In Washington, A Tumble Creek Home Is Designed For All Seasons

In Washington state, the Cascade Range looms large. The Cascades, as locals call them, run north to south, dividing the state. Though their main residence is west of the range, just outside of Seattle, “There is something special about getting east of the Cascades,” says the owner of this vacation home, located on the inland side of the mountains in a community called Tumble Creek.

Only an hour-and-a-half drive from Seattle, the area appealed to the family not only because of its proximity to the city but also its very different feel climate-wise. “Many times, we will leave Seattle in gray and rainy weather and arrive at Tumble Creek in blue sky and sun,” the homeowner says. The same is true in the winter, as the area receives nearly seven times as much snow as Seattle due to its higher elevation. Seeking a true four-seasons retreat, the family called trusted interior designer Kat Lawton, who helped them redesign their city home several years prior.

“They had scoped out this lot in Tumble Creek and wanted to pick my brain about it,” recalls Lawton, who was intrigued by the property’s triangular shape and long views over the valley. Once the owners brought on architect Jim Romano, with whom Lawton had collaborated in the past, the team envisioned a V-shaped home composed of distinct but connected wings.

Besides delineating space for a separate guest wing and large recreation room, the layout also made the most of the location. “Although we were one of the first to build in this part of Tumble Creek, we knew there would eventually be homes to the left and right of us,” recalls Romano, who shaped the inward-facing plan around a protected courtyard, subtly shielding occupants from future neighbors. “We designed the home to embrace the outdoors while at the same time creating privacy.” General contractor Josh Sevigny brought everything together, constructing the abode from the ground up.

At its center, the dwelling makes the most of its down-valley views with a soaring, timber-beamed great room. Kitchen, dining and living areas blend together in the vast yet cozy space. “The ceilings are quite lofty, but cocooning them with wood gives it a sense of warmth,” reflects Lawton, who also bookended the open room with stone walls—the same soft-brown tumbled sandstone that Romano selected for the exterior cladding.

Lawton knew from her early conversations with the homeowners that they desired a traditionally rooted but minimally executed residence. “Some of our early concept words for the interiors were: relaxed, natural, aged and refined,” Lawton recalls. “All with a slight Belgian influence.” This ethos comes through in the great room, where the traditional feel of the cabinets in the kitchen is offset by the bold, modern look of Calacatta Gold marble on the counters and backsplash. “We wanted to make sure the counters had enough movement and visual interest, so it didn’t feel like a sea of wood,” she adds.

When designing the bedrooms, Lawton gave each a distinct ambience. The guest wing contains a pair of bunk rooms and enough bedrooms to accommodate the couple’s four children and future grandchildren. For the look of each one, the designer took cues from the four seasons. Says Lawton, “It was a fun way to make sure they felt different yet fitting to the location.”

The primary suite leans into a European-inspired aesthetic with tumbled stone floors in the bedroom and bath. “The stone is cobbled, so it’s soft on the feet,” Lawton says. Alternating wood-paneled and plaster walls offer subtle visual changes. “There’s a quiet texture on every surface,” she notes.

Ultimately, the home reflects both its mountain setting and the spirit of the family within. “The owners are very relaxed, thoughtful, comfortable and family-oriented, with no pretension about them,” Romano says. Lawton agrees, adding, “It’s a place that will grow with them.”