Living with the view

A beautiful outlook is so magical and mesmerizing that, if offered a property with this advantage, most of us would willingly design our new home around it.

High above the Seattle waterfront, nestled in the heart of downtown, this recently refurbished condominium has a panoramic view over the mountains and sea. Prior to remodeling, it had been two separate units, and the new owners decided to gut it completely and reconfigure it into one large apartment.

Architect Garret Cord Werner says the owners, a retired couple, naturally wished to make the most of the sweeping views.

"We felt the best option was to group all the living areas along the full length of the apartment, facing towards the water. This created a space with views on three sides. The master bedroom suite and a study were then located in a separate wing at the rear of the space," says Werner.

"The resulting large, open living area suited the owners as they wanted plenty of space where they could entertain, relax and enjoy their retirement."

The interior had to be simple so as not to compete with the views, but the owners also wanted it to be very refined, highly detailed and to have a warm atmosphere to counteract the city's gray skies. An understated and fairly monochromatic color scheme, with subtle touches of purples, reds and yellows in the living areas, achieves this aim.

The living, dining, family and kitchen areas form one large open room so, to indicate the different zones, the architect used devices such as individual rugs in each area, and a ventless fireplace, flanked by a pair of cabinets, which divides two of the seating spaces.

With an eight-foot high ceiling, recessed lighting was the best option. Lights are inset into nickel-plated ceiling panels that are framed by stainless steel grids. These grids mirror the floor plan and additionally help define the various living spaces. The same details are repeated on the ceilings of the kitchen, master bedroom suite and study.

Zebrawood is used for cabinetry in the kitchen and around the fireplace, as well as for paneling on the inner wall of the living room. This and the rosewood floors add touches of warmth and richness to the interior. The dark tones of the paneling also help to balance the dramatic views. In the hall, which leads to the master suite and doubles as an art gallery, a red leather floor echoes the rosewood color in the living areas.

Story by: Mary Webb