The Columbia Congregational Church was harshly thrust into an uncertain future in the secular world.   It was founded in 1891, two years before the Columbia City neighborhood. The densely forested site was ringed by marshlands and served as the gateway to the untamed Rainier Valley. At the time, it was a common practice to donate…

The Bacon family had spent six months slogging to unimpressive open houses around Seattle when, in October 2017, they finally stumbled on a hillside gem in Magnolia. It was designed by a prolific architect who loved the home so much that he spent the last 55 years of his life there.  Lisa Bacon knew their budget…

For nearly two decades, Brandon Ebel dreamed of building a compound in a modern steel and concrete style.  He found a steep double lot in Magnolia with a plateau featuring a satisfying 360-degree view of Seattle, but he faced a conundrum: How to integrate a contemporary 5,500-square foot house into a well-established neighborhood of traditional,…

The home’s previous maze of small rooms was transformed into an open great room.

The “Golden House” was named for its stunning views and former life as a senior living facility.

Imagine owning enough books to fill Portland’s famous Powell’s Books and having to boil down your collection to a single 12-foot shelf. That was just one of many personal and technical challenges facing Carol Grossmeyer in her long quest to find a forever home. Grossmeyer and her husband grew Milwaukee-based Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, founded…