Kirkland Waterfront Custom Home

Built entirely from the ground up on the shores of Lake Washington, this custom waterfront estate is a masterclass in Pacific Northwest contemporary design, brought to life in partnership with Studio STL. Their design sets a modern-organic tone from the moment you arrive at the entry courtyard — low-slung, horizontal rooflines, white ledgestone accents, and warm wood soffits framing a mature olive tree, board-formed concrete, and a hand-crafted walnut door. From there, the home unfolds toward the water: a great room wrapped in wood ceiling planks and anchored by a stone fireplace, a chef’s kitchen with waterfall stone islands and a full-height Wolf range, and a primary suite where a full glass wall slides completely open to merge the bedroom with a private lakeside deck. Every sightline in this house was designed to end at the water.

Outside is where this project really earns its wow factor. A multi-level lakefront terrace stacks a pool, a raised spa, and a covered outdoor living area with a full wood-slat ceiling, all connected by cedar decking and framed by mature landscaping that was preserved and built around rather than clear-cut, leading down to a private dock. Inside, the details keep going: a moody wine cellar with a full glass-front wine wall and champagne rack, a jewel-toned wet bar with patterned tile and a built-in espresso machine, and a bright blue laundry-and-craft room proving that even the “back of house” spaces got full design attention. It’s a strong example of what happens when a considered architectural vision meets a build team that can execute every detail of it — from first excavation to final walkthrough.

Architect: Studio STL