Harlan Thomas House at 1401 8th Avenue West: Historic, architecturally significant 1910 Italianate villa superbly sited on a double lot on the crest of Queen Anne Hill’s lofty western slope, with commanding panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound, in convenient proximity to major Seattle employers and urban amenities.
The Harlan Thomas Villa, beyond the Wilcox Wall. First considered by Olmsted Brothers for their 1903 plan for Seattle, the 3.7-mile loop of Queen Anne Boulevard encircles the hill, held up by retaining walls like the massive reinforced concrete Wilcox Wall (completed 1915) that neighbors the Harlan Thomas House. Its decorative brickwork, Gothic arches, and Art Deco streetlights have earned it landmark status.
Built for his own family by celebrated Seattle architect Harlan Thomas (who also designed the iconic Sorrento Hotel and the Corner Building of Pike Place Market, among many other Seattle landmarks), the residence embodies the optimistic, worldly spirit of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, which first put Seattle on the national map as a commercial and cultural hub.
Entry portico. Enchanted by his visit to the Amalfi coast, Thomas liberally borrowed Italianate elements for the exterior design of his first Seattle commissions, the Chelsea Hotel and the Sorrento hotel. For his own house he took precise inspiration from the villa in Capri where he had stayed, and which he repeatedly painted....
Main floor office with sweeping views from Alki Beach and Magnolia Bluff to Blue Ridge.
Main floor office with sweeping views from Alki Beach and Magnolia Bluff to Blue Ridge.
Main floor office with sweeping views from Alki Beach and Magnolia Bluff to Blue Ridge.
Main floor living room, one of many elegantly detailed, comfortable spaces, ideal for entertaining. The villa’s imposing street presence contrasts with surprisingly comfortable, warmly wood-paneled interiors, designed to maximize views and light. 12” x 12” solid timber ceiling beams hewn from vertical-grained first-growth fir. Siberian white oak floors, quarter-sawn for durability and top-nailed.
Main floor with original decorative fireplace brickwork design by the architect.
Panoramic wire-free views from all levels encompass ferry routes, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.
Main floor dining room with original wood paneling. For the lover of architectural history, the building offers an unusual opportunity to take custody of an architectural treasure, and for the preservationist, the option of respectfully restoring it to its original glory.
An arched window on the landing, to flood the stairs with natural light. Beautifully intact and ready for restoration, to delight the heart of the antiquarian or history buff and provide another 100 years of comfort and inspiration.
Master bedroom includes two walk-in closets, one with sweeping views from Alki Beach and Magnolia Bluff to Blue Ridge.
Bathroom with Rookwood-style ceramic tiles.
Second bedroom on the sleeping level's upper floor.
Doorway into third bedroom, which includes a walk-in closet and play nook.
Third bedroom's play nook, with panoramic views: ferry routes, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.
An in-law apartment with its own entrance offers privacy for visiting family or overnight guests. Serve an aperitif on the charmingly intimate lower terrace, or cozy up to the terra cotta-tiled brick fireplace as you watch ferries crisscross the Sound and the sun set over the Olympics, through the original six-paned windows.
Office area of the in-law apartment with its own entrance offers privacy for visiting family or overnight guests.
Bedroom of the in-law apartment with its own entrance offers privacy for visiting family or overnight guests. Additional semi-finished room can be converted into second bedroom for guest suite (or fifth bedroom for house).
Bathroom of the in in-law apartment with its own entrance offers privacy for visiting family or overnight guests.
Brickwork pathway with rose gardens along western facade of the house, which nestles into the hillside, with choreographically linked points of entry on different levels, and all modern utilities buried below ground.
The house nestles into the hillside, with choreographically linked points of entry on different levels, and all modern utilities buried below ground.
Privacy courtyard. Enchanted by his visit to the Amalfi coast, Thomas liberally borrowed Italianate elements for the exterior design of his first Seattle commissions, the Chelsea Hotel and the Sorrento hotel. For his own house he took precise inspiration from the villa in Capri where he had stayed, and which he repeatedly painted. Italianate design elements in the Harlan Thomas house include the stucco façade, the square courtyard terrace with pergola, and the large sunset-facing windows.
Original lion head fountain spout emblazoned on the eastern facade.
