This 105+ year home is truly extraordinary, a one of a kind vacation rental. It is bright, airy, colorful, fun and cheery. At the same time it is relaxing, quiet, serene and loaded with character and charm. In the morning let the sunshine in, at night turn the lights down low and relax looking out at the harbor. It has the old craftsman charm with Shabby Chic designer upgrades. It is a 6 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2100 sq ft house, and sits on a half acre with a 100' of low bank waterfront on the SW side of QuarterMaster Harbor. The whole front of the house opens up to the water and you can listen to the sounds of the tides and wildlife while sitting comfortably in the living room, eating in the dining room or relaxing in the master bedroom. Not only are the views of the water amazing from all over the house, but it is also has huge flower gardens that are most amazing in spring and summer but look great year round. This is a gorgeous place to sit and watch the sun rise over Maury Island with a cup of delicious coffee (provided), or sit and relax with a cocktail at happy hour and relish in the tranquility of a summer night. On colder days, keep the doors shut to stay warm and still enjoy the view through the extensive windows while enjoying a fire in the wood stove, or snuggle under some blankets and enjoy the crisp Pacific Northwest air. Even after the sun sets it is still enjoyable to look out at the water dancing in the moonlight.
Not only does the whole downstairs open up, but so does the whole upstairs. All 5 bedrooms have original windows that open. Drift off to sleep to the peaceful sounds of the natural habitat that surrounds this home. No room is without a view, fresh air or the soothing sounds of nature.
It is one of 10 houses that sit at the bottom of Pillsbury road on the harbor. The community is called Harbor Heights. This is a quiet community and we ask that there not be big loud parties or events held in this house, and no camping or pets please. There is parking for 3 cars. This is the perfect house to just escape the city, have a girls weekend, dinner party with friends, and special family time.
Main floor (all original hardwoods that have been recently refinished)
*Kitchen*
Enter through the kitchen which has funky but cool original cabinets with new black granite counter tops, 2 copper farmhouse sinks, an island with seating (that also folds down), There is a large refrigerator inside, and a spare refrigerator out the back door on the porch. The stove has 2 ovens (one is convection), a microwave hood, dishwasher, and a large pantry stocked with basic spices and necessities. There are lots of plates, bowls, barware and glassware. We have bowls and pans for cooking, a toaster, and a waffle iron.
*Dining and Living Room*
Continue through the kitchen to the large open dining/living room area where the french doors open out to the large front lawn and harbor. The dining room table seats 11 comfortably and sits adjacent to the living room separated by a wood stove. In the living room there is an L shape couch and three chairs. You have a 180 degree view from the north end of the harbor down to Tacoma from anywhere in the living or dining room. The best part about the living/dining room is all five doors open up and you can be inside on a comfortable couch or chair, but feel like you are outside. It is incredibly relaxing and beautiful. There is also a 52" Smart TV in the living room, so you can watch TV and enjoy the view all at the same time.
*Master*
Also on the main floor is the master bedroom which also has double doors that open up to a private patio surrounded by potted plants with two chaise lounge chairs, morning sun, evening stars and the harbor. There is nothing better than waking up and going out to the patio with your morning cup of coffee. It's heavenly. The master has a king size bed with a Tempur-Pedic mattress and storage drawers for your clothes, and also a dresser. There is no closet in this room.
*Laundry Room*
We have 2 large stackable Samsung washers and dryers. Tons of extra towel and bedding, and ironing board can be found in this room. We provide laundry detergent and dryer sheet as well.
*Main Floor Bathroom*
Just a little further down the hall is a newly remodeled bathroom. Enjoy a candlelight bath, a good book or a glass of wine in the new jetted jacuzzi tub that holds its temperature the length of your bath. This bathroom also has a shower.
