Features + Details

There’s a version of house-hunting where you walk through door after door, and everything starts to blur together. And then there’s the moment you walk into 543 N 83rd Street, and everything snaps back into focus.

This is a fully custom home, designed and built from the ground up 20 years ago in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. It’s three levels, 3,420 square feet, and it was built by a design and architecture team who thought carefully, room by room, detail by detail, about how people actually live. That thinking shows up everywhere, from the hidden storage tucked beneath the window bench seats to the washer and dryer positioned in the garage so muddy kids and wet dogs never make it past the threshold.

The moment you arrive

You approach from the street and walk up. This home sits above grade, with the entry on the second level and the ground floor below. It’s an urban layout that works beautifully: the garage and lower living space are on the ground floor, the main living areas are elevated above the street, and the bedrooms are on the top floor. Three distinct levels, each with its own purpose and its own warmth; literally, because every floor in this home, including the garage, is heated by an in-floor hydronic radiant system. You feel it the moment you step inside on a January morning.

The great room

The front door opens into an architecturally striking living space. The great room soars two stories, anchored by massive exposed glulam beams that run overhead and a dramatic upper overlook, the upstairs hallway, that looks down into the space below. Freshly refinished Brazilian cherry hardwoods glow across the entire main level. A gas fireplace with a stone surround anchors the living area, framed by a custom cedar-paneled built-in entertainment wall with recessed speakers. LED cove lighting wraps the upper level, and clerestory windows pull in light from multiple directions. No matter the time of day or season, this room is alive.

Kitchen and dining

The great room opens seamlessly to the kitchen and dining room. This is a true open-concept main level, designed for the way people actually gather. The kitchen features custom cherry cabinetry, dark granite countertops, a gas range, stainless steel appliances, including a French door refrigerator and dishwasher, and a large eat-in island that seats four comfortably. Just off the kitchen, a walk-in pantry offers serious storage for food, kitchen appliances, and more.

The dining room is conveniently located for hosting and daily meals. Exposed beams continue overhead here, with iron hardware at the joints, and wall sconces create an intimate evening atmosphere even in a room this generous. It’s the kind of dining room that makes you want to host Thanksgiving.

The home office

Also on the main level: a dedicated home office with custom-built wraparound desk. Featuring three workstations and bookshelves, this workspace is designed to function equally well for focused adults and kids doing homework side by side.

A half bath and a deck with stairs to the backyard round things out on the main level.

Upstairs

The primary suite is a genuine retreat. Brazilian cherry floors continue here, and the room is spacious enough to feel luxurious without being oversized. The five-piece bath is the standout: a raised soaking tub set into a custom glass tile mosaic surround, a walk-in tile shower with a sliding adjustable showerhead, double vanity with cherry cabinetry and tile countertops, and exposed beams even in here, because the design language of this home doesn’t stop at the bedroom door. The suite has its own private deck overlooking the backyard.

Two additional bedrooms are located on this level. They share a full bath with tub/shower combo and classic tilework. Both rooms feature the signature exposed beam detail and ample closet space.

The ground level

Here’s where this home earns its “rare find” status. The ground floor, true ground level, not a basement, is fully finished with stained and polished concrete floors and in-floor radiant heat, and it offers a complete secondary living suite: a bedroom, a ¾ bath with walk-in shower, and a large flex space currently used as a family room and fitness area. There’s a separate keyed entry through the backyard, making this level genuinely private for guests or extended family. And that two-car garage? Heated polished concrete floors, real storage space, and a washer/dryer setup that keeps laundry and everything that comes in from the outdoors exactly where it belongs.

The backyard

Step out through the paver walkway, and you’ll find an outdoor living room that works year-round. A custom covered patio with integrated lighting and outdoor speakers creates a secluded lounge area, furnished and functional even on a gray Seattle afternoon. A built-in gas fire pit with blue glass is the centerpiece of the patio, and it’s as dramatic after dark as it sounds. A small lawn and privacy fencing round out the ground level outdoor living space.

The neighborhood

Greenwood is one of Seattle’s most livable urban neighborhoods, and 543 N 83rd St puts you right in the heart of it. Greenwood Avenue and 85th St N are both just two blocks away, chock full of coffee shops, bakeries, acclaimed restaurants, and independent boutiques. For green spaces, this home is just one mile from Green Lake Park, 2.5 miles from Carkeek Park, and just shy of 4 miles from Golden Gardens Park. And for families with school-age children: Greenwood Elementary, Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, and Ingraham High School are all in the immediate vicinity, as well as several other strong public and private options nearby.

The details that matter

Twenty years in, this home has been maintained with pride and upgraded thoughtfully. The IBC condensing boiler, the heart of the radiant system, is newer. The Brazilian cherry floors were just refinished. The home is wired for whole-house audio with in-ceiling speakers, and the backyard carries the WiFi signal. These aren’t afterthoughts. They’re evidence of how this family lived here.

Some homes you tour. This one you remember.