A midcentury woodland retreat by Ralph Anderson asks $1.5M

Legendary Seattle architect Ralph Anderson developed his signature Northwest Contemporary style by building uniquely Northwest midcentury moderns. Anderson designed this three-bedroom home in 1962 with that midmod sensibility, but emphasis on what he did best: giant windows, creative outdoor spaces, and bringing the natural world indoors.

Anderson homes are typically very carefully sited, too. This one in particular is nestled in a greenbelt in the exclusive Shoreline enclave of Innis Arden, originally founded by Bill Boeing in the early 1940s—meaning private beach access and aggressively protected views. Rather than compete for that Puget Sound view, though, this home opts for a more intimate view of Hidden Lake and Shoreview Park, giving it the illusion of having no human neighbors at all.

While it’s nondescript from approach—deferring to the woods around it—it opens downslope into kind of a majestic treehouse, with two-story windows towering over wooden decking. Inside, tongue-and-groove ceilings dominate the decor, and parallel window banks almost give the illusion of a floating roof. In a kind of Anderson hallmark, a pocket of cathedral ceiling soars over part of the living room—and a loft tucked above has its own little fireplace.

17020 10th Avenue NW is listed for $1.5 million through Heaton Dainard.