Madrona Modern

When Madrona residents Jon and Jayne were looking for the perfect location for their nuptials, their new home seemed a natural fit.

The only catch: It was still very much under construction.

To accommodate the situation, garlands were hung on exposed beams and rose petals

formed a circle on a plywood subfloor where the ceremony would be performed on a late-September day. “We were creating this house together,” Jayne recalls, so it made sense for the couple to choose that space to begin their married life.

The site marked the start of their marriage, but the overall project was a marriage of minds. Working with husband-and-wife architects David Bennett and Kim Lavacot of Bennett Lavacot Architecture, as well as interior designer Robin Chell of Robin Chell Design, Jon and Jayne were actively involved in every last detail. “[It was] a terrific collaboration,” Jon says. The homeowners and architects had initially approached the project as a remodel of Jon’s home on the property, but decided that building a new home from scratch would be more practical.

Throughout the two-plus-year process, Jon was a vocal participant, his ideas and creative requests leading to many spirited discussions between the players. “When we had meetings, Jon would bring his big stack of notebooks—and lists,” Lavacot says with a laugh. “But the more curveballs you get, it just turns out better.” Jon thoroughly agrees: “The back and forth made it a better house,” he asserts.

The couple wanted a home with clean lines and minimal detailing. “We went for understated and simple,” Jon explains. Bennett and Lavacot worked  to create a design that combines easy functionality with graceful proportions, while maximizing the beauty of the setting. “It’s a sophisticated house,” Lavacot says of the finished product. “It has a quiet, simple elegance, which is what we strived for.”

In helping to choose the interior’s finishing touches, interior designer Robin Chell aimed to keep her clients’ goal in mind. “The biggest compliment for me is that, when a project is finished, it reflects the owners’ taste,” she says. Using this philosophy as a springboard, Chell looked to the couple’s artwork and personal effects for inspiration. A collection of Jon’s photographs from exotic locations around the globe provided the color palette for the family room; the homeowner’s art collection, including large pieces by Fay Jones, helped direct choices of vibrantly hued accessories and neutral paint colors.

Throughout the house, Chell used soft shades and classical elements as a counterpoint to the modern design. “More than anything, [Jon and Jayne] wanted it to be harmonious to the architecture and bring the outside in,” she explains. “They really wanted to keep it warm, since it is a modern house.”

The design team matched materials such as aluminum, Milestone and steel with natural elements, including vertical-grain cherry cabinetry, slabs of teak and quarter-sawn oak floors, leading to the perfect balance between cutting-edge design and accessible comfort. “A lot of people say, ‘I don’t like modern, but I like this house!’ ” Jayne says.

The interior is literally warmed by radiant heat installed under a steel floor strip in the passageway between the living area and hallway, unintentionally creating one of the couple’s favorite spots to gather at the end of a long day. “It’s like a hearth,” Jayne says. “We have a glass of wine and sit and talk [here].”

On the main floor, the effortless flow between the kitchen, living, dining and courtyard areas is naturally suited for hosting guests. “This is a great entertaining house,” Jayne says. “We cook a lot, and Kim and her husband [David] also like to cook, so we had fun talking about how to use the space.”

Now the couple hosts everything from intimate dinner parties to more casual summer fetes for large groups. But they especially love to have friends over for Sunday-night pizza. “Jayne makes Tom Douglas Serious Pie–level pizza,” Jon says. “Everyone just gets comfortable around the counter, and the talk—and the wine—flow easily.”

The homeowners’ pure joy in the project’s end result is palpable. “So many times I say to myself, ‘I can’t believe I get to live in this house, and furthermore, I can’t believe I get to cook in this kitchen!’ ” Jayne enthuses.

Another powerful symbol of the project’s success is the resulting friendships between the designers and homeowners. “Let’s put it this way: We could do it again,” Jayne says, and Lavacot agrees, echoing her client: “We could do it again.” 

Thea Nyberg is a former Assistant Editor of SH&L who is now a freelance design and lifestyles writer.

This article originally appeared in the July-August 2010 issue of Seattle Homes & Lifestyles. All information in the article was accurate at presstime.

Interior Designer: Robin Chell, Robin Chell Design, 3417 N.W. 68th St., (206) 760-0849.

Architects: Kim Lavacot, David Bennett, Bennett Lavacot Architecture, 3616 E. Denny Way, (206) 328-4389.

Contractor: Russ Smith, Remodel Restoration Consulting, (425) 941-2235.

Sources: Table, Limn, 290 Townsend St., San Francisco, (415) 543-5466; doors, Loewen*, Loewen Window Center of Seattle, Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-260, (206) 763-2280; Pennsylvania blue stone pavers, Marenakos Rock Center, 30250 S.E. High Point Way, Issaquah, (425) 392-3313; Parklex wood siding, Finland Color Plywood, 1310 Main St., Venice, California, (310) 396-9991; windows, Loewen*, Loewen Window Center of Seattle, Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-260, (206) 763-2280; sofa, Monti, Dellarobbia, 796 E. Harrison St., Corona, California, (951) 372-9199; pillows, custom made with Kravet silk, Kravet/Lee Jofa*, 
Seattle Design Center, Ste. A-126, (206) 762-9370; leather chair, Paulistano, Design Within Reach, 1918 First Ave., (206) 443-9900; table lamp, Costanzina, Luceplan; rug, custom Tibetan carpet, Andonian Rugs, Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-392, (206) 762-0323; artwork, Sisters by Fay Jones, Grover Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave. S., (206) 223-0816; Sophie pendant lights, Tobias Grau, Limn, 290 Townsend St., San Francisco, (415) 543-5466; Faber range hood, Diamante Isola, Albert Lee Appliance Co., 1476 Elliott Ave. W., (206) 282-2110; reclaimed-birch fireplace mantle, Meyer Wells, 1600 W. Armory Way, (206) 282-0076; sliding doors, Fleetwood; overhang, Custom Steel Fabricators, 3530 Rainier Ave. S., (206) 723-1997; tub, Wetstyle, Seattle Interiors, 3822 Stone Way N., (206) 633-2900; faucet, Vola, Seattle Interiors, 3822 Stone Way N., (206) 633-2900; towel bar, Ginger, Seattle Interiors, 3822 Stone Way N., (206) 633-2900; windows, Loewen*, Loewen Window Center of Seattle, Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-260, (206) 763-2280; custom wall surface, Milestone, Artisan Finishes, 902 First Ave. S., (206) 340-0830; quarter-sawn oak stairs, The Oak Floors of Greenbank, 705 S. Fidalgo St., (206) 623-9367; aluminum windows, Marlin Windows, Inc., 5414 E. Broadway, Spokane, (800) 541-6200; railing fabrication, Rhinehart Metalworks, 2110 S. 116th St., (206) 932-4575; sink, Wetstyle, Seattle Interiors, 3822 Stone Way N., (206) 633-2900; faucet, Hansgrohe, Seattle Interiors, 3822 Stone Way N., (206) 633-2900; wall lights, Utility, Resolute, 2101 Ninth Ave., Ste. 100, (206) 343-9322; teak vanity, Mountain States Woodworks, 1902 Woodlawn, Missoula, Montana, (406) 327-6784.
* Available to the trade through architects and designers.