Bainbridge Island Retreat. Coates Design Architects
Bainbridge Island Retreat Kitchen. Coates Design Architects
Bainbridge Island Retreat Kitchen Counter. Coates Design Architects

This hillside retreat is 2600 square feet with two bedrooms, fit for a small family to enjoy an island getaway. Similar to its sibling shoreline home, Seaview Escape, the island retreat is done in the Pacific Northwest architectural style, with wood floors and an expansive two-story glazing allowing a view of the mountains from the upper balcony. Cantilevered wood “floating” stair treads lead to a library overlooking the double-height living and dining space below. Beach glass and nautical light fixtures were chosen for the bathrooms to bring a coastal feel indoors. A stone mass wall with corten panels provides the focal point of the living space, housing a fireplace and media center while providing separation from the master suite. The house is connected to a wooded pathway that leads to the beach, creating a natural transition from the home to the outdoors.

Bainbridge Island Retreat Living Area. Coates Design Architects
Bainbridge Island Retreat, Interior, Stairs
Bainbridge Island Retreat, Interior, Stair Detail

The weightless look of the steel floating stairs, paired with a sleek railing and a cozy wooden wall. Pairing hard elements, such as steel and concrete with natural wood, gives an undeniable symphony of design.

Bainbridge Island Retreat Bedroom. Coates Design Architects
Bainbridge Island Retreat foyer. Coates Design Architects

Architectural Features:

  • Open-concept living, kitchen, and dining area
  • Nature-inspired interior design elements

The hillside waterfront property has been in the clients’ family since the 1950s and contains two parcels that once had a mid-century home and a 1920s cabin. The two siblings that had acquired these wanted the two homes redeveloped in conjunction with one another. They hoped they would be able to use the houses, which are just 50 feet apart, as a retreat for big family gatherings to ensure their families stayed close. The existing site topography was maintained to minimize earth disturbance on the steep slope and the new homes were built on the existing footprint. Each home includes a material palette of stone, concrete, wood, and metal, complimenting one another while defining the subtle differences in the siblings’ personal tastes. Both utilize a stone mass wall to delineate the private spaces from the shared central public spaces. The site is accessed by a communal drive shared between the two retreat homes, providing a unique overlook of the cantilevered green roof.

sibling homes

The two homes, Seaview Escape and Island Retreat, also share an extensive outdoor living space and amenities such as eating and barbecuing areas, showers, and a hot tub. Care was taken when positioning the houses on the property so that neither blocks the Puget Sound view of the other. Both with unique architectural designs, the two homes complement each other and the natural landscape surrounding them.

Learn more about the sibling shoreline home, Seaview Escape.