Midcentury Time Capsule Overlooks Lake, Mount Rainier
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If we told you that we found a gorgeously well-preserved Seattle Midcentury time capsule in Seattle, would you be surprised?
For many, when they’re told to close their eyes and think of the architecture that most represents Seattle, they might think of the Northwest style developed by architects like Seattle’s Paul Thiry, or Craftsman and Prairie-style homes.
But in reality, Seattle doesn’t have one defined style, experts say.
“There are residential neighborhoods in Seattle where, in the space of a couple of blocks, you feel as though you’ve stumbled onto a world’s fair of architectural history,” Lawrence Cheek wrote in SeattleMet. “Porticos from ancient Greece, parapets from colonial Mexico, echoes of the Italian Renaissance and Georgian England, a swooping roofline off the American prairie and a Japanese-accented bungalow and a Bauhaus machine by way of Germany—it’s all there, testament both to glorious American individualism and a considerable degree of confusion over just what is the proper outfit for a home in the urban Pacific Northwest.”
Our historical shelter this week is one of those apt examples — a Midcentury Modern built in 1954 by George Wilbur Hazen and Charles Albert Lawrence Jr., Seattle architects who were otherwise known by the name of their AIA-award-winning firm — Lawrence and Hazen Architects.
The home was built during the duo’s early years, when they relied on single-family home commissions. Later, as their name became more well known, they shifted to larger structures like hospitals, churches, and apartments.
And while some might clutch their pearls at the $3.35 million price tag, this home has a lot of reasons behind the price tag. For one, Seattle is pretty darn pricey. And this home, with its Lake Washington location and views of Mount Rainier, sits on more than an acre. And it has 5,640 square feet of living space spread through two living areas, five bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
And if that’s not enough, there is also the lush grounds, deck, and the boat dock.
The home is incredibly well-maintained, and has incredible 1950s details still present, including the wood-paneled walls, stone accents, and large walls of glass to best display the mountain and water views.
But it also could give someone who wants a little bit of something to do a chance to do some respectful updating. Perhaps removing the carpeting and entertaining the idea of hardwoods or even polished concrete, or terrazzo. The galley kitchen is serviceable, but could also do with some updating and brightening, as could the bathrooms in the home.
One might argue, though, that it’s the views, the land, the pedigree, and the well-preserved space that commend this home the most — and make it worth the $3.35 million price tag.
The Seattle Midcentury Modern is listed by Dorothy Driver with Windermere.
