It took a team to turn an empty condo into something special

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Greg's office has no window per se, but it is open to a hall and a large outdoor patio, which provides plenty of natural light. With limestone floors and wood and glass walls, the room should echo, but the silk ceiling keeps the room surprisingly quiet. With space for two work stations, the office appears tidy thanks to outlet strips, pop-up ports, built-in contraptions for suspending computer towers and grommets in the floor for cords.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Greg and Karen wanted "something that was fairly open, had a nice flow to it, that was light without being all white." A swinging panel divides the master suite from the rest of the unit and, when left open, the home has a light-filled, loft-like feel. Here, one of the couple's two ocicats gazes out at the 190-square-foot patio, which has mechanized screens to keep the cats safe.

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Floor-to-ceiling panels of book-matched beech cover the walls throughout the unit. Giant hinges allow the first panel to swing smoothly to close off the master suite. The entire condominium was paneled with one tree, so to avoid marring it, art is hung from custom metal hooks hanging from railings installed above every panel.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Custom art-glass panels separate Greg's office from the dining room and entrance hall. The panels at the top are more translucent than the ones at the bottom to maximize the amount of light coming into the office and minimize visibility of what's under Greg's desk.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The wood panel above and to the right of the fireplace slides to access switches for the fireplace, lights, window shades, a touch panel for the audio-visual system and DVD storage. The unit's design cleverly masks a large central flue by creating a wall for the living room with art glass, metalwork and a gas fireplace on this side (the kitchen is on the other).

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The kitchen is visible from the dining room and front hall, so it was important to keep it simple. The upper cabinets are recessed, and although the space below them was lost, the design allows for more counter space and makes the kitchen look larger. Beech panels hide a refrigerator/freezer, wine refrigerator and dishwasher; the countertops are of Pietra di Cardoso. The fan for the stovetop sits two floors up, on the roof.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

An oil painting by June Stratton hangs above a custom built-in bed made of sycamore by Park Avenue Construction.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The same limestone that covers the floors rises up to the ceiling in the master bath. Custom art glass lets light into the bathroom from the master bedroom without sacrificing privacy. Because the giant glass wall encloses the shower, the bathroom is actually quite narrow, which bought a more spacious laundry room on the other side. The pocket door at the end of the room leads to a separate toilet.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The condominium is suffused with light, thanks to this picture-perfect view of the Smith Tower and Qwest and Safeco fields (and Mount Rainier when it cooperates) from the 19th floor. And because many of the surrounding buildings are designated as historic, the view is protected.