When you look at home listings as much as we do, most interior features start to lose their luster. You've seen one stone fireplace, you've seen them all. Floor-to-ceiling windows? You and everyone else. Italian Bottoccino marble floors? Botto-whatever.
However, anytime we come across one of those chalkboard walls and its clearly been curated and designed to look stunning, it always stands out. We're left wondering....how exactly did they do that? How did they draw everything so perfectly? Why are there no smudges? How do you make it so even?
The four-bedroom 1925 home at 5805 5th Avenue NE in Green Lake, which just hit the market asking $525K, has one such wall. It also has, according to the broker babble, quite the story.
Outside you see me as brick and wood but step inside and discover my story. I add a lot of character to this neighborhood: My walls store memories of newlyweds. We shared meals holidays and pillow talk in bed. Opportunity flew the lovebirds East, they opened my doors to young energy. My bsmnt doubled as a music studio but can be a mthr-in-law suite. I've got a lot to offer, old world charm w/my original crown molding and fireplace. I'm ready to start a new chapter.
According to Windermere agent David Stelzer, the 2,400 square-foot home has spent much of the last eight years as a rental. When the last tenant left behind a chalkboard wall, they came up with the idea to tell that story above. Taking into account not just the residence but also the fruit trees and bamboo in the backyard, they tasked a company called The Trout Black to put it all together via the chalkboard.
While a picture shows you how we got from before to after, it doesn't quite explain how they made it all look so...nice. That's where this video, featuring accompanying music from Tacoma band Decent at Best, shows us how its done.
As for the rest of the almost century-old home, it's full of vintage charm (especially in the kitchen) and has a lot of potential for those who can picture how to furnish it. And if you need help picturing that, you can always draw it out on the chalkboard first.
· 5805 5th Ave NE [Windermere]
· The Trout Black [TTB]
· Decent at Best [FB]