Watchbear Guards a Vashon 5-BR on Quartermaster Harbor

It happens. Someone buys a house and loves it so much they stay there for decades. Find the right house, and it makes sense to settle in for good. A house on Vashon just came up for sale for the first time in over 50 years. Considering the property, the location, the setting, and the view, it may perform a repeat. A 1934 Tudor near the southern tip of the Burton Peninsula is on the market for $1,049,000. Inside, there are 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2,470 square feet of sustainable style. Outside, there is 1.28 acres with 150 feet of waterfront facing southwest into the protection that is Quartermaster Harbor.

Does the chainsaw bear stay with the property? It stands at the top of the stairs that lead to the beach, staring out at one of the more secluded harbors in Puget Sound. The stairs are necessary because the house is on enough of a bluff to stay above high tides and storm surges. Check to see if the beach provides clams or crab, for the freshest seafood possible. The landscaping is mature and established, as is proper for a Tudor. From the native madrones on the beach to the tall trees around the lot and the appropriate rhododendrons, the property matches the house for the look of an estate.

The most distinctive feature inside is either the wood paneling, or the ceiling treatments, or the wood paneled ceilings. Why use sheetrock when you live in a forest and wood can cover the floors, walls, and ceilings? It isn't just the use of wood, though. Curved panels soften the junction between wall and ceiling, creating a more organic feel. In at least one room, the ceiling beams are exposed, again keeping the room from being a featureless box. Celebrate the fact that there will be a lot less painting to keep up.

For all the refined grandeur of the house and the property, it is still a pragmatic home with a normal, and usefully-sized kitchen; a shop, because things will break and projects must be accomplished; and a sport court, because playing is part of living. We shouldn't all be like wooden bears perpetually staring out at the view, even if the view is worth watching for another fifty years.
· 9411 SW Bayview Dr, Vashon [Estately]
Written by Tom Trimbath