A Lakefront Estate of Rare Scale, Light, and Presence

From the moment the double wooden doors open at the threshold, the estate announces its intentions clearly: this is a home built to live at full scale. The classic blue-shingled exterior, punctuated by traditional nautical lanterns, gives way to an interior where craftsmanship is not an afterthought — it is the organizing principle of every room, every ceiling, every material choice. Light is the estate's most deliberate architectural element. Walls of windows draw Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains into daily life, transforming the panorama into something closer to a living installation than a view. The sweeping curved staircase in the grand entryway — its dark patterned runner contrasting against white balusters and warm hardwood — sets a tone of considered elegance that carries through every level.

The great room opens entirely to the water, its coffered ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass doors dissolving the boundary between interior comfort and the expansive decks beyond. A separate living area anchored by a grand fireplace flows naturally into the kitchen and dining spaces, where custom cabinetry, polished granite surfaces, and sage-toned islands reflect a design philosophy that values both beauty and function. A dedicated wet bar and sunroom — lined with wine refrigerators, dark granite countertops, and panoramic lake-facing windows — establishes this home as one genuinely built for the art of entertaining.

All four bedrooms are ensuite, and each captures the lake in its own distinct way. But it is the primary suite that stands apart as a private world unto itself — a dedicated floor with a separate living room, its own balcony suspended above the water, a spa-calibrated bathroom with a soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower, and dual vanities, and a walk-in closet of considered proportion. Mornings here begin on your own terms, unhurried, with the Cascades visible from the moment you open your eyes.

The executive home office — rich with wood paneling, a coffered ceiling, a marble-surround fireplace, and a built-in granite desk positioned directly before floor-to-ceiling lake views — is a workspace that commands the same presence as any downtown suite, without the commute. A home gym with lake views, a sophisticated wine cellar with custom bottle storage and a dedicated tasting table, a well-appointed laundry room, a children's playroom, and an elevator connecting every level complete an interior program of remarkable breadth.

Outside, the manicured lawn descends toward the water, where view decks at multiple levels — some covered and equipped with a built-in stone grill station, others open to mountain sky — extend the estate's living spaces toward the private dock, boat slip, and seaplane mooring. The nine-car garage, a feature virtually without peer in residential real estate, underscores the estate's commitment to scale. This is not a home that asks you to compromise. It is one that was built so you never have to.

Mercer Island occupies a singular position in the Pacific Northwest — a 4,900-acre island in the middle of Lake Washington, connected to both Seattle and Bellevue by Interstate 90, yet operating with the character and cadence of a self-contained community. It is one of the wealthiest municipalities in Washington State and consistently ranks among the most desirable places to live in the entire country, a distinction earned not through marketing but through geography, schools, safety, and a quality of daily life that is genuinely difficult to replicate.

The island's history as a residential enclave dates to the early twentieth century, when ferry service first made it accessible to Seattle's professional class. The opening of the original Lake Washington floating bridge in 1940 — at the time the longest floating bridge in the world — transformed Mercer Island into one of the region's most sought-after addresses, a status it has never relinquished. Today, the community of roughly 26,000 residents enjoys a rare balance: proximity to two of the Pacific Northwest's most economically dynamic cities, set against a backdrop of mature Douglas firs, lakefront parks, and miles of quiet, tree-lined streets.

Mercer Island's school district is consistently ranked among the highest-performing in Washington State, drawing families who value both academic rigor and community investment. Luther Burbank Park, located on the island's northeastern shore, offers 77 acres of waterfront open space, including swimming beaches, tennis courts, and a fishing pier — a beloved gathering point for residents across all seasons. The island also maintains an active network of hiking and biking trails, and its protected shoreline provides some of the most accessible recreational water on Lake Washington.

The town center, known as the Island Crest Way corridor, offers a walkable concentration of locally owned restaurants, specialty grocers, fitness studios, and boutique retail that gives the island a genuine sense of place without the density of urban living. PCC Community Markets, a Pacific Northwest institution, anchors the grocery landscape, and a rotating calendar of community events — from the annual Island Crest Way Festival to farmers markets — reflects a civic culture that is engaged and intentional.

For those whose professional lives are centered in Seattle or Bellevue, the commute from Mercer Island is among the most enviable in the greater metropolitan area. Sound Transit's light rail service connects the island directly to downtown Seattle and the Eastside, and the proximity to I-90 places both city centers within a short drive. For those who prefer to arrive by water, the private dock, covered boat slip, and seaplane mooring at this estate offer an altogether different kind of commute — one that transforms the journey itself into part of the lifestyle.

To live on Mercer Island, and particularly on its western waterfront, is to inhabit one of the Pacific Northwest's most irreplaceable positions — close enough to everything that matters, removed enough to remember why it does.