The Penthouse- ESCALA Seattle

The Penthouse- ESCALA Seattle, originally uploaded by choiyeewong.

The Escala at 5th and Madison is unique in that all of the units, except the three penthouses, are one-bedroom or one-bedroom + den layouts, ranging in size from 808 to 1,244 square feet. The two- and three-bedroom penthouses range from 1,957 to 2,164 square feet in size.

With the exception of the 2nd and penthouse levels (24th floor), each floor accommodates only 6 units, all facing North, West or East. Units on the upper-levels, particularly the “00″ and “01″ stacks on the West side offer spectacular city and Elliott Bay views and have abundant light. Residents will need to be higher than the 12th level to over look the library on the North side.

Amenities include a restaurant on the lower level, resident fitness center, activities/club room, guest suite, dog run and landscaped walking paths with a water channel. Homeowner dues run $.55/sq ft, on par with other higher-end projects and it does include central air and heat, hot water and gas for cooking. 5th and Madison is striving for LEED-Gold certification.

Interior features include upscale finishes, Bosch & Amana appliances (Sub Zero standard for homes on the 20th level and above), Lutron shades, 10.5′ ceiling height and kitchen islands as standard.

The project will appeal to true urbanites who have a penchant for in-city living as the location of the project is in the middle of the Central Business District with only a few other residential buildings in the area. Living at 5th and Madison will provide a different experience with fewer residential amenities compared to Belltown or the Market district, so buyers should keep this in mind. Though M-Street Market, Uwajimaya and Pioneer Square are only blocks away.

http://escalacondominium.com/amenities.php

House Boats Lake Union

House Boats Lake Union, originally uploaded by hopeisalot.

This is a great shot of some of the colorful houseboats down on Lake Union in Seattle. Houseboats are very rare and expensive real estate in Seattle, due to the fact that they are not allowed to be built anymore. So the 400 or so remaining have become very valuable.

Sunrise at Point No Point Lighthouse

Sunrise at Point No Point Lighthouse HDR, originally uploaded by fresnatic (Offline & Traveling to the Palouse).

What an absolutely beautiful photograph of the lighthouse at "Point No Point" in Admiralty Inlet. I love Whidbey Island and the Kitsap Peninsula, especially this time of year.

Seattle in Motion at Sunset

Seattle in Motion at Sunset, originally uploaded by Surrealize.

This photo is shot from the Jose Rizal bridge going up to Beacon Hill. Without the Space Needle in the shot, some people may not recognize the city of Seattle!

Turquoise Decor Seattle WA

Turquoise Decor Seattle WA, originally uploaded by Turquoise Decor.

This is a home staging company, two women, one from South Africa and the other from Israel, who do home decor and staging in the Seattle area. Enjoy this Flickr photo set from "Turquoise Decor".

Building Green in Seattle

The City of Seattle is promoting architects, designers, contractors, and homeowners to pursue green, sustainable construction projects through their Green Permitting process. Green permitting is designed to assist applicants through the permitting process to make obtaining a permit quicker and easier. The program hopes to raise awareness of the green movement and bring sustainable construction practices into standard practice. There are several components of the program that will benefit sustainable development projects.

1. EXPEDITED PERMITTING

To qualify for expedited Green permitting, the project must be:

- LEED silver, gold, or platinum
- Built Green 4 or 5 star
- DPD's Green Q Alternative Path

2. DECONSTRUCTION

Deconstruction versus demolition of the existing structure is also a preferred method for addressing structures that will be removed. The Residential Deconstruction Program allows a demolition permit to be issued prior to the new construction permit to be approved. To qualify, a percentage of the existing structure is to be salvaged and recycled.

3. INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

The Priority Green Permitting program is designed to ease permitting for innovative projects. Projects qualifying for this program are on the cutting edge of green design and must meet the 2030 Challenge. A DPD contact person is assigned to the project to streamline the review process and assist with questions.

Regardless if you are homeowner, architect, designer or contractor, now is the time to make your project green. For more information on the program or to find out if your project will qualify, visit the City of Seattle DPD website.

One such partnership who went through the extra trouble and expense of building a new Green dwelling is architect Karen DeLucas and builder and principal of Brixton Builders, Neil Chapman. They built an exquisite little gem of a home in Madison Valley, in Seattle's Central District, and made it a 4-star BuiltGreen/Energy Star home, with lots of sweet extra features like increased insulation with Blown-In-Blanket-Insulation, energy efficient compact fluorescent light fixtures, low VOC paint and Energy Star appliances.

The house was designed as a "Not So Big House", with less material and maintenance, and is located in a neighborhood with a Walk Score of 74, which places the home in a very walkable neighborhood, close to shops and restaurants, parks and schools.

You can follow along with Karen and Neil's project on their site www.DetailsofHome.com.

Queen Anne "Rising Sun House"

QARisingSunHouse, originally uploaded by Chas Redmond.

This old Victorian-era home on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle shows a sense of whimsy and humor. The lines are actually more Craftsman style, but the shingles and "rising sun" detail look inspired by the Painted Lady homes. An interesting piece of Seattle real estate!

Chair at Dwell on Design

Chair at Dwell on Design, originally uploaded by ricardodiaz11.

Cool color-changing chair! This would be so awesome in a minimalist-style home.

