door opens onto its own terrace with three foot high rock wall.

Around the House

Shade garden on the north wall. Cultured rock field stone on the pillars with grout, hardiplank siding.
Lavender and ornamental grasses on the sand filter septic location.
Daylight basement patio breezeway under the deck, looking towards the southern exposure back yard.
Basement level terrace with wood staircase rising on slope to left.

Home Office

Room with a view is the theme of this home. The home office is on the northwest corner of the home off of the great room and front door entrance. It overlooks the front garden, neighboring wood, bit of bay, and Olympic Mountains to the west. Has a standard size door closet with removable shelves. Has jacks for phone and dsl. Ultimate home office or craft room with its own private space yet convenient to the centrality of the home.

Enter the heart of the Home

This home has extravagant views, windows that bring the outdoors within, without compromising warmth, protection, and privacy. Its a slice of rural paradise without the feeling of isolation. The radiant heat enables extravagant ceiling heights, openness, and space without extravagant heating costs. Work from home and never feel housebound! Look up and watch a bald eagle soar at your eye level. Be surprised when a male ring-neck pheasant struts through the yard, or a charming flicker decides to tap a rhythm on the roof to call his mate. Keep the camera handy. Just the changing shadows and seasons on the mountains create an impulse to capture with a lens.
From the front door step, look through the door glass, through the great room, through the opposite windows above the built in seats and storage cubbies pictured previously, all the way to the Olympics. On a gray day, the natural fir beauty of the doors with their welcoming Emtek hardware deserve admiration. The fireplace, Excalibur Luxury Gas, is indeed a luxury on the dreary days. Feeling under the weather, nothing like warming your back next to the fire and drinking a cup of tea. Read, play games, lounge by the fire on any winter evening. Lose electric heat due to a windstorm power failure, and you won't grow cold with this beautiful fireplace. It will sufficiently heat the majority of the home.
Hardwood Maple and a natural wool carpet runner lead the way upstairs to Master bedroom bath suite, two additional bedrooms and full bath. Upstairs hallway is Appalachian Hardwood maple pre-finished Mammoth Plank, baths are ceramic tile, and bedrooms wall-to-wall stain resistant, soft fiber carpets.

Upstairs Rooms that Accompany the Master

This room window has a southern exposure, looking at the back slopes and thick forest. Deer often bed down in the grasses on summer days. We've watched wobbly-legged newborn twin fawns from the window as well as been surprised by a grouping of 4 point bucks grazing.
White tile bath with a hint of vintage or retro, but clearly classic. You choose the color with towels and accents.
This bedroom window looks over the front drive to the tranquil backdrop of the Pacific Madrones, Maples, and evergreens of the neighboring property. It is a simple room with its own radiant heat thermostat, and has its own walk in closet. It has a locked cabinet style door access to the unfinished eve space over the garage as well.

Master Suite

BainUltra air bath for a dreamy soak or bubble bath. Double sided gas fireplace for added heat and romance. An overall light, airy, and peaceful bath to relax within a bird's view.
Double Shower with no need for doors and plenty of room to shave your legs.

Master bedroom is fit for a king or queen. Ceiling fan light fixture, and side light windows that open for a breeze.
Bedroom side of see-through gas fireplace. Large walk in closet is off the bath.

French doors lead to slate tiled deck with a top most view that includes a bit of the bay.

Necessary Rooms

Mud room entry has large coat closet, room for floor to ceiling built ins, door to garage, and crawl space access. This is the primary access to the heart of the home, as convenient as the front door, and handles all traffic directly to garage, laundry, powder room, and pantry!
Powder room or half bath with granite counter, Kohler fixtures, and Pottery Barn hardware.

Laundry room has a deep sink and pull out spray faucet to handle a large mop bucket or to wash the dog! Plenty of cabinets for storage, built in laundry chute, under the counter front loaders to maximize counter space, and built in ironing board cabinet! Added the exterior half light door to access the back side of the house and herb/kitchen garden on the rock wall.

Open Floor Plan Kitchen and Dining

Truly functional and beautiful gourmet kitchen. The stainless steel under-mount sinks are large and deep, both the double sink at corner windows and island sink with Delta pull out spray faucets to water plants or even fill pots on the counter. Streamlined look with stainless Jenn-Air dishwasher, counter depth French door bottom freezer refrigerator, and double oven with convection on top. The large capacity convection oven with hidden bake elements lends to a large golden Thanksgiving turkey, multiple casseroles, or pans of cookies baked to perfection. Propane gas Wolf cook top makes sautéing, bringing water to a quick boil, or simmering a sauce a breeze. Black honed granite counters are sleek and elegant. The island granite adds a brighter texture of color. The granite is a dream for rolling out a pastry. Friends and family can chat from the table or at the island while the chef is at work.
The main floor is exclusively finished in slate and engineered hardwood maple, wide planks in a Woodstock distressed finish.
French doors in the dining area lead to the partially covered Tigerwood deck. Tigerwood is an eco-friendly naturally rot resistant hardwood that ages beautifully. Outside or Inside dining can be accomplished on a whim with dining on the deck just a hop and a skip from the dining room. There is an exterior wall gas outlet for the grill just outside the door.


8.01.2010

Daylight Basement

A fully finished basement flooded with daylight by large wood encased windows. Radiant heat within the rich colored surface of the acid stained concrete is inviting to bare feet and insures a cozy warmth on the coldest of gray winter days.
Convenient wet bar in the family room. Opposite wall ready for the home entertainment system with cabling.
Door to the right of the wet bar is the sole unheated concrete floored wine cellar. Two walls are below ground and one exterior wall with window. Works well as a pantry or food cellar, room for an extra freezer, or even an exercise equipment work out room.
Overhead shot of the basement family room from the stairway.
Three-quarter bathroom with spacious black honed granite counter top.


Large bedroom size bonus room, currently used as a second home office.


In the large mechanical room, view a geothermal heat pump radiant heat system. The heat pump receives water from an extensive geothermal loop buried below the earthwork of slopes and terraces on south side of house. The heat conversion produces hot water for the pressurized holding tank which feeds hot water through the closed loop system in all floors of the home. Besides main thermostat, there are individual thermostats in three upstairs bedrooms. The system keeps the entire home at a beautiful comfort level ambient temperature all year long. The tiles, slate, and concrete are especially delightful in the winter months with their conduction of the warmth.
Domestic hot water heater is at the front left connected to a heated loop with pump for immediate hot water at all taps.

7.29.2010

Extravagant View


Rooms with a view. Picture windows maximize the view in every room of the Olympic Mountain Range. Enjoy sunsets and even spectacular occasional "moon sets". You own the view with nothing to rise up in your landscape except for the lush deciduous vegetation on your own property. You view the lights of Manette, Washington and East Bremerton at night. A peek-a-boo spot gives a glimpse of the passing Seattle to Bremerton ferry. The water and atmosphere also carry the sounds of the ports to the home at the crest. Lie in bed at 8AM and hear the Star Spangled Banner float to your ear from the ship yard. The noon chimes from City Hall, the horns of the boats on a foggy morning, the barking of seals at Manchester can all be heard at opportune times. The panorama of private fireworks are also a fun asset on New Year's Eve and Fourth of July.