Upstairs Bedrooms (all original hardwoods)
There are 4 bedrooms with a queen size bed and there is a tv room with a 43" tv and a twin size daybed (that make up a 5th upstairs bedroom). The upstairs can be as light and airy as the downstairs. All the old original windows open (some take a little effort for now) making every room peaceful and relaxing as you sleep, feeling the breeze, looking at the views and hearing the sounds of nature. (Please beware if you have small children, some windows are close to the ground and if they were opened and left unattended a small child would be able to fall out). All of the rooms have curtains and fans to keep them cool in the summer months.
There are dressers in all the upstairs bedrooms (except the TV room with daybed), but only two of the queen rooms closets for hanging clothes. All bedrooms have luggage racks.
*Upstairs Bathrooms*
There is .75 bathroom upstairs, meaning it has sink, toilet and shower. There is a blue tooth speaker in the shower to play your music while you shower, but no bathtub in this bathroom.
Outside:
This house and yard have been set up for ultimate relaxation for adults, with plenty of room for kids to run, roam and play. There is a large front yard that goes basically up to the seawall with just a sidewalk in between. (The sidewalk is an easement for the neighbors that need to access their house further down the harbor, so please keep the sidewalks clear. For some it is the only access to their house.) There is a BBQ area with a gas BBQ, large outdoor couch, a picnic table, sand pit, Adirondack chairs and 4 chaise lounges. The house is stocked with lots of beach towels and hooks outside for them to hang and dry. This house faces east and gets lots of morning and midday sun, so there isn't much shade in the yard until the afternoon. If you want or need shade you can just sit inside with all the doors open and you won't feel like you are missing out on anything. It is great for grandparents who want to be part of the action, but don't want all that sun.
Bring all your water toys, kayaks, paddle boards, floaties, etc. (If that isn't feasible you can rent them at Jensen Point up towards the North End of the harbor). There are stairs that go right down to the beach right in front of the house for an easy launch. (Please ONLY use the stairs and beach area in front of our house. The beach is private property and owned by the person whose house is behind it. The harbor, of course is free game). Right now, there is no mooring ball with the property to tie a boat up too, but we are working on changing that.
As amazing as this property is, so is the island of Vashon. It is a peaceful tranquil oasis in south Puget Sound just a short ferry ride from Seattle, Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula. The Fauntleroy ferry in West Seattle and Southworth Ferry on the peninsula come in on the north end of the island. The Tacoma/ Point Defiance ferry lands in Tahlequah at the south end of the island. It is the largest island in Puget Sound south of the Admiralty Inlet, and only has a population of 11,000 people. It is 14 miles long from north to South.
Vashon is a small laid back community offering great restaurants, a movie theater, fun shops, galleries, bike rental shop, kayak paddle board rental, outdoor community swimming pool in the summer, hiking paths, bird watching, biking and so much more.
Quartermaster Harbor is a marine recovery area located between Vashon and Maury Island. The harbor itself is warmer than the rest of Puget Sound, so although it is cold you can easily swim, float and paddle board in the summer. It is a great place for bird watching. There is a bald eagle that lives near by and visits often, making swooping flights overhead. Due to the high concentration of shellfish and foraging fish in the harbor it is a major wintering area for 35 species of birds. 3000 individual birds winter here annually.
*4th of July in Quartermaster Harbor
Quartermaster Harbor on the 4th of July is the best. Fireworks are everywhere, and all you have to do is walk out on the front lawn and you have the show of a lifetime. From the front lawn you can see Vashon's big firework show, Tacoma's show and on a clear night you can also see Seattle's firework show in the distance. Not to mention all the fireworks around the harbor. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE AND YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING!!! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! You cannot light off your own fireworks. As of the summer of 2021 it is illegal to light off personal fireworks in King County. Please respect this law if you stay here.
***This house is perfect for 6 people but will sleep up to 11. The price quoted is for 6 people and it is an extra $30 per person per night over 6 people.
Check out our other short term rental in Seattle/ Fremont neighborhood VRBO.com/1629288, or in Kauai VRBO.com/2590311
