Landscape at the Glass House Reverie

Swimming pools are uncommon in Seattle, making this one feel like a genuine luxury. Positioned on the property's north side, the lap pool occupies a newly leveled terrace sheltered by home’s walls and new fencing. Bathed by the western sun, the private space feels removed from the neighborhood while sitting just beyond the home’s glass-walled solarium. On warm days, the boundary between inside and out practically dissolves.

Uphill from the pool, beneath the broad limbs of a mature tree, a wood-burning fire pit anchors a casual seating area. The space feels almost treehouse-like: elevated, sheltered by branches, with glimpses of Puget Sound through the foliage. It’s the kind of spot that draws people out on clear evenings and keeps them lingering long after the sun sets.

The property’s south slope drops steeply into a wooded ravine. Rather than leaving this area wild, the design tucks an architectural cabana into the hillside, complete with a built-in grill and seating for outdoor meals. A gas fire pit nearby extends the usability of the space into cooler months. Stone steps connect this lower terrace to a new door to the kitchen, making it easy to ferry food and drinks between indoor and outdoor entertaining areas.

At the top of the garden, accessible by a climbing stone staircase, an existing outbuilding was reimagined as a private guest retreat. Wrapped by dense plantings and shaded by the forest canopy, it feels miles away from the main house. A small porch offers a perch for morning coffee or an afternoon read, with views down through the layered greenery below.

The material palette shifts as you move away from the house. Closest to the home, flagstone paving is set in crisp, regular patterns that echo the home’s detailed interiors. Further out, the hardscape loosens: joints widen, edges soften, and stepping stones take on irregular shapes that feel organic against the forest floor.

Plantings follow the same logic. Near the house, hydrangeas and ornamental shrubs provide structure and seasonal blooms in a composed, gardenesque style. As the terrain climbs, the palette shifts toward native species that blur the boundary between designed landscape and existing woodland. Container plantings scattered throughout add pops of color and allow for seasonal rotation.