Lake Washington: An Architect’s Perspective

Architecture by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
Our architects provide custom home design services for the Lake Washington region.

Lake Washington: The Perfect Locale for Your Custom Home

Lake Washington is a geographical marvel of the Pacific Northwest. With its abundance of natural beauty, sweeping views of the Cascade Mountains, and vibrant communities, it is one of the nation’s most desirable places to live. We are honored to serve as Lake Washington architects.

In the years that we’ve served Lake Washington as a luxury architecture firm, we’ve come to admire the city as a place that fosters a diverse range of tastes, styles, preferences.

Lake Washington Architects Share Their Favorite Highlights

  • Top tier school systems: Lake Washington hosts some of the nation’s most highly ranked school systems with extremely high graduation and continuing education rates. Some of these districts include the Lake Washington School District, the Bellevue School District, and the Mercer Island school district.
  • An expansive collective: The shores of Lake Washington are home to hundreds of thousands of people comprising a dynamic collection of unique communities.
  • An ideal place: Lake Washington is renowned as a perfect place for professionals and families to set down roots. It is consistently ranked as one of the most desirable places to live in the country.
  • Ample recreation: Lake Washington is home to hundreds of parks, beaches, recreation areas, and destinations. In this environment, engagement in the outdoors is unavoidable. From Log Boom Park to Gene Coulon Beach, there is no shortage of activities to choose from year-round.

Best Lake Washington Communities for Your Custom Home

Lake Washington pool designed by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
As architects, we draw inspiration from the natural beauty that dominates the Lake Washington area.

Mercer Island

Mercer Island offers the best of all possible worlds: suburban amenities, major city access, and a beautiful natural environment.  This is one of Lake Washington’s most well-established communities, with generational roots going back to the very founding of the territory. Downtown Mercer Island is filled with local coffee shops, eateries, and bars. Mercer Island’s Town Center is the dynamic and evolving commercial hub of the island. It is also a gathering spot for islanders, whether to enjoy a shared meal at a local restaurant, to meet for a group fitness class, or to shop together at the local shops.

 

Kirkland

From the luxurious Woodmark Hotel and the gorgeous waterfront views at Carillon Point to the quaint and quirky shops on Market Street, Kirkland residents have an eclectic mix of restaurant, bars, and entertainment options spanning the length of the shoreside. The Market Neighborhood is the historic and geographical center of Kirkland and was once home to city founder Peter Kirk. A summer highlight for many residents is the Wednesday Farmer’s Market at Marina Bay Park. Another popular attraction is the Kirkland Arts Center—and all of this is just minutes away from the signature sculptures at Houghton Beach Park where city residents can tap into the beauty of the Lake with ease.


Meydenbauer

Meydenbauer is one of the original communities settled on Lake Washington, and thus contains a wonderful mix of heritage, tradition, and growth. This tight knit community enjoys a wide availability of numerous parks and beaches. Almost anywhere you travel in Meydenbauer you are treated to stunning views of the Lake. Killarney Glenn Park offers locals 10 acres with tennis courts, playfields, and running paths. Burrows Landing, Chesterfield Beach Park, and Chism Beach park each attract residents from all over Bellevue to play in the water or walk on the shoreline.

 

Medina

The world is quickly discovering that life in Medina is exceptionally good, leading to substantial growth of this community of professionals, entrepreneurs, and tech executives. The homes are stunning, and the city is heavily planted with beautiful trees and well-planned landscaping. Medina boasts the highest property values of any of the Lake Washington neighborhoods and houses some of the area’s most renowned and wealthy residents. Medina is a community that takes great pains to care for their surroundings with a rare sense gratitude and purpose.

Lake Washington interior design by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
Fire and stone elements continue inside, bringing warmth into this custom home no matter the time of year.

Lake Washington Architects Provide Home Design Suited to Your Tastes

Lake Washington architecture is just as diverse and dynamic as the residents who dwell here. The first Lake Washington architects were English settlers who saw the purpose of what they built primarily in terms of the function that it served. The labor of trading goods on the lake was incorporated with the simple and tasteful elegance of the homes they built which sought to satisfy the need for leisure and family connection after a long day’s work.

As the late 20th century brought the brought the tech explosion to Western Washington, Lake Washington became the select choice for many of the area’s top executives and employees, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Homeowners working with Lake Washington architects have the freedom to adapt their designs to suit their custom vision.

Residential architects in this region often lean into contemporary modern design aesthetics – tasteful and chic. They also find demand for traditional designs or a synthesis of modern living and inspirations from the natural environment. Sprawling homes developed with total creative originality and cutting-edge technology dot the shoreline.

Custom home designers are always in high demand from residents seeking to create the perfect sense of “home” here. As such, Lake Washington luxury architects have made their mark with spectacular homes from Lake Forest Park to Medina.

Featured Project: Lakefront Splendor

Outdoor living space designed by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
A large firepit and ample seating make this the perfect place to host and entertain on a warm summer night.

At Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl Architecture, one of our premier Lake Washington custom home projects is our Lakefront Splendor home. Scott Hommas breathed new life into Lakefront Splendor’s former dated, monochromatic design. Fine details—including stained soffits and flush-based wall trim—invite warm sophistication into the remodeled home.

Hommas reclaimed awkward space between the house and garage, transforming it into a spacious home office. Custom designed steel railings ensure continuity throughout the interior, and cedar trellises lend dimension and warmth to the exterior. On warm summer days, the living room’s glass wall folds away and the home extends onto the deck with the lakefront view beyond.

Lake Washington Architects for Your Home

As local Lake Washington architects, we constantly pursue the art of architecture as the calling for our work. The constantly evolving community of Lake Washington provides us with endless opportunity to answer this calling in original and dynamic ways. We delight in the process of merging the preferences and imaginations of our clients with the distinct character of the Lake Washington location they select to build their dream home.

Every project presents a new opportunity to consider more deeply how we merge form with function, and to paint a portrait in architecture of our clients’ unique lifestyles. Serving that purpose is our life’s work and greatest honor. To learn more about designing your Lake Washington dream home, contact us.