Property Watch: This House Was Literally Built Out of Salvaged Pieces of Seattle History

Aug 16, 2023

BySarah Anne LloydJuly 19, 2023

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

This home in Leschi/Judkins Park folds a bunch of older, reclaimed elements into new-ish construction for an eclectic farmhouse look that doesn’t date itself. The mid-2000s were not an especially creative time for home construction, as a whole—even, perhaps especially, as builders attempted to revive a Craftsman-esque style.

The trick to this house, built in 2004 and designed by architect Tim Hossner, was to source older finishes and millwork salvaged from local remodels and tear-downs. It looks timeless because, almost in a literal way, it is. Maybe it's time-full?

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The home’s repurposed elements draw from around four decades of Seattle history. Most prominently, interior doors throughout the house came from Greenwood Elementary, built in 1909, complete with small windows to draw in some extra light.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The exterior doesn’t hint too much toward the heritage inside, but it does have a little extra interest: A small wing clad in reclaimed-looking wood. Two front doors lead to two separate spaces, easily cordoned off from one another. One side is a former music school (but would work well as any kind of studio) with a waiting area and a small bathroom. Fittingly, the floor is salvaged from a piano factory. On the other side of the floor are two bedroom suites.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

Usually, this happens in reverse: a turn-of-the-century home gets updated and loses the vibe in the process. Here, the vibe came later: One bedroom has a wardrobe repurposed from a large display cabinet from Friedlander’s Jewelers, which was built just after the 1889 Great Seattle Fire. Another bedroom is lined entirely in tongue-in-groove wood slats and beadboard—including the bathroom—like a little capsule cabin.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The main gathering rooms are upstairs. The second-floor hallway is more like a covered porch, with large metal casement windows, a green wood floor, and beadboard walls that look like an exterior finish.

The third bedroom, at the top of the stairwell, has a small stained glass window, cased in ornamental woodwork, facing it. It's a former bank teller window; there’s a matching one in an office down the hall.

Through a utility room, the upstairs bathroom has an extra personal touch: A door salvaged from the coalbin of the seller's childhood home, complete with leftover marks from shoveled coal.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

Two tall, narrow stained glass windows bookend the cased opening to the living room. One of the focal points inside is a display counter originally from the Olympic Hotel Cigar Shop—now doubling as an additional divider between the living room and the office, which features a backbar from the old Greenwood Pharmacy. A cloakroom sign came from the Paramount Theatre.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The kitchen is open to the living room, but tucked away. The more rustic look returns here, with a reclaimed wood ceiling, beadboard walls, and a commercial kitchen counter and sink. On one end, a built-in breakfast nook keeps things extra cozy.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The AGA range is modern (note the digital clock), but designed to look a little more Victorian. Also visible from the living room: 180-degree views of Lake Washington.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

The exterior of the home is just as thoughtful, with a party-ready covered patio, tranquil places to lounge, and landscaping filled with edible plants.

Image: Courtesy Nathan Brown

1358 33rd Avenue SSize: 3,100 square feet/0.13 acres, 3 bedroom/3.5 bathList Date: 7/5/2023List Price: $1,798,000Listing Agent: Ken Graff, CB Bain