THE HOUSE was designed to have the feel of a mid-century modern vacation home with light and airy rooms, stainless steel fixtures and off white interior colors. It's located at the "top of the hill" in La Conner in a historic residential neighborhood that is quiet, has limited street access and no through traffic. It sits back 120 feet from the nearest roadway on the edge of a 50 foot bluff. A large 10' by 50' deck looking East off the bluff takes advantage of panoramic views of valley farms, the Cascade Mountains and in the distance Kraft and Bald Islands in Skagit Bay and Mount Rainier. The house is 1650 square feet all on one floor, has solid bamboo floors throughout and porcelain tile and white quartz countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. The house is oriented toward the deck and views to the East - through large glass windows and sliding glass doors - the living area and two of the bedrooms each have sliding glass doors that open directly onto the deck. Inside, the house is centered around an open living area that combines living, dining and kitchen areas and features a curved 8-foot "Island Bar" for hosting your family and guests. Enjoy the morning sunrise on the expansive East Deck and then enjoy the afternoon from the two Patios and fire pit that face West. Additional details and descriptions of the rooms are provided below the photos.
FOUR BEDROOMS -
The three main bedrooms feature king size beds with natural fiber sheets and boutique hotel mattresses. Two have sliding glass doors that open onto the East Deck. The third is slightly larger and has a bay window that looks West toward the neighborhood, the large lawn in front of the house and a broad 40 foot Pin Oak tree. A Fourth bedroom is set up as a "Family Room" with large sofa, 46" Sony flat screen HD TV, and snack bar with sink, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and quartz countertop. The sofa is a Brynlee Comfort Sleeper from American Leather and has a very comfortable king size memory foam mattress that folds out into three solid 6" thick mattress panels. The Comfort Sleeper mattress is "extra firm" and comes with an optional 2" topper for guests that prefer a softer feel. Double sliding wood doors in the hallway can be used to close off the South Bedroom, Family Room and South Bath into a "One Bedroom Suite" for privacy. The walls that separate the One Bedroom Suite from the rest of the house all have special sound insulation to provide an extra measure of peace and quiet.
TWO BATHROOMS
Two large bathrooms have double basin quartz countertops with large mirrors, large floor to ceiling glass enclosed showers (3 feet by 5 feet), heated towel bars and porcelain tile throughout.
KITCHEN
The Kitchen has an L-shaped white quartz countertop with stainless steel appliances, plenty of cabinet space and everything you will need to serve meals, bake cookies and casseroles or share a glass of wine. There's a dishwasher, stainless steel sink with garbage disposal, full size stove with oven, full size fridge and microwave. An eight foot curved Island Bar has a matching white quartz countertop and can seat up to four people. The Kitchen, Living and Dining Areas were designed for entertaining.
DINING AREA
The Dining Area is located in front of two large picture windows and has a raised pedestal glass top table to help capture the home's territorial view of mountains, valley and Skagit Bay. The table seats 6 comfortably and can accommodate up to 8.
LIVING AREA
Two couches and two upholstered chairs form a lounging area with a 50" Samsung 4K UHD Curved Screen TV, Blue Ray Player, Yamaha Sound Bar and Electric Fireplace. The TV can be viewed from the Kitchen, the Dining Room Table and the chairs in front of the Island Bar - perfect for entertaining or for just watching a movie or the big game with family.
EAST DECK
It's not inside but it has the feel of another room with soft cushioned outdoor "couch seating" for 6, a glass top patio table for outdoor dining and two reclining teak chairs with ottomans for catching the sun or just relaxing. The perfect spot for waking up with coffee, catching the morning sun and visiting with friends and family.
WEST PATIOS
There are two large raised patios on the West side of the house. One has an outdoor dining table and chairs. The other has a seating area around a fire pit for that after dinner glass of wine or dessert and watching the sun go down. A wheel chair accessible ramp leads up from the parking area to the patio areas and front door.
SOUTH GARDEN
The West Patios and separate entrance to the Family Room both lead to a garden on the south side of the house with roses, rhododendrons, fruit trees - pear, apple and fig - fresh salad greens and strawberries in season. Guests are welcome to augment their meals with fresh produce from the garden - but may also have to fend off the occasional deer that has discovered this outside "salad bar."
