4770 Ohio Ave S
Ste B
Seattle, WA 98134
info@paxsonfay.com
Sure, the home still had its original knob-and-tube wiring. But for the lake view, they could overlook a few shortcomings.
In Seattle, a Lake House That’s All About the Views
Finding a home that feels right isn’t easy. Sometimes, as Jeremy and Jen Lewis discovered while hunting for a place in Seattle, it can take years.
The couple, who had been working in finance in New York, moved to the West Coast in 2006 with their children — Ben, now 24, Sarah, 22, and Margaret, 19 — after Ms. Lewis left her job and Mr. Lewis accepted an offer to help build a Seattle-based video-game company.
“We wanted to go and explore a new part of the world with our family,” Mr. Lewis, 53, said.
At first, they moved to Bainbridge Island, drawn by its lush beauty and short ferry ride to Seattle. The scenery was breathtaking, but Mr. Lewis quickly discovered that commuting to work was more time-consuming than expected. After a couple of years, they began renting homes in the city and looking for a place there to buy.
“It hadn’t been renovated for many years. It had knob-and-tube electric; it had a chopped-up floor plan,” Ms. Lewis said.
But it also had good bones worth preserving and features they hadn’t found elsewhere. “The view is expansive,” she said. “You can see Mount Rainier.”
The property also had direct access to the water, and the Lewises weren’t the only ones who saw the appeal of that. With a listing price of $4.75 million, the property drew multiple offers. The couple ultimately won the bidding war with a bid of $5.8 million, and closed in July 2016.
Then they called Prentis Hale, a high school friend of Mr. Lewis’s and the principal architect of the Seattle-based firm Shed, who shared their enthusiasm for the site. “It’s a beautiful piece of property that’s hard not to like,” Mr. Hale said. “But the house had a lot of deferred maintenance. It needed so much work.”
Many people would have torn it down and built something bigger, but the Lewises wanted to work with what was already there. Mr. Hale developed a plan to transform the house inside and out while leaving the original structure mostly intact.
To get the family into the house as quickly as possible, he split the work into two phases: The first would be a gut renovation of the interior; the second would be a transformation of the exterior, with a new outbuilding and landscaping to tie everything together.
In the first phase, walls were removed between the kitchen, living room, dining room and solarium to create one free-flowing space with the casual sense of togetherness the Lewises envisioned. Upstairs, six awkward bedrooms were reconfigured into four generous ones. Downstairs, the media room in the walkout basement was remodeled.
Throughout, the Lewises chose materials they wouldn’t have to worry about, while aiming to add a little Japanese wabi-sabi, which they had admired during a trip to Kyoto years earlier. “We wanted it to be practical,” Ms. Lewis said. “You might be coming in off the lake dripping wet, so we wanted to embrace that idea of using the house in a comfortable way, where nothing was overly precious.”
That line of thinking is common in the area, noted the couple’s interior designer, Jennie Gruss. “In the Northwest, people want their spaces to be beautiful but super functional and durable,” she said. “But on top of that, they wanted this layer of serenity.”
The furnishings she used included a pair of living room sofas upholstered in indoor-outdoor fabric that looks and feels like white linen but resists moisture and stains, and a pair of vintage chairs by Jindrich Halabala that already had timeworn wood arms.
The family moved into the house after the first phase was completed in September 2017, in time to enjoy it before their oldest child left for college. They moved back out again in June 2018, and the second phase began. This time, their contractor, Whelbilt Homes, updated the exterior appearance of the house, replacing old windows with new high-performance ones and recladding the structure with shou-sugi-ban charred wood siding on the top floor and slender white bricks on the lower floor.
Beside the house, they built a 1,100-square-foot outbuilding with a garage and guest suite at street level, and an outdoor shower and storage space for paddleboards below. (Mr. Lewis is a paddling enthusiast who has competed in long-distance races.)
Construction was complete a year later, in June 2019. Altogether, the project cost about $500 a square foot.
When their youngest child left for college earlier this year, Mr. and Ms. Lewis became empty nesters. But the home they built still serves as the family’s main gathering spot. “It’s a really lovely place to be,” Mr. Lewis said. “We live outside as much as inside, getting exercise or just sitting by the fire pit and telling a good tale.”
“Or,” Ms. Lewis added, “sitting in the hot tub on a rainy day.”
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meet the team
We’re inspired by diverse design perspectives, innovation, technology, art, and the world around us. We live for the chance to create and disperse powerful, genuine messages that resonate.
tessa franchini
principal
tessa@paxsonfay.com
Tessa graduated from Fordham University in New York with a dual bachelor's degree in Communications and Political Science. During her time at Fordham, she worked for an interior designer and at NBC News where she developed her love for both design and communications. After graduating, Tessa managed marketing at 3form, a pioneer in the sustainable building products industry. During her tenure, 3form was repeatedly named one of the most recognized manufacturers in the design industry among architects and designers, and the company won multiple awards for its innovative product launches. After 3form, Tessa consulted on marketing efforts with leading product manufacturers in architecture and design before starting Paxson Fay with Amy.
