Houseboat keeps a piece of Seattle history

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The Marmoleum tile floor feels warm and smooth underfoot in the living/dining/kitchen area of the houseboat. Because its moorage is at the end of the dock, the east-facing wall is completely open to the water, and the house is filled with light even on gray days. Owner Denise Draper wanted to make the most of her small space so she chose not to have a kitchen island. The result is a streamlined space and a highly functional kitchen.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Denise Draper's new houseboat was built by Dyna Contracting while moored in Ballard, then towed to its permanent moorage in Portage Bay. Here it passes under the Aurora Bridge, past Fremont. The exterior cedar is waste from old cedar logs.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Bright red custom cabinets and a stainless backsplash reflect light and brighten the living space. The living and dining areas flow seamlessly down a short, light-filled passage to the bedroom with its floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

A window in the floor looks down at the old log float, probably constructed around World War II. The window lines up perfectly with Draper's favorite log — one so worn the water laps in and out, a sound she loves. A ladder off the back deck makes getting out of the water as easy as getting in.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The southern wall of the bedroom is paneled with remilled fir from the substructure of the old houseboat. The clerestory window lets in southern light while blocking any view of the neighbors. East-facing floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors let in the light, sounds and fresh breezes from Portage Bay looking toward the Montlake Cut.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The steel beams, window frames and stair treads reflect the character of the Ship Canal and industrial waterfront, while the warm tones of the bamboo, the bright red kitchen cabinetry and the soft, smooth Marmoleum floor warm the space.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Storage is at a premium in a 1,000-square-foot home, so bamboo cabinetry connects the bedroom to the bathroom. Designer Kim Mankoski used 3form's red reed-embedded acrylic sliding doors along the top, bringing the idea of water into the only room in the house without a view of it.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Draper asked that her home be built of recycled materials and materials that would weather to help tie it to the history of the Seattle houseboat community and the industrial waterfront. While the old houseboat had very narrow decks along its circumference, the new one has a 400-square-foot rooftop deck — the perfect spot to catch some sun and watch the boats go by on Portage Bay.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The slate gray of the Marmoleum floor (in "Lava") and the Squak Mountain Stone Counters (in "Thunder") are reflected in the cladding on the ceiling — fir reused from the substructure of the old houseboat, wiped with a bluish oil-based paint to tone down its naturally orange color. The built-in cabinets are by Baywood Cabinets, in "Amber" Plyboo vertical grain bamboo.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

One of the old logs in the log float had to be replaced, and interior designer Kim Mankoski of Ninebark Design Build used a section of it as a seat in the spalike shower. The tiles throughout the bathroom are from Pental, part of the BSP series, and the 10-inch shower head is the Raindance by Hansgrohe.

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The cedar, steel and concrete construction of Denise Draper's houseboat was designed by Ryan Mankoski of Ninebark Design Build to weather, and to tie the new houseboat to the old industrial waterfront. Mankoski was inspired by the Ballard Locks to design the living area as a transparent chamber. Dyna's own metal shop manufactured custom steel window and door frames that would rust.