WHEEL CHAIR ACCESS
THE HOUSE IS NOT ADA APPROVED OR EQUIPPED. However, there is a wheel chair accessible ramp from the parking area to the West Patio and front door. The door to the West Bedroom is oversized to accommodate most wheel chairs and the North Bath has an oversized sliding door to accommodate wheel chair access. There is no wheel chair access to the shower - or handicap accessories (like handrails and shower chair) in either bathroom.
Guest Access
THE RENTAL PROPERTY
The Rental Property includes the Guest House (approximately 1650 sq ft), a large deck on the East side of the house, two raised cement patios on the West side of the house, gardens on the north and south sides of the house and a gravel parking area with off street parking.
THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR
The Property Next Door is located West of the Rental Property between the gravel parking area in front of the Guest House and Fourth Street. It has a large lawn, two gardens and a Bocce Court. These areas are owned by the same Property Owner that owns the Guest House but are Not Part Of The Rental Property. Renter and Renter’s Guests are welcome to use these areas in common with the Property Owner, his guests, neighbors and their guests.
BOCCE COURT: The Bocce Court is 48 feet long, 9 feet wide and is surrounded by a short brick wall. It has a 2 inch layer of crushed oyster shell for a playing service - it's an easy game to play and great entertainment for people of all ages. A copy of the “Joy of Bocce” – with game rules and tips on how to play – is on the book shelf in the Guest House.
LAWN & GARDEN: Garden chairs on the lawn under a 60 year old Pin Oak Tree provide an extra seating area to escape to if it gets too hot or if you just want a little extra privacy. And there’s a croquet set for anyone looking for something else to do. Landscaping features warmer "island vegetation" - madrona like (strawberry) trees, manzanita, rhododendrons and beach grasses. The two gardens, Pin Oak Tree and Bocce Court surround the lawn giving it both a cozy intimate feel and an opportunity to visit with neighbors passing by.
Interaction with Guests
We are long-time residents of La Conner and looking forward to sharing our community with you. We live in the home next door and are available to give you as much - or as little - help and advice as you need to get to know our little town and feel like one of the locals.
Allan and Charlotte
Other Things to Note
THE MAGIC SKAGIT
Before early settlers began diking the farmlands of the Skagit Valley, La Conner, Fidalgo Island across the Channel and the rocky hills that poke up out of the farmlands were all islands at the southeast end of the chain of islands we know as the San Juan Islands. You can now get here by car but the vegetation and feel of the place is still "island like." La Conner is located at the mouth of the Skagit River watershed and is literally in the center of this ecosystem we call the "Magic Skagit." In addition to being in the center of La Conner, our Guest House makes a great "base camp" for exploring the Skagit Valley and the "region less travelled" north of Seattle - the shops and restaurants of La Conner, wildlife refuges on Fir Island and the Skagit River Delta and lots of quaint little farm towns nearby. It's also an easy day trip - an hour or hour and a half - to Seattle, Vancouver BC (a little farther), Port Townsend, the San Juan Islands and North Cascades National Park.
LA CONNER
WATERFRONT BOARDWALK: Walk the full length of town on the new waterfront boardwalk, enjoy the sights on Swinomish Channel and check out the decks in front of all the shops. Or just stare at the water and watch what's going on across the Channel on the Swinomish Indian Reservation - the giant "Cedar Hats" Welcoming Pavillion, the Swinomish Fish Company's Cannery and the Fishermen's Docks where the Swinomish Fishing Fleet is moored.
SHOPPING: At over 100 shops and stores with everything from art to antiques, clothing, wine and gifts along First and Morris Streets. Walk to the grocery store, post office, library, drug store and the bank.
MUSEUMS: Explore the history of Skagit County in the County Historic Museum (one block away), the Quilt Museum in the historic Gaches Mansion (2 blocks away) or the Museum of Northwest Art (MONA) for the largest collection of northwest art north of the Seattle Art Museum.
DINING: At over 10 restaurants from fine dining to casual pub fare and at several bakeries and coffee shops for fresh baked goods and espresso. Start at the legendary Calico Cupboard for breakfast at one end of town and end up at Seeds, Calico's sister cafe at the other end of town with more choices in between than an average person's temptation can handle. Check out Washington Sips (wine bar) and Anelia's (Polish Restaurant) to see if there is any live music playing. Or walk down to Hellam's Wine Shop for their daily (all day) wine tasting and sit out on the old Lime Dock Wharf enjoying snacks and a glass of wine.
