Puget Sound Estate

Brown’s Point, Tacoma, WA

Completed 2020

This gorgeous Brown’s Point estate, with its stunning panoramic views of Puget Sound, needed an update to its 1990s interiors. We began what would later become a multi-year project with the undersized entry and the heart of this home, the sunken great room, which was underutilized and, thanks to a dated and out-of-place corner fireplace and visually heavy dark cabinetry, was deeply underappreciated. After conversations with the couple, we learned it would function as the couples’ TV room as well as entertaining and fundraising space.

In the great room, we completely redesigned the asymmetrical fireplace in a Spanish-revival style to connect to the stucco exterior with a clean and timeless roman clay and handmade clay tile façade. To create a dedicated space for game- and movie-watching (a must for this couple in this spot) as well as for the clients’ vase collection, Sparrow designed a custom bench and adjacent art shelving adjacent, and a low wall-to-wall buffet with fir top across the dining area. To fully refresh and brighten the space, we replaced carpet with wood flooring to run seamlessly from entry to great room, removed unnecessary railings separating the hallway from the sunken great room, replaced neoclassical channeled white trim with walnut beam and post trim, and re-envisioned the lighting plan to feature custom chandeliers that highlighted the coved ceilings and sconces to anchor artwork on the dining room wall.

The great room is finally the show-stopper of this gorgeous home. And formerly a space that created anxiety and was rarely used, is now where the couple spend most of their time.

Total time on this project was 10 months.

project highlight…

We (and the clients) were crazy about the custom fireplace, bench and display shelving designed to show off the clients’ vases and artwork (not shown were the cushion, still in fabrication at the time).

Furniture is a combination of new—the wood tables and armchairs—and old, including midcentury apricot velvet slipper chairs and an original 1920s Chinoiserie rug. Chandeliers (one of three shown here) were customized by Sparrow for this room, with the addition of the brass chain accent. All furniture and lighting sourced by Sparrow.