Seattle Culture

Home of the Week: Zen Retreat in Seward Park

Bonus! You can actually book a stay at this delightful two-bedroom dwelling

By Lauren Mang October 28, 2014

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Each week, we’re featuring one Seattle-area home that we think is interesting, inspiring or just a downright feast for the eyes. Some of them are actually on the market, while other homes will offer enviable style tips–courtesy of their ingenious owners or designers–that you can steal for your own abode.

Today, we’re returning to 1949. (Remember our previous home of the week in West Seattle was built the same year.) This two-bedroom, one-bathroom abode in Seward Park is surrounded by lush trees and has a lovely outdoor deck with a gas grill. What’s interesting about this particular property–aside from the fantastic original birch cabinets in the kitchen–is that it’s currently listed on Airbnb, so you can book a stay for a weekly price of $973.


Another fab front door
“When I bought the home 10 years ago,” says owner Matt Bennett, “I purchased it from the family of a widow[er] who had recently passed away. He did an excellent job maintaining the house but did no updates. I replaced the plumbing and electrical and slowly did updates throughout the house. I couldn’t afford to gut the kitchen so I did selective updates and tried to maintain the design integrity.”
Of those selective kitchen updates were new countertops and stainless steel backsplashes. Bennett notes the design is influenced by his travels abroad, especially in South East Asia.
Bennett also hired friend and interior designer, Monica Gripman, to help out with the home’s design concept. “I saved a lot using her as a consultant instead of a carte blanch designer,” he says. “I did the same for the yard. I had great ideas and have a master’s [degree] in horticulture, but hired a friend who’s a landscape designer, Rose Nicholas, to help me develop the concept.”

“The house is enjoyed by hundreds of people a year visiting Seattle and renting it on Airbnb,” Bennett says. “When it’s not occupied (which isn’t often), my partner and I stay there for some time near the lake and Columbia City.”

Have a home or a room in your home that you’d like considered for Seattle mag’s Home of the Week? Email a few pictures and a little information about it to [email protected].

 

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