Windows to the world

Green Bluff home combines simplicity, elegance and a view

Amy Klamper   /  Correspondent

When Spokane graphic designers Darin and Jean Klündt abandoned the sleek modernity of their 1950s home on the South Hill, they had a clear picture of their dream home in mind: A place in the country where they could raise their two small boys.

At that time, in the early 90s, the Klündts were busy growing a fledgling business – now one of Spokane's leading design firms, Klündt | Hosmer – and the family could ill afford the time and money needed to build. Instead, they settled for a semi-custom tract house on a cul-de-sac in Winfield Park near Green Bluff.

"It was the perfect place to have little kids – it backed to a seven-acre park," says Darin, 46. "It was our compromise."

But a few years later, the couple purchased a 10-acre lot on a hill below Green Bluff, and in 2001, after eight years in Winfield Park, the family finally built their dream house.

Although the home was designed by Spokane architect Nancy McKinnon, who at the time worked for Copeland Architecture and Construction, the Klündts put their own desires and design expertise to work in the process as well.

"The idea was to keep it simple and take in the view with as much window as possible," says Jean, 45, adding that the couple was inspired by the "not-so-big house" movement led by architect and cultural visionary Sarah Susanka. "We wanted it simple and as inexpensive to build as possible."

Today the Klündts' home incorporates four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths into 3,200 square feet on two levels. Centered on an open, light-filled great room that includes a spacious kitchen, living and dining areas, the home's large windows offer a stunning view of the valley below Green Bluff, with a deck that runs the length of the house along its west side.

"The sunsets are the best," Jean says of the view, which spreads as far as the new traffic control tower at Spokane International Airport.

A small office space, laundry area and powder room are situated off the kitchen, while a modest master bedroom and bath occupy a space at the opposite end of the house.

"We always wanted to say that we go 'up' to bed," Darin jokes, referring to the two small steps that lead from the main living area to a small landing before the master bedroom door.

Throughout the home warm walls of ochre, chocolate and sage are framed by vertical-grain fir trim and cabinetry. Jean's original artwork, along with a number of pieces by artist friends, add an edgy vibe to the décor, while antiques collected from Darin's grandparents add an eclectic coziness to the home's Craftsman feel. Wood Pella windows – a luxury the Klündts says was worth the expense – frame the breathtaking views.

Downstairs, the Klündts' ground floor is the domain of sons Ben, 18, and Taylor, 15. Two large bedrooms give them a place to escape, along with a shared full bath and a good-sized family room with a patio and hot tub overlooking the valley.

"The house downstairs was designed for teenagers," Darin says. "The bedrooms are really big, plus it's an amazing view for a kid," he adds, noting the rolling landscape visible through large, west-facing windows in each of the boys' rooms.

Upstairs, one of the home's more unique features is a tower room located above the entry at the top of the main stairwell.

"We call it Lego-land," Jean says, referring to a period when her sons used the space as a playroom.

"Now it's just a mess," Ben quips.

But while the Klündt boys may have outgrown their tower, they make ample use of the family's 10 acres, riding motorcycles and four-wheelers around the lot.

Indeed, the family's large, two-car tandem garage – attached to the home by a breezeway – houses the family's many recreational vehicles, which include a motor boat, a sail boat that Darin built with Taylor and a family friend, and Darin's 1976 Honda Trail 90 dirt bike.

"It's bullet-proof," he says. "I love it."

Motor sports aside, the family also enjoys watching wildlife in their own backyard, including turkey, elk, deer and quail.

"A fawn gave birth in that thicket down there," Darin says, gesturing at a gaggle of quail running for cover in the dense brush below the house. "It's got a trail in it, with deer, and another has a coyote den in it. The kids can go camping out here – it's a great place to raise kids."