If it stands still, decorate it; and decorate they did. An historic 1909 stucco three-story is for sale in Roanoke Park for $2,250,000. The story has less to do with the 5 bedrooms and 3.75 baths, and a lot more to do with how they decorated 6,150 square feet of mansion.
In the land of Seattle's typically minimalist architecture, any house that's courageous enough to decorate every surface stands out. Of those, the decorations usually maintain one theme throughout, but that can get repetitious after the first five thousand square feet. This mansion is built around a collection of styles that share flamboyance, but don't collide. Each room is a set piece with a separate story, whether that's Arabian nights, Chinese Opera, or European Renaissance. Let your eyes linger on the images and realize how much detail is in each bedroom and bathroom. Living there wouldn't be dull, and you'd probably find something new even after being there for years. The harlequin kitchen (or is that the butler's pantry?) is a nice touch.
The more formal spaces are more sedate, though colorful. The entry is probably the most reserved, with embellishments accumulating as you walk deeper into the house. It is in those rooms that the original nature of 1909 remains with serious fireplaces, mullioned windows, and beamed ceilings.
Step onto the porches, patios, and balconies to take in the view of Portage Bay, and see that even outside there are arches over the seating areas, railings that are artistic to the point of not being a place to put a drink, and a circular driveway of inset bricks rather than pavement. The grounds are extensive, at 11,000 square feet, and manicured into yet another art form.
Back inside, there's room enough for a combined solarium and indoor lap pool for those days when you don't want to get wet as you exercise in the water. Say hello to the yellow, rubber ducky. Evidently, even the surface of the water needed a decoration.
· 1018 E Roanoke St [Estately]