Rainier Beach midcentury home with water, mountain views

Built by award-winning architect Ira Cummings in 1959, 10301 61st Ave. S is on the market. The midcentury home is situated on a private cul de sac a few blocks south of the Kubota Garden, a lush, 20-acre Japanese-style garden dating back to the 1920s. Across nearly 3,000 square feet, the home features four bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as views of Seattle, Lake Washington and Mount Baker.

In the living room, clear fir wood vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows that flood the space with natural light. Cozy and welcoming, the interior portion of the room boasts built in shelving and a fireplace with stone surround. Along the back edge of the home, the living room takes on sun room-like qualities, providing expansive views of the neighborhood’s evergreen treetops and the south end of Lake Washington. Opposite this light-filled nook, a sizable covered deck is accessible via the dining room.

Three of the home’s bedrooms are located on the main floor. In the lower-level daylight basement, there’s a large rec room and fourth bedroom. Plus, there’s plenty of square footage in the downstairs space to add either a fifth bedroom or third bathroom, too. 

The property’s landscape design was originally concepted by Richard Yamasaki, who contributed to many gardens across the region—including the garden at Bloedel Reserve. The front yard features a 70-year-old Japanese black pine surrounded by mountain rocks. In the backyard, a dry pebble pond connects to a dry waterfall that cascades into a neighboring yard. Over the years, T Yorozu Gardening—the general contractor for the Seattle Japanese Garden at the Arboretum—maintained and shaped the garden’s elements.

Listed by Nina Thornsburg, Berkshire Hathaway HS NW | Listed at $895,000