History Repeats

Rebuilding a Landmark Home on Lake Steilacoom

RESOURCE LIST The general contractor for this home was Renewal Remodels and Additions of Puyallup. Details: byrenewal.com or 253.682.1990

From the moment you walk through the solid walnut door of Tom and Elaine Falk’s home on Lake Steilacoom in Lakewood, you know it’s not an ordinary house. In fact, the house and the story of how it came to be are anything but ordinary. The Falks got the 1926 lakeshore home because they fell in love with it. And then they promptly razed it to the ground.

Neighbors who had grown to love the vintage, three-story landmark objected when the demolition crew arrived; they hated to see the old landmark go. But when they watched an improved, near-replica of the original go up on the property, they changed their tune.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
“As soon as we crested the hill and saw the view with that classic brick home, we knew it was the house for us,” Elaine recalls. When the Falks purchased the house in 2006, they planned to expand and customize it for their lifestyle. But they soon discovered that matching materials for a remodel, such as the original exterior brick, was impossible. A tough decision followed.

In the spring of 2007, the demolition crew arrived and, when they were finished, only the chimney remained. In the process, the Falks recycled as many materials from the old home as possible. They were unable to reuse most of the old materials, so they recycled the brick, the wood, the fixtures and as many other items as possible, allowing the materials to be reclaimed for construction projects elsewhere.

In their design, the Falks expanded the original 3,000 square feet to the new home’s 6,000 square feet and shifted the locations of a few upstairs rooms to optimize the lake view from the bedrooms. “We kept the house’s footprint and floor plan as identical to those of the old house as we could,” Tom explained. In April 2009, they moved into their new home. Neighbors who had raised objections to the demolition praised them for the new landmark they’d built in its place.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
The Falks were so enamored with the original home’s history and character that they replicated as many of its architectural features as possible and added some new features of their own. Top-quality materials were essential. So was a general contractor who possessed the expertise and resources to ensure meticulous attention to detail. The general contractor, Renewal Remodels and Additions of Puyallup, managed every aspect of the job and worked closely with the Falks to make sure their vision for replicating the original home was realized. 

From the solid steel beam construction to the intricate 28-piece decorative trim around the doorframes, a new classic was born where an old classic once stood. The house is equipped with some characteristic features of yesteryear, such as a butlery with a swinging door to the formal dining room, just as the original house had, as well as leaded glass windows.

But modern conveniences bring the home into the 21st century. In the foyer, with its grand stairway leading to the second level, a chandelier from Crescent Lighting in Fife electronically lowers for easy cleaning and floor lighting illuminates the stairs.

DESIGNED FOR GRACIOUS LIVING
The Falks designed the rebuilt home for gracious living, inside and out, and every room lends itself to living and entertaining in style. On one side of the great room, oversized glass sliders open 8 feet onto a covered and heated patio, commanding an eye-catching view of the sloping lawn and the lake.

An archway off the great room opens into a spacious informal dining area and roomy kitchen, the kind where friends and family like to gather. Cherry cabinets, including the surface of the refrigerator door, lend a soothing ambience to the kitchen. The perimeter countertops are white marble with contrasting black granite covering the island. Caramel-colored travertine floors bring added warmth to the room’s palette, complementing the cabinets and countertop. A custom pantry door sports a grain-bundle motif etched in glass, one of Elaine’s favorite details in the home.

“The original house’s kitchen was a small, narrow space,” Tom says. “Elaine and I both love to cook and everyone tends to end up in the kitchen, so we pushed the wall out 20 feet to make room.”

Professional chefs would covet the kitchen’s space, as well as the appliances from Albert Lee, which include an eight-burner gas range, convection oven, warming drawer, beverage cooler, two dishwashers and an oversized work surface on the island.

Downstairs, the Falks customized the daylight basement level for their lifestyle, including a large sewing room and office with built-in work surfaces and cabinets, a walk-in wine cellar with 10-inch-thick walls for natural climate control, a recreation room with pool table and a laundry room that has a better view than most homes enjoy.

As avid dog-lovers and owners of three canines, the Falks couldn’t imagine a customized rebuild without a built-in dog wash, so they installed one in the laundry room.

Being lakefront property with a swimming dock, the lower-level patio includes a lavatory conveniently accessible from the outside as well as an outdoor shower. Upstairs, an airy master bedroom opens onto a balcony overlooking the lake. The luxury master bath is a virtual home spa designed to refresh and renew, with its jetted tub and walk-in therapeutic shower with multiple showerheads. The master bedroom also comes equipped with a second laundry room. Two other bedrooms round out the upper level, each with an en-suite bath and lake view.

The Falks have undertaken remodeling projects in other homes but, according to Tom, this is the last home construction project they’re likely to take on. The Falks are far from their golden years, but with an eye to the future they incorporated many senior-friendly conveniences, such as extra-wide doorways, broad hallways, and even an elevator, features that, years from now, they’ll be glad they thought of.

Without a doubt, this new classic is a home to grow old in.

Allen Cox is a freelance writer who lives in Tacoma.

 

 

 

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