Empty-nesters find a new perch with views all around

FROM THE looks of it, Paul and Penny Fredlund surely must have gotten a big, fat A on their homework.

"We had a lot of assignments," Paul says, referring to tasks required of them by their architect, John DeForest.

"We had to name every place we've ever lived. Everywhere," Penny says. "Dorm rooms, apartments, everything. Then we had to quick pick five that really resonated."

But the couple also had an assignment for their architect: Make the Fredlund home cozy for two, comfortable for a crowd.

The result?

"As you go around you'll see lots of areas for Paul and I to sit," Penny says. "We like to read the paper, have a glass of wine, and there are lots of special places for us to do that."

We're sitting in one of those right now. In the living room, sharing still-warm blueberry buckle and black tea before large windows framing a big-blue Lake Washington view.

The Fredlunds have lived in and loved Madrona for 35 years. Raised their two kids in a grand old Ellsworth Storey house there, sent them into the world. And while the Fredlunds couldn't imagine ever leaving the neighborhood, it was time for a smaller house, simpler lifestyle. They found a timeworn cottage on a steep hillside nearby and, before building their new home, lived in the old, learning the lay of the lot, watching the sun in all its seasons.

"This whole project is called The Nest," says Penny, introducing the airy contemporary that is the result of all that study and that couldn't be more different from their previous home. "We kept saying we were empty nesters, but John knew it didn't have to mean an empty life." (It should be noted here that Penny has long collected bird nests. And to further this theme her architect designed a bureau in the master bedroom that includes a glass showcase for her nests.)

The new home, 2,500 square feet, was built on budget and on time by Joseph McKinstry Construction. It sits on the footprint of the original cottage (it was 1,200 square feet) and heads skyward. You know, like a nest. Another 1,061 square feet of decks off the dining room and the master offer indoor-outdoor living on two levels.

Everywhere there are treats, which begin at the front door.

"The old cottage had a Dutch door," Penny says, explaining the cheerful red front door. But, depending on how you swing it open, it is both Dutch and French.

"Is this fun or what?" Penny says, now out on the upstairs master deck. She is referring to the living coffee table planted with sedums and designed by DeForest.

Interior designer Nancy Burfiend of NB Design Group worked with the Fredlunds to keep the interiors simple. Contemporary pieces mix with Penny's antiques. There is one kind of carpeting in all three bedrooms, one kind of ceramic tile used in the kitchen and downstairs, pulls and handles all the same. The counters are Caesarstone, and the cabinets are rift-sawn white oak. Buttery golden cream wall paint turns up the heat on the sun's glow.

The Fredlunds have taken to their simpler lifestyle in their sleek new home with gusto, growing their own food at the Colman Park P-Patch, kayaking in the lake just outside their door, riding bikes along the water.

"We keep asking ourselves one question over and over," Penny says. "What is enough?

"We have pared down to one set of sheets.

"How many frying pans do I need? Three.

"What is enough?"

Rebecca Teagarden is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine. Benjamin Benschneider is a magazine staff photographer.