New home styles - Seattle vs The Eastside (Bellevue, Mercer Island: new house, neighborhood)

[BellevueNative]

I'm not sure where that home is on the Eastside in that photo, but it's UGLY. The modern home is beautiful. I say that as someone who bought a traditional colonial in the suburbs.

I think a lot of people who like the suburbs are looking for a...softer...existence. Greenery, comfort, relaxation, family oriented. And as much as I can appreciate clean, modern design, I do not think of it as warm or child-friendly. It is designed to be the very opposite - crisp, clean and progressive rather than stable. Nothing about polished concrete floors, vessel sinks and floating staircases shouts "family friendly!" That's why the styles are different in the city vs. the suburbs.

[ShastatoBaker]

Woof. The Eastside one wins hands down. The Seattle example looks like a prison. Not that the Eastside one is some champion of good looks, or anything. It's just 'less fail.'

My question is, why don't people here build stuff like this?

Or this?

Or this?

Or even this?

You know, stuff that people with taste generally gravitate towards? It seems like 90% of the new home contruction here is done in an effort make one's house more inelegant -- er, excuse me, "modern" -- than the neighbors'.

[Seacove]

The West Coast has it's own style which differs from those New England houses. We lived in Boston for two years on a work related move and those New England houses are fine, but have a tendency to be a lot of small rooms, often built at different times. I prefer West Coast homes with multi-level great rooms and oversize kitchen/eating areas. The Seattle metro has a many more housing styles than what the OP shows, it just depends on the age and economy of the neighborhood. Redmond Ridge homes are going to be very different from Newport Hills (split level 70s homes) vs. Bridle Trails, etc.

[BellevueNative]

Three of the photos you posted are colonials...that's a new england style of architecture that just wasn't popular to build when people moved out west 100+ years ago. However, you will see it occasionally, and as I mentioned, our house in Mill Creek is a colonial.

The other home you posted is more like the craftsman and victorian homes you see here in some of the older Seattle neighborhoods. They're a very popular style here, though many you see build in that style now here are a little updated to look a little "Northwestern," such as Greenbriar - Available Homes or Photo Gallery of Redesign & Remodeling Work by Buchan Homes | Buchan Homes. That style of home tends to not have the wide open floorplan that families like here. But mostly I'm going to guess that it's just more expensive for builders to build the lovely homes you included. They do build them here - and they're very desirable to buyers here just as they are elsewhere - but you won't find Quadrant Homes building them for cheap.

If you go to Southern California you'll find that nearly everything is stucco. Not long ago a guy posted on this board, asking why he couldn't find anything in a "modern" design...then he showed us a photo of a stucco apartment complex he wanted up here. Well, to us in the Northwest, stucco is just a cement box that is not designed for wet weather, so you won't find much of that here.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by ShastatoBaker

Woof. The Eastside one wins hands down. The Seattle example looks like a prison. Not that the Eastside one is some champion of good looks, or anything. It's just 'less fail.'

My question is, why don't people here build stuff like this?

Or this?

Or this?

Or even this?

You know, stuff that people with taste generally gravitate towards? It seems like 90% of the new home contruction here is done in an effort make one's house more inelegant -- er, excuse me, "modern" -- than the neighbors'.

I'd argue that the colonial style isn't as well suited to our environment. We don't get 3' of snow in the lowlands, winters don't get in the single digits necessitating big attics and small windows.

Most colonials seem very 'inward focused' whereas the modern designs (if done well) make better use of natural light and the outdoor space. This is something I find important when we only get 6-7 hours a day of dim sunlight this time of year.

Originally Posted by Seacove

The West Coast has it's own style which differs from those New England houses. We lived in Boston for two years on a work related move and those New England houses are fine, but have a tendency to be a lot of small rooms, often built at different times. I prefer West Coast homes with multi-level great rooms and oversize kitchen/eating areas. The Seattle metro has a many more housing styles than what the OP shows, it just depends on the age and economy of the neighborhood. Redmond Ridge homes are going to be very different from Newport Hills (split level 70s homes) vs. Bridle Trails, etc.

True, but they aren't building very many new homes in either Bridle Trails or Newport Hills today. I decided to do a "new vs new" comparison to show what spec builders are marketing to people living in on different sides of the lake.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

They're both ugly IMO.

I agree. Many modern homes just feel weird, not homey or comfortable. Many new eastside homes are just uninspired, and look just like the homes next door. I've had the builder's reps tell me how they're all different, that in house A the kitchen is to the left but in house B the kitchen is to the right. But for the most part, they too aren't homey or comfortable. Big and grand with soaring ceilings and kitchen islands made of granite so large you can take a nap on them isn't my idea of homey and comfortable. But to each his own, and I'm not one to judge. When I have my real estate agent hat on, I point out to clients when a place isn't practical for their needs. I don't point out when I think it's ugly. I'm not being hired for my sense of taste or lack of. But yes, sometimes I have to hold my tongue, and not ask " How can you like something that butt ugly?"

[Seacove]

Ira, I'm your fan but I'll disagree on this one. I love the openness that large soaring ceilings give and we have the climate where that's not impractical. Those New England homes would not do well with soaring ceilings because it gets very cold in the winter and horribly humid in the summer so you are always needing heat or AC. With our moderate temperatures here, that open space gives a great feel and doesn't waste a ton of money to heat or cool. And those huge kitchen islands are inviting for friends and family where everyone gathers and socializes or assists with cooking. It's just a nice feel. I'm not a fan of small claustrophobic rooms (or small dining tables). One person's intimate is another person's encroaching on personal space.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Seacove

Ira, I'm your fan but I'll disagree on this one. I love the openness that large soaring ceilings give and we have the climate where that's not impractical. Those New England homes would not do well with soaring ceilings because it gets very cold in the winter and horribly humid in the summer so you are always needing heat or AC. With our moderate temperatures here, that open space gives a great feel and doesn't waste a ton of money to heat or cool. And those huge kitchen islands are inviting for friends and family where everyone gathers and socializes or assists with cooking. It's just a nice feel. I'm not a fan of small claustrophobic rooms (or small dining tables). One person's intimate is another person's encroaching on personal space.

What I really like is the mid century modern homes. Bellevue has some and Lake Forest Park does too. They've got the tall ceilings and the big windows, but they emnate "cool" ,where some of the newer homes just emanate "boring". Plus I really like to garden, and new houses too often are big house, tiny lot. Lots of people like that, but I prefer the opposite: small house, big lot.

[Hopes]

That first picture is a really ugly strange looking little house. It's not craftsman, it's pretend.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Ira500

What I really like is the mid century modern homes. Bellevue has some and Lake Forest Park does too. They've got the tall ceilings and the big windows, but they emnate "cool" ,where some of the newer homes just emanate "boring". Plus I really like to garden, and new houses too often are big house, tiny lot. Lots of people like that, but I prefer the opposite: small house, big lot.

I like a big house, big lot. I know you know the small lots are the result of expensive limited land. People still like big roomy houses here so they're so close you can sample each other's meals through the windows making it impossible to garden. I agree some of those older homes can be great and their lots are much larger than what can typically be found today. You could make the argument that those old Newport Hills houses can be a great deal considering the size of some of those lots.