A Tom Kundig Masterwork Above the Waters of Lake Washington

The approach sets the tone immediately. A rust-patinated Cor-Ten steel and glass facade rises from a stone-paved entry, the weathered metal a knowing nod to the industrial vocabulary Kundig has made his signature, softened here by climbing greenery and the dappled light of the Laurelhurst tree canopy. A wooden boardwalk crosses a reflective water feature to reach the front door — a threshold that feels less like an entrance and more like a passage between worlds.

Inside, the home unfolds with the confidence of architecture that has nothing to prove. Dark hardwood floors run the length of the main level, anchoring an open living and dining space where a concrete-clad fireplace serves as the gravitational center of the room. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls dissolve on three sides, erasing the boundary between interior warmth and the panoramic sweep of Lake Washington beyond. The effect, particularly at dusk when the Cascades and the silhouette of Mount Rainier are caught in the last of the light, is quietly extraordinary.

The kitchen is a study in purposeful elegance: dark wood cabinetry, a substantial center island with wire-frame bar seating, a butler's pantry, and a wet bar — all oriented toward the water. It is a space designed as much for the pleasure of cooking as for the theater of entertaining, and it accomplishes both with equal grace.

Upstairs, the primary suite operates as a private sanctuary. Wood-beamed ceilings and a concrete fireplace establish an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy, while a wall of sliding glass doors opens onto a private deck with unobstructed panoramic views of the lake. The en-suite bath continues the commitment to material excellence — a freestanding soaking tub positioned before floor-to-ceiling windows, a floating double vanity, mosaic tile flooring, and natural wood ceiling details that speak to the same hand that shaped the rest of the home.

The lower level extends the home's programmatic generosity with a third en-suite bedroom, a dedicated home gym, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, and a family room anchored by a media wall and abundant natural light. Outside, the landscape descends toward the water in a series of considered transitions: a stone-paved patio with a circular fire pit, a tiered wooden deck with dining and lounge areas, and ultimately the lakeside cabana — complete with a three-quarter bath — and a private dock that places Lake Washington quite literally at your feet.

This is a home for those who understand that true luxury is not the accumulation of features, but the coherence of a singular vision executed without compromise.

Laurelhurst occupies a privileged peninsula on the western shore of Lake Washington, and it has long been considered one of Seattle's most desirable residential addresses. Developed in the early twentieth century as a planned community by the Laurelhurst Company, the neighborhood was laid out with curving, tree-lined streets that follow the natural contours of the land — a deliberate departure from Seattle's prevailing grid that gives Laurelhurst its distinctly unhurried, almost European character. The result is a neighborhood that feels both intimate and expansive, where mature Douglas firs and maples frame glimpses of the lake at nearly every turn.

The community has historically attracted Seattle's civic and cultural leadership, and that tradition of thoughtful stewardship is evident in the neighborhood's well-maintained parks, active community club, and strong sense of collective identity. Laurelhurst Park, a beloved green space at the neighborhood's heart, offers a swimming beach, athletic fields, and forested walking paths that draw residents year-round. The Laurelhurst Community Club provides additional social infrastructure — a gathering place that reinforces the neighborhood's reputation as one of Seattle's most cohesive residential enclaves.

For a city defined by its relationship to water, Laurelhurst holds a special position. Lake Washington itself stretches more than twenty miles from north to south, offering world-class sailing, rowing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, with the waters at their most animated during the summer months when the lake becomes the backdrop for some of Seattle's most celebrated events. The nearby Montlake Cut connects Lake Washington to Lake Union and ultimately to Puget Sound, making Laurelhurst a natural point of departure for those who wish to explore Seattle's broader aquatic geography by boat.

The neighborhood's location places residents within easy reach of some of Seattle's most significant cultural and intellectual institutions. The University of Washington, one of the foremost research universities in the country, sits just to the south, bringing with it a constellation of world-class medical facilities, museums, and performance venues. The Henry Art Gallery, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Husky Stadium are all within a short distance. The University Village shopping center, a thoughtfully curated open-air retail destination, provides convenient access to flagship stores, independent boutiques, and a wide array of dining options without requiring a journey into the urban core.

Downtown Seattle and its attendant cultural offerings — the Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Symphony, and the city's celebrated restaurant scene — are readily accessible, yet Laurelhurst maintains a genuine remove from the pace of urban life. This is a neighborhood where children ride bicycles to the park, neighbors know one another by name, and the evening light on the water is considered reason enough to linger on the deck.

For those fortunate enough to call Laurelhurst home, the neighborhood represents something increasingly rare in any major American city: a place where natural beauty, architectural distinction, community, and urban convenience exist not in tension, but in genuine harmony.