Adjoining the dining room and separated by fir columns and a half wall is a home study with built-in cabinets and desk.

Their starter home in Kirkland had been traditional with Craftsman touches. When they began searching for a new house, they wanted something with a view in a place with a neighborhood feel, but couldn't find one in their price range.

They ended up buying an undistinguished 1970s house because it did have lake views and they liked the lot. Unfortunately, the house had an awkward top-floor addition that ignored the views. When a builder evaluated the house to determine if it was worth reconfiguring, the words "tear down" came easily. They did a feasibility study for a new house on the site and, once they knew they could build, Shannon says, "we knew it would be a Craftsman." They also realized early on that the new house would have its more public rooms at the top and bedrooms and service areas below to take advantage of the views to Lake Washington.

Left: After considering a number of ideas for the street-facing façade, the family settled on a design that featured a substantial entrance porch. Right: The headboard in the master bedroom is actually a built-in with cubbies - niches for books and things - to eliminate clutter. The deck overlooks Lake Washington.
Green tile and stone used for the living-room-fireplace surround are also in the kitchen and powder room. Window seats allow space for storing children's play toys and housing a television set that rises at the touch of a button.

Their challenge was to find an architect who would share their interest. Through recommendations from their real-estate agent and builder, they set up a meeting with Curtis Gelotte, whose firm of the same name has won awards for a range of residential work. The meeting proved to be fortuitous, Shannon remembers. "When we sat down with Curt and told him what we wanted — for about 15 minutes — he sketched out this house! We've changed little things, but it was truly amazing."

Gelotte's office was doing a Medina bungalow at the time, and he showed the couple that house to help them with the concept. For their part, Ron and Shannon bought a number of books on the subject and searched for details they really liked, tagging ideas, sharing them with the architect, and narrowing them down. The overriding goal was to have a home that would be beautiful, open and informal to reflect the lifestyle they preferred. "We wanted it to be comfortable for entertaining small groups of people, as well as for our immediate family," Rod says. "More than anything, we wanted it to be relaxing for ourselves and for others."

The exterior combines a brick base with stucco and half-timbered facades and shingle. A mix of various bricks attempts to capture the character of clinker brick. The porch and roof forms acknowledge the work of Greene and Greene and the California bungalow style that firm popularized.

The couple had been struck by what they refer to as "Craftsmanesque developments" sprouting up throughout the region, which borrow elements from the period style on the exterior but fall flat on the inside, with none of the details. Shannon is proud that Gelotte's design "brought the outside inside" with such features as stained-glass cabinetry and box-beam ceilings.

Gelotte's firm and crew took delight in designing the smallest details, from lighting placement to the colors of woods. They worked with Brad Kelleran of Kelleran Custom Homes, general contractor, and with Hillary Young of Barbara Leland Interior Design. As Shannon shows off the kitchen storage — pantry pull-outs, storage under seating in built-ins, and cabinets in the island — she admits, "I was terrified I wouldn't have enough storage, so every inch of available space is used."

With its clean lines and simple forms, the tiled master bathroom reflects the design aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Barbara Leland's suggestion of a breakfast nook was an instant success with Rod, who loves built-in furniture. Shannon credits Rod with being more studied and detail-oriented — educating himself not only by reading books but also by poring over articles in Fine Home Building and other design journals, then working with the architect to fine-tune such things as extended rafter ends, stair treatments and finishes.

Despite the ease with which the architect had captured their basic ideas on paper, the project itself was slow to materialize. Rod and Shannon bought the property in September 1997; the design phase took six months; they submitted the plans in May; and the old house was demolished in July 1998. Building took about 2 1/2 years due to the complexity of the work, challenges for the cabinet-maker and the perfectionism of those working on it. They finally moved into the four-bedroom house in November 2000.

The perfectionist approach is evident throughout. All rooms fit together seamlessly because they share the same materials vocabulary. Trim work and paneling are of clear vertical-grain fir, its finish glowing under several coats of varnish. Bennet Cabinets in Monroe, which did all the trim, molding, cabinets and built-in furniture, actually rejected some wood in order to get only the highest quality. While it slowed construction, the results are laudable.

The floors are quarter-sawn white oak with walnut inlays. The mantel, back staircase and front porch are of Port Orford cedar crafted by The Cascade Joinery of Bellingham. Warm green, mottled tile surrounds for the fireplace and the kitchen back splashes are from Ann Sacks Tile. Kirkstone slabs for fireplace and counters in kitchen and bath are from Western Tile and Marble. Stained-glass cabinet doors and skylights that take their cue from the Arts & Crafts and Prairie School period were designed and fabricated by local stained-glass artist Noella Miller. Their linear qualities reflect the architectural lines of the house and the couple's preference for square forms. Lighting came from various suppliers: Arroyo Craftsman, Rejuvenation and Brass Lighting Gallery. All hammered-brass hardware came from Craftsmen Hardware Co.

Shannon remembers, "We went to the Historic Seattle Bungalow and Craftsman Home Fair, and we fell in love. It gave us a lot of ideas as far as colors. We had already done much of our selection of tiles and stone slabs. But it was a great help as far as getting the feel for room colors and textiles and carpet colors."

While the couple put a large part of their interiors budget into built-ins, they saved a lot on furniture and assured that the design aesthetics of the house were harmonious. What furniture they have ranges from reproduction Frank Lloyd Wright and Mission oak to wood and metal contemporary.

The bottom line is simplicity in form and materials. "It is remarkable that as a couple we had such similar tastes," says Shannon. "We did very little bickering about styles of things. I've heard about couples with completely opposite tastes who have difficulty integrating. We zeroed in on the same fixtures and furniture. We do have different taste in artwork. Fortunately for us, the wainscot and plate rails eliminate room for major art. We are minimalists; we don't like a lot of clutter. The house is the art work."

Bungalows and Craftsman Fair

Over the last weekend in September, Historic Seattle presents its fourth annual Bungalow and Craftsman Home Fair and Arts & Crafts lecture series. Nearly 50 antique dealers, plus craftspeople showing furniture, hardware, tile, lighting, textiles, wallpapers, stencils and book arts, and architects and interior designers fill 10,000 square feet at Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave. The fair is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and , Sept. 29-30. Admission for both days: $5 to $8.

Dard Hunter III lectures on Dard Hunter Graphic Arts Friday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. Jane Powell, author of "Bungalow Kitchens," lectures on that topic Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. Lecture admissions are $10 to $15 each. Additional demonstrations during the fair ($5 each) will be on book arts, stenciling, how to choose a color palette and renovation. For ticket information call 206-622-6952 or go to www.historicseattle.org.

Lawrence Kreisman is program director for Historic Seattle. He serves on the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board and is author of "Made to Last: Historic Preservation in Seattle and King County." Kevin German is a Seattle Times staff photographer.