Listing of the Day
Location: Seattle, Washington
Price: $7.8 million
Situated on a hilltop in the Queen Anne neighborhood, the Riddle-Irwin House offers views of the Space Needle, the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound from virtually every room.
"It defines the word jaw-dropping," said listing agent Jeri P. Smith. Picture windows throughout the home and three balconies allow the sights outside the apartment to take central focus.
The 1900 beauty, a historic property named for its first two owners, attorney Charles A.
Riddle and Dr. Lilian Irwin, is one of Seattle’s best examples of the Shingle-style home, which was popular in the late 1800s.
It elegantly maintains its striking period features while conveying a warm, family feel. And sellers Mike Almquist, founder of tech company F5 Networks, and his wife, Sumi Hahn Almquist, maintained the home’s period details during a renovation 15 years ago.
"It’s not ostentatious. They designed it with a family in mind so it doesn’t feel stuffy. It’s a just a really lovely, beautiful place to be," Ms. Smith said. After raising their three children in the home they are now relocating (reluctantly, they note) for professional reasons.
More:A Queen Anne Victorian Atop Shelter Island’s ‘Divinity Hill’
Stats
The six-bedroom, five-bathroom house is 6,460 square feet, on a quarter acre, corner lot.
Amenities
A lower-level theater space turns into a screening room with button-activated blackout shades and velvet curtains. The home also has a wine cellar. (The sellers own and operate Seattle’s Almquist Family winery and distillery.)
Design Pedigree
The home, which noted Seattle architect Edwin W. Houghton designed at the turn of the 20th century, was extensively renovated in 2002. The two-year process involved research trips to San Francisco to study other period Shingle homes. The home was updated and retrofitted for earthquakes at the same time. "They did a really good job of keeping everything in design with the architectural integrity of the house," Ms. Smith said.
One of the largest Seattle sales of 2017—a mansion w/ 265-ft private beach & city views— has just been logged https://t.co/C3AT6deU5T pic.twitter.com/58mEc03TuL
— Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) August 29, 2017
Neighborhood Notes
The tony Queen Anne neighborhood is known for its scenic hills, numerous Queen Anne-style mansions and attractions like Kerry Park and the Seattle Center, the arts and entertainment hub that’s home to the Space Needle, Dale Chihuly Garden and performance spaces for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Seattle Opera.
Queen Anne’s five-minute distance from downtown Seattle makes it a popular residential area and Riddle-Irwin’s central location on Highland Avenue only adds to the appeal. "Highland Avenue is probably the most exclusive, well-known street on Queen Anne," Ms. Smith said.
Agent: Jeri P. Smith, Windermere Real Estate
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