Island Retreat House
Coates Design Seattle Architects created this hillside dwelling to embody retreat in the Pacific-Northwest, a waterfront property that serves as a home away from home on Bainbridge Island.
This hillside home is 2600 square feet with two bedrooms. It is done in the Pacific Northwest-style, with wood floors and an expansive two-story glazing allowing a view of the mountains from the upper balcony. Cantilevered wood “floating” stair treads lead to a library overlooking the double-height living and dining space below. Beach glass and nautical light fixtures were chosen for the bathrooms to bring a coastal feel indoors. A stone mass wall with corten panels provides the focal point of the living space, housing a fireplace and media center while providing separation from the master suite. The house is connected to a wooded pathway that leads to the beach.
The hillside waterfront property has been in the clients’ family since the 1950s and contains two parcels that used to have a mid-century home and a 1920s cabin. The two siblings that had acquired these wanted the two homes redeveloped in conjunction with one another. They hoped they would be able to use the houses, which are just 50 feet apart, for big family gatherings to ensure their families stayed close. The existing site topography was maintained to minimize earth disturbance on the steep slope and the new homes were built on the existing footprint. Each home includes a material palette of stone, concrete, wood, and metal, complimenting one another while defining the subtle differences in the siblings’ personal tastes.
Both utilize a stone mass wall to delineate the private spaces from the shared central public spaces. The site is accessed by a communal drive shared between the two homes, providing a unique overlook of the cantilevered green roof.
Design: Coates Design Seattle Architects
Photography: Lara Swimmer
