What does the rest of the world picture when they think of Seattle architecture? Outside the Space Needle—or, maybe, the Tacoma house from 10 Things I Hate About You—architect Bernie Baker's work on early Starbucks prototypes and Eddie Bauer locations around the country helped build the way the nation sees the Pacific Northwest.

Baker's Bainbridge Island estate—an early-’80s revamp of a charming Victorian cottage—hits closer to home.

Despite his clear ties to the region, Baker’s design ethos defies traditional definitions. This home leans Craftsman, with its handcrafted woodwork and classic decorative brackets; others see a sleek kitchen and geometric railing and call it midcentury modern. Across his vast array of Puget Sound–area projects, Baker’s style gets even tougher to pin down.

“A lot of people are drawn to us because they see the traditional bent of our work. And some people see the same collection of houses and look at it as contemporary,” Baker told Architect Magazine in a 2005 interview. “I like to think of architecture as something moving and living that goes beyond a set of styles.”

Still, Baker maintained a certain reverence for the 1904 cottage—one of the last of its kind on Bainbridge, according to the architect—when he redesigned it in the 1980s. Rather than expanding upon the main building until it became unrecognizable, he made relatively conservative additions, choosing instead to expand outward with two additional structures.

A unique, lofted guest house, inspired by a shed and water tower that once stood on the land, adds much-needed square footage and expounds on the property’s pastoral charm. Above the two-car garage, a light-filled studio—with its own bathroom—offers a genuinely private space for artistic pursuits or working from home.

Inside the main house, the kitchen summarizes Baker’s architectural influences: handmade cabinet glass from Pennsylvania hearkens back to where he began his career. Warm wood tones and a handcrafted, hammered copper hood exhaust bring out a quintessentially Pacific Northwest lodge feel. A pull-out coffee drawer nods toward his work with Starbucks, and the custom prep island features Bainbridge Island fir.

Large and abundant grid windows throughout the house cast sunlight into cozy living areas and airy, open bedrooms, each with its own access to the property’s exceptional grounds—including an established 40-year-old vegetable garden. Pritchard Park, Eagle Harbor, and everything else Bainbridge has to offer sits just a stone’s throw away.

Listing Fast Facts

5571 Welfare Avenue NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Size: 2,560 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
List Price: $1,948,000
List Date: 5/8/2024
Listing Agent: Ty Evans and Natalie Evans, Windermere Real Estate Bainbridge