|
Copy of article published Dec 2007
Seattle Homes & Lifestyles Magazine
From their Mukilteo living-room windows, Lynne and Hugh Hall love to watch the ferries headed to Whidbey Island and the fishing boats putting about Puget Sound in the still of the early morning. “The scene is constantly changing out there, and it’s so beautiful to watch, even when the weather isn’t nice,” Hugh says.
The owners of two Everett-area car dealerships, Lynne and Hugh had lived in Mukilteo for 17 years and were ready for a change. They began house hunting in the area, but when they found this flat lot with its beautiful view—only five miles from their current home—they knew immediately that it was where their dream home had to be built.
And so a year ago, after a 20-month construction process, the couple and their two teenaged sons moved into their new house. “We always wanted a home with a view like this,” Hugh says.
Outdoor enthusiasts, the Halls often spend weekends skiing in Whistler, British Columbia, where they are drawn to the area’s rustic-looking homes. One weekend, they saw a house that they particularly loved and learned it was designed by Vancouver, B.C.-based architect John Medland. “That home, his design, was exactly the look we were after,” Lynne says. “So we tracked him down that Monday and asked him to design our home.”
To complete the design team, they hired interior designer Christy Romoser and builder Kris Granstrom, a longtime friend. “We wanted something that had that Northwest lodge feel but was also contemporary,” Hugh says. “Originally that seemed to be a conflict in styles, but John and Christy really made it happen.”
The main residence is approximately 5,000 square feet; an additional 1,000 square feet of living space is located above the garage that houses Hugh’s two collectible cars. That space, connected to the main home by a bridge, is reserved for the boys, ages 17 and 19, who use it as their hangout area; it is decorated with playful colors and furnishings.
A close-knit family, the Halls didn’t want rooms that “felt chopped up,” Lynne says. “We like things open, and we wanted space that you can really live in entirely, instead of being confined to one room at a time for specific purposes.”
Upon entry, visitors step into a great room with the dining room directly ahead and the stunning view of the sound just beyond, through large windows. The remainder of this main wing consists of the kitchen and living room on opposite sides of the formal dining area. Upstairs, an open hallway looks down into the great room and leads to the master suite above the kitchen. A separate wing holds the guest room and the boys’ bedrooms—the home’s “private” zones.
Kitchen counter tops are made of Dragon Red granite, named for its bold variations of rusts and grays, which sets the home’s color palette. The result is combinations and bold patterns of what Romoser calls “the new millennium earth tones”: cinnamon, spice, ochre, chartreuse, olive and golden cream.
“The homeowners were definitely looking for a casual but sophisticated style,” Romoser says. “Because of all the wood, windows and angles, textures and warm colors were key elements.”
Wool area rugs, designed by Romoser and made in Nepal, add artistic interest to the floor. Throughout the home, the fabric palette consists of textures and smaller geometric and organic shapes that “add interest without screaming ‘look at me,’ ” Romoser says.
In the living and dining rooms, built-in, low-level cabinets establish clean lines. To perpetuate the contemporary look, Romoser designed the cabinetry to appear as if it floats above the floor. Builder Kris Granstrom expanded on that concept by proposing a concrete counter, held in place by the cedar beams, that seems to float above the cabinets.
To implement a woodsy feeling in the contemporary design, the homeowners and designer chose to have exposed supporting posts in the kitchen and living rooms carved with a rustic wood-wrapped design. Local artist Pat McVay was commissioned to do the work, which reflects the family’s love of the outdoors and a casual, comfortable way of living—a common theme in the home’s design.
“We wanted to be able to really live in the house,” Hugh says, and Lynne agrees: “When people come over, they say, ‘Gosh, it just feels so warm, so welcoming here.’ That was certainly our goal. “When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how much money you spend or how high-end the finishes are,” Lynne adds. “What matters is that you love living in it.”
Design Details
Interior Designer
Christy Romoser, 22857 N.E. 61st St., Redmond
(425) 466-1434 or cromoserdesigns.com
Architect
John Dow Medland, 618 E. 17th St., North Vancouver, B.C.
(604) 929-3564 or jdmed.com
Builder
Kris Granstrom, Goldmark Enterprise, 621 SR-9 N.E. , #C7, Lake Stevens
(425) 238-1094
Schedule Your Free Site Evaluation.
Office 425-355-3089 Fax 425-353-0508
Contact 866-816-7700 -- 24 hours a day 7 days a week