Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/685944
O h, the places we'll go. Throw a dart at a map of the greater Puget Sound region and you'll likely snag a bit of topography encompassing a Master Builders Association (MBA) member-built home. It happens with an association as influential and widespread as the MBA of King and Snohomish counties. Today the dart has pierced a cozy little neighborhood on the Seattle side of Lake Washington. Bullseye. The home, dubbed Bookhouse (you'll soon find out why), was built — or I should say rebuilt — by Prestige Residential Construction, with design done by DeForest Architects, and it is absolutely breathtaking. The entire narrative of this home is understated elegance; no gaudiness, no look-at-me features or unwieldy excess. Here, lakeside charms blow in with the onshore winds, light and refreshing with a strong hint of history. This spot of land and its brick Tudor house in different forms has been around for a while — 87 years, I learn. I wonder what the original owners would think of the estate as it stands now. From what little I see so far, I think they'd approve. The renovation, continues Jeff Santerre, founder and principal of Prestige, was done so as to keep the home's original soul intact, creating a seamless juxtaposition between old and new. Preserving Seattle's rich architectural past is key and Prestige is leading the charge to keep our city looking as emerald as ever. Within the mix includes a few personalized "Oh would you look at that" features both big and small. It's important that there's a "word wall" (a big feature) just past the deemphasized front entrance inside the home, where the owners were able to stencil in words and phrases close to their heart. Some are book passages; others look to be more personal, family names and the like. Out by the front sidewalk, the entry gate has a horizontal slit cut in about a foot off the ground that acts as a lookout for the dogs that roam the grounds (small feature). 33 06.16 master builder