amy golden
principal
amy@paxsonfay.com
Growing up in Seattle, Amy was always exploring the great outdoors but she found a particular thrill in traveling. During a visit to New York City at age 10, she knew that was where she wanted to live. After high school she left her home in the Pacific Northwest behind for the great unknown to attend Fordham University in the Bronx. Upon graduation, Amy received a phone call from CNN offering a job opportunity of a lifetime working in television ad sales at Manhattan's Time Warner Center. When a job opportunity in Los Angeles opened up a few years later, Amy couldn't say no to a new adventure back on the west coast. But Seattle eventually called her back home and Amy returned to pursue a Master's degree in Business Administration with the hopes of learning the skills she needed to feed her entrepreneurial spirit. Before graduating, Amy co-founded Paxson Fay with Tessa Andrews in 2015. Amy focuses on marketing strategy, public relations, social media, and partnerships.
colby wood
senior account executive
colby@paxsonfay.com
After graduating from Fordham University in New York City with a major in Communications and Media Studies and a handful of marketing and PR internships, Colby moved to Boston to manage marketing for a small, women-owned, creative consulting agency. While in that role, Colby managed public relations and marketing efforts for some of Boston's most prominent events and public art initiatives, including the Boston Pickle Fair and The Bulfinch Crossing Projections in downtown Boston. Colby gained experience crafting brand stories and identities through social media marketing and creative copywriting, seen through the successful launch of a premier Massachusetts adult-use dispensary and the revamp of her agency's own website. After two years, Colby decided it was time to figure out what the West Coast was all about. Looking to blend her marketing experience with her passion for design and architecture, Colby found Paxson Fay, where she focuses on social media strategy and management and public relations.
paige childs
communication specialist
paige@paxsonfay.com
As a child, Paige wanted to be an architect; but after falling in love with storytelling, the power of words, and yes, the show West Wing, she decided to pursue journalism at The George Washington University in the nation’s capital. Following graduation, Paige crafted communications for the beauty and banking industries. Craving space for creativity, she joined the small team that would reopen the congressionally designated National Children’s Museum. There, she played an integral role in establishing the museum’s brand, bringing it to life across digital channels, including social media, email, and advertising. After nearly eight years in DC, she decided it was time for a change of scenery. Having grown fond of the title Washingtonian, she made the cross-country move to Washington State. She landed in Seattle at Paxson Fay, where in true full circle fashion she is the architect of social media and public relations strategies for our architecture and design clients.
zoe mcphail
senior communications coordinator
zoe@paxsonfay.com
From San Francisco, California, Zoe moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington. She graduated with a dual bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science. Shortly after graduation from UW, Zoe hopped across the pond to pursue her Master of Science in Urban Economics and Real Estate Finance at the London School of Economics. Focusing on Sustainable Development, she found herself drawn to adaptive reuse and preservation projects in the world of architecture and design. Building on prior marketing and social media experience, Zoe returned to the PNW in July of 2023 to work on social media strategy and content creation for clients at Paxson Fay.
martina povolo
communications assistant
martina@paxsonfay.com
Martina joined the Paxson Fay team as an intern when she was a senior at the University of Washington. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Interest Communications, Martina is now continuing with the team as a Communications Assistant. During her time at UW, Martina worked as the Special Sections Editor at the university’s newspapers where she won multiple awards for her front page spreads. Looking to blend her minors in real estate and environmental science with her focus in communications, Martina is passionate and excited to join the Paxson Fay team.
tara lyons
communications assistant
tara@paxsonfay.com
With roots in Napa and Denver, Tara ventured to the Pacific Northwest to pursue her academic journey at the University of Washington, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Education. Tara's love for writing began when she delved into songwriting, building on her pre-existing passion for singing and playing the piano. Following her undergraduate years, she returned to Paxson Fay, where she had previously interned, transitioning into the role of Communications Assistant. With a keen interest in PR and social media, Tara seamlessly integrates her creative flair into the professional realm. Outside of work, you'll find Tara passionately supporting the Kraken, embodying her love for both storytelling and sports.
We are hiring for our internship program! We are looking for an intern with a passion for design to help manage key communication channels. Click here to read more.
what we do
We are a communications firm founded in our passion for good design. Our unique approach to marketing and public relations in the architecture and design community has elevated our clients work to the next level. We’re backed by a talented community of creatives. From copywriters to social media experts, we provide a complete package of customized services. We strive to create a personal experience with each client, integrating teams and tackling your biggest marketing and public relations challenges from a high level. Then we help execute those plans ensuring lots of reporting along the way, with lots of coffee breaks in between because we’re from Seattle and that’s what we do.
marketing
marketing strategy
brand strategy
project management
partnerships acquisition and management
e-mail blasts
public relations
media strategy
content production
media communications and outreach
awards: strategy, content development and submissions
social
platform strategy and management
content production
targeted campaigns
results + reporting
advertising
advertising strategy
budget strategy + negotiation
calendar management
creative coordination
content
storytelling
copywriting
website and e-mail marketing
video: sourcing, storyboarding and scheduling
photography acquisition + curation
events
event management
sponsorships + partnerships
tradeshow coordination
press tours
clients
Here is a little taste of who we love to work with and what we love to do.