We seemed to venture to all four corners of the city today to look at new listings, and were left a little disappointed by what we’d seen until our last stop, this 1929 English on Cornell, priced at $529,000. The house, sitting up high above the road, provides grand views across the northeast of town and on to Mt. St. Helens.
This building is very much a tale of three levels, all of them enjoying a separate identity but collectively blending with little effort. The basement is your standard early 20th century fare, utilitarian by nature and serving its purpose well as a storage room, utility room and, if my memory serves me correctly, a small office. On the main level, it’s modern meets mid-century, with a lovely understated contemporary kitchen that’s been opened up to the dining room (a very successful improvement) and a living room with a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace, which feels like it’s been stolen from a ranch, but regardless works well in this room. Upstairs has retained a more traditional feel to its three bedroom and one bathroom. Up here it’s all about the details, and I love the Mediterranean fireplace in the master bedroom with the round-top alcove and the long skinny leaded-glass window next to the stair case.
It’s a house with a blend of influences and it feels as if each owner has added something of their own personality through the generations. It doesn’t always work, but in this case, it’s a good thing.
Sold for $504,500
Bricks and Mortar 