Project SIZE: 5000 sq ft

Project Location: Kirkland

Project at a Glance

  • 5,000 sq ft single-family lakefront residence, Kirkland, Washington
  • Full interior design: material selection, custom furnishings, lighting plan, space planning
  • Polished heated concrete floors throughout main living areas
  • Dual kitchen layout: full professional kitchen and dedicated prep kitchen
  • Italian chandelier centerpiece in main living space
  • Custom stone fireplace with floor-to-ceiling surround
  • Design approach: water views preserved and amplified at every sightline
Open-plan great room with a contemporary fireplace lounge on one side and a stone kitchen island and dining area on the other, framed by expansive glazing.
Aerial view of a contemporary lounge with stone coffee tables, tailored seating, and full-height windows overlooking a pool.

Introduction

Waterfront homes have a specific problem that most designers miss. The view is the feature. The design should make you feel the water before you understand why. This project was a 5,000-square-foot home on Lake Washington in Kirkland, built to live in year-round, host large gatherings, and give a family room to breathe without losing the thing they paid for: the water.

The starting point was light. How water light moves through a home in the morning is different from afternoon, which is different from an overcast Pacific Northwest day. Those differences needed to be built into the material palette, not fought against.

The lounge acts as a curated living gallery, framing views of the water while offering deeply comfortable, sculptural seating. A linear fireplace wall and custom media surround bring warmth and drama to the double-height volume.

  • Double-height lounge anchored by a linear fireplace wall.
  • Tailored sofa and sculptural chairs on a softly patterned rug.
  • Stone nesting tables and arc floor lamps create a layered, curated look.

The Challenge

The original layout had rooms that turned away from the lake. The kitchen faced the street. The living room had the right view but the wrong furniture placement — pieces that blocked sightlines and made the space feel crowded despite the square footage.

The challenge was spatial and material at the same time. We needed to open the interior toward the water without a full gut renovation. The material palette also needed to hold in winter light — gray, diffused, low-angle — and not go flat in summer when the lake is bright and the rooms fill with reflected glare off the water.

The kitchen is conceived as a monolithic stone composition, visually calm yet highly functional. Integrated lighting and concealed appliances keep the focus on proportion, texture, and the dramatic waterfall island.

  • Long waterfall island in veined stone with custom stools.
  • Full-height stone backsplash with minimalist black hood.
  • Dark cabinetry and integrated appliances for a seamless look.
Modern dining space featuring a long black table, translucent swivel chairs, and oversized globe pendant lights in front of a stone and wood kitchen backdrop.
Minimalist kitchen with a long stone waterfall island, sculptural stools, full-height veined stone backsplash, and dark wood cabinetry.
Modern waterfront lounge featuring a linear fireplace wall, sculptural ceiling lights, custom sofa, and a circular bronze art piece beside an open-riser staircase.
Detail of a modern wood and steel open-riser staircase accented by hanging glass droplet pendants and warm wood wall cladding.
Great Room Seating Facing Sculptural Staircase

Design Decisions

Polished heated concrete floors were the foundation of the decision. Concrete reads warm when it’s heated. The polish picks up water light and distributes it across the room without creating hotspots. It’s also a material that holds correctly at every temperature of light the Pacific Northwest delivers.

The dual kitchen layout was a functional decision first. One professional kitchen for serious cooking. One prep kitchen for catering, holiday overflow, and the way a family actually uses a kitchen on a Sunday morning. Keeping the main kitchen open to the water views meant the prep work happened elsewhere, and the person cooking was never cut off from the room.

The Italian chandelier in the main living space is the one piece that introduces warmth without competing with the view. It reads as an art object when the lake is visible beyond it. At night, it becomes the focal point.

The custom stone fireplace runs floor-to-ceiling. The stone was chosen for its gray-white tones, which hold well against winter light and don’t read as cold when the fire isn’t lit.

The dining area feels airy and luminous, with transparent seating and bold statement lighting. Positioned between kitchen and terrace, it effortlessly supports daily dining and larger gatherings.

  • Linear dining table paired with translucent sculpted chairs.
  • Oversized globe pendants that visually link to the kitchen island.
  • Soft rug and direct views toward the pool and landscape.

The Result

The home reads as a lakefront property from the first moment inside. Views are unobstructed. The material palette works at every hour and every season. The dual kitchen has become the feature guests ask about. The family has the space to host and the space to retreat.

Modern dining space featuring a long black table, translucent swivel chairs, and oversized globe pendant lights in front of a stone and wood kitchen backdrop.

Frequently Asked Questions?

How Ariana Designs & Interiors Works With You

Furniture placement is half the answer. Every main seating position should have a sightline to the water. The other half is material choice. Floors and walls that reflect water light pull the view into the room even when you’re not facing it directly.

Hardwood in a lakefront home with heavy use picks up moisture, swells near exterior doors, and shows wear at entry points. Polished concrete is stable, heated so it reads warm underfoot, and the finish distributes the water light that comes through floor-to-ceiling glass in a way hardwood doesn’t.

The size of the gatherings this family hosts, and the fact that the main kitchen faces the water. The person cooking shouldn’t be cut off from the room or the view. The prep kitchen handles the work. The main kitchen handles the living.

Ready To Transform Your Space?

Let’s start a collaborative design journey that brings your vision to life—with one integrated team handling architecture, interiors, and furnishings from concept through installation.

Ariana Designs & Interiors

Kirkland, Washington
(425) 679-2463

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Chic woman on stool exuding confidence in stylish attire against a light background.