Misha, in her home

interior designer at home, originally uploaded by geopollock.

The interior designer Misha sits in her Seattle living room, naturally of her own creation. The painting is a Misha original. She made the pillows and ottoman as well as her 1950's outfit (for a video she was shooting for Martha Stewart's new interior design TV program). What a gorgeous Seattle home!

Modern Living in Columbia City

Tony Case Homes, originally uploaded by lifebegreen.

I love the sweeping lines and interesting angles of this modern home near Mt. Baker and Columbia City. Seattle has such interesting real estate, we're fortunate to have so many talented architects living here.

Red Mill Burgers on Phinney Ridge

Windmill Hamburger Joint Greenwood or Phinney Ridge, Seattle Washington, night, originally uploaded by Wonderlane.

Man, people really love these burgers! There's always a line at this hamburger joint.

It's located in the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge neighborhood, right near the Phinney Ridge Community Center. It's an old elementary school that's been converted to use by the community and has a tool exchange, yoga and dance lessons and a great remodeling fair every year. I also went to a Ukulele song circle there once too!

The neighborhood is made up mostly of 1920'-30's era Craftsman bungalows, with a smattering of other last-century styles of homes. Real estate values in this Seattle neighborhood stay strong, as the schools are good, and it has a high walk score. Extra points for the new Ken's Market which has just remodeled and expanded. Also love the 74th Street Ale House!

Seattle's Greenlake Neighborhood

Seattle Public Theater, originally uploaded by osbedu.

Here's a beautiful photo of the Bathhouse Theater from across the lake on a clear, windless day.

Greenlake is a great neighborhood of modest bungalows and more substantial larger homes, including Queen Anne style, Craftsman bungalows and Tudors. It was established at the turn of the last century and has a strong community feeling, with strong real estate values even during down times. It's really a "Seattle Neighborhood".

The Greenlake area has some great coffee shops, Peets and Starbucks, and one can walk to Whole Foods. I like the restaurants on the North side, including Dukes and World Wraps.

I learned to sail on Greenlake and it's small so it warms up quickly in summer.

West Seattle Waterfront View Condo's

West Seattle-Upon-Sound, originally uploaded by TIA International Photography.

I've always loved the Harbor West Condo's, built in 1968 on a pier over Puget Sound. I don't think they'd ever allow this kind of building over the water now days, so that makes this building even more rare and valuable. The actual address is 3717 Beach Dr SW in Alki.

Seattle From Kerry Park

Seattle From Kerry Park, originally uploaded by Todd_Hobert.

This is a beautiful shot of Seattle from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill, a lovely neighborhood of old homes, modern condo's, townhomes and mansions. The lights reflecting on the clouds give this a beautiful glow.

Seattle House Boats

Seattle House Boats, originally uploaded by Cap'n Surly.

This is an awesome photo taken at the Gasworks Park Marina. It's actually an affordable cooperative dock on North Lake Union. Currently, there are about a dozen houseboats there for sale, most under $300K and a couple under $200,000, with affordable dues. A lot of the home are barges that have been remodeled, with a smattering of pleasure craft and larger houseboats.

Houseboats in Seattle are such a romantic idea! Every since "Sleepless in Seattle", houseboats have been such a desirable living choice.

2010 UW Cherry Blossoms on campus

2010 UW Cherry Blossom Photography - Japanese Yoshinos, originally uploaded by johncuthbert43.

Yoshino Cherry trees - which are the Cherry Blossom trees currently in bloom at the University of Washington, generally live between 30 and 70 years. These cherry trees bloom once a year for one to two weeks and are beautiful!

Program that helps homeowners whose homes have lost value, extended

The government is giving homeowners another year to refinance their loans under a little-used program designed to help borrowers whose homes have plummeted in value.

The Obama administration effort, known as Home Affordable Refinance Program, had been scheduled to end on June 10 but will now run out on June 30, 2011, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Monday.

The program allows borrowers who owe up to 25 percent more than their homes are worth to refinance to lower interest rates.

It was originally projected to help 4 million to 5 million homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. So far, it has helped around 220,000, according to the Treasury Department.

1953 Modern Living Room

1953 Modern Living Room, originally uploaded by American Vintage Home.

But this could just as easily be 2010, with different flooring. Maybe a nice brushed and acid-etched concrete or a linseed-based Marmoleum. Or cork. Yes, cork would look great in here. Design comes full circle.

1921 Armstrong Kitchen - Sanitary Style

1921 Armstrong Kitchen - Sanitary Style, originally uploaded by American Vintage Home.

What an awesome vintage kitchen!

If you decide to remodel your kitchen in your vintage home, make sure it has some design elements from the past. If it looks like it has always been there, it will never go out of style!

One hallmark of the 'teens and early 20s was the sanitary style in kitchens. Easy maintenance with particular attention to cleanliness as well as improved efficiency were the order of the day. This Armstrong kitchen ad was offered in conjunction with a publication by their interior advisor, Frank Alvah Parsons (after whom Parsons School of Design is named).

Angela Adams: New Hand-Woven Rugs

I love these new rugs by Angela Adams. There are 3 in this collection and they're a lovely fine-colored flat weave to go with almost any decor.

Angela Adams: New Hand-Woven Rugs