A Bellevue house will be featured on a tour of modern homes in and around the Seattle area on Sept. 7.
Tour organizers say the homes feature “cutting-edge contemporary design that takes advantage of the stunning landscape.” In addition to the Bellevue home, seven other homes are located in Issaquah, Seattle and Bainbridge Island.
The tour will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is self-directed.
Advance tickets are on sale through Friday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. for $30 each.Tickets purchased after that time must be purchased at any of the tour homes beginning at 11 a.m. on Sept. 7 for $40 each. Children 12 and under are free.
The home was designed in 1955 by Wendell Lovett during an early phase of his career when he was heavily influenced by the Miesian idiom and the idea of using production components to create minimalist dwellings. After its construction in 1957, the home received numerous design awards and was featured in a variety of domestic and international publications.
The original owners were Gervais Reed, an art history professor at the University of Washington, and his wife Connie Reed. Professor Reed personally constructed the beams for the home in the basement of the Henry Art Gallery. He passed away in 2007 and his wifecontinued to live in the home until she sold it to the current owners, Patrick and Courtney Stanton, in December 2012.
The Stantons wanted to maintain the integrity of this iconic mid-century modern home. However, they also wanted to update the original 1950’s era kitchen.
Hilltop is an island of unincorporated King County surrounded by the city of Bellevue. A circular drive and spur lanes link 40 home sites, each on one acre and most with superb views of Mount Rainier, Seattle, Lake Washington or Lake Sammamish. There is an extensive greenbelt with walking trail, a playfield, swimming pool and tennis court on another 23 acres.
Hilltop began with a burst of optimism in 1946, just after World War II, when architects Perry Johanson (the “J” in the firm NBBJ), John Morse, Fred Bassetti and their wives foresaw a housing boom and began to think about how they could develop rural property into a collective community.
At the time, Hilltop’s principles were considered forward-looking. And even know they are considered modern: a home and its site should be in harmony with the land, yet contemporary in appearance. Views should be preserved, but nature respected. People should work together for the common good and enjoy the result in common.
More information is available at http://seattle.modernhometours.com.
After its construction in 1957, the home received numerous design awards and was featured in a variety of domestic and international publications.
The current owners wanted to maintain the integrity of this iconic mid-century modern home. However, they also wanted to update the original 1950’s era kitchen.
