10 Things Our Clients Love About Their Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home

Some homes are just houses, but this Seattle custom built mid-century modern home is a full-on love story. Chavi and I just sold our custom built mid-century modern home earlier this year. The journey of restoration and letting go a home like this is intense.

So we decided to ask our clients who also spent the last decade restoring every inch of this home what they loved the most about their time living in this fabulous home. Grab a coffee (Boon Boona, if you’re doing it right) and let’s dig in.

What Makes A Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home So Special?

Custom built wood detailing for this south seattle mid-century modern home

Most Seattle homes from the 1950s and 60s came from a handful of standard plans. That’s why so many share the same closed-off kitchen and the one lonely bathroom.

A custom build is different. Someone designed it for the site, the light, and the way people actually live. In other words, every choice had a purpose. That intention is exactly why our clients fell so hard for this single owner Seattle custom built mid-century modern home.

Ten Things Our Clients Love About This Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home

View of Mount Rainier from the deck of this south seattle mid-century modern home

There is so much to love about this stunning updated mid-century modern home in South Seattle. Let’s start with the best part! The views!!!!

1. View Of Mount Rainier

First, let’s start with the showstopper. The view of Mount Rainier from the deck is gorgeous from sunrise until sunset.

Morning coffee while the Mountain glows pink? Yes, please. Evening cocktails as the light fades? Also yes. On a clear day, this deck has a front-row seat to the best view in town.

2. Open Living, Dining, And Kitchen Spaces

Updated kitchen of this custom built mid-century modern home in South Seattle

The dining room, living room, and kitchen flow together in one open space. According to our clients, it’s perfect for gatherings. Even better, the high, sloped ceilings keep it from ever feeling crowded.

Many buyers spend a fortune trying to create this kind of layout. Here, the original builder included it from day one.

3. Cozy Media Room With Surround Sound

Cozy basement media room with plush carpet and built-in cabinets in this custom built and renovated mid-century modern home in South Seattle.

Movie and TV time in the media room was a household favorite. The carpet is super plush, and the space is ridiculously cozy. It also has surround sound wiring.

So whether it’s a rainy Sunday or a playoff game, this room has you covered.

4. Spacious Bathrooms With Radiant Heat

Renovated mid-century modern home's bathroom Bathroom with handmade Fireclay tile and a custom concrete sink

Both bathrooms have room for more than one person to get ready at once. If you’ve ever done the hip-check shuffle in a tiny bathroom, you know what a gift that is.

Even better, radiant heat warms the floors under the handmade tiles. Our clients say it feels SO good in the winter. After one January morning with warm toes, you’ll never go back.

5. A Deck Made For Entertaining

Entertaining deck off the main living space of a Seattle custom built mid-century modern home

When our clients bought the house, it had no deck. None! So they made it one of their first projects, and wow, did they nail it.

The deck flows easily from the main living space. It’s also big enough for real entertaining, from BBQs to cocktail parties to dinner parties. Add that Mount Rainier view, and you’ve got the best party spot in South Seattle.

6. A Friendly, Connected Street

Friendly neighborhood street in South Seattle

This stretch of 135th St is the kind of block people dream about. Most neighbors know each other by first name. In fact, they’ve thrown a block party almost every year since COVID.

We hear it from clients all the time. What you remember most about a home is often the community around it. This street has that in spades.

7. Close To Downtown Renton

I Love Renton spray-paint art on a building — Downtown Renton cafes and restaurants

Downtown Renton is super close, and its food and drink scene is seriously fun. Favorites include Boon Boona Coffee and a great macaron shop. Our clients also rave about the fish and chips, several fantastic Indian restaurants, and plenty of pubs and breweries.

Overall, it’s a sweet little downtown with loads of personality.

8. Minutes From The Landing And Southcenter

The Landing is about 10 minutes away, while Southcenter is 10 to 15. That means a movie, a little shopping, or a great meal works on any night of the week.

And yes, our clients want you to know there’s Din Tai Fung. Priorities!

9. Kubota Gardens

Next up is Kubota Garden, which our clients call one of the most stunning parks in Seattle. I couldn’t agree more!

The winding paths, bridges, ponds, and spring blooms are pure magic. Because it’s so close, a peaceful walk is always on the menu.

10. Quick Access To I-5

Getting from the house to I-5 takes just a few minutes. As a result, commuting was easy, and so were quick trips to West Seattle or Beacon Hill.

Prefer the scenic route? Local roads get you to Georgetown, White Center, Columbia City, or Seward Park in minutes. Clearly, this Seattle custom built mid-century modern home puts the best of South Seattle within easy reach.

Updates To This Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home

Renovated basement billiard room with a built-in bar in this custom built mid-century modern home.

Mid-century homes have fabulous bones, but their systems are often 60+ years old. That’s why the updates to this Seattle custom built mid-century modern home matter so much.

Our clients tackled the unsexy stuff, like oil tank removal and a new electrical panel. They also went all in on the gorgeous stuff, like Fireclay tile and a Blue Star range. For a buyer, that combination is the dream.

2016 To 2017: The Big Restoration Of This Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home

This phase touched nearly every part of the home. Here’s what our clients completed.

Kitchen

Gut remodel with a Miele fridge, Blue Star 6-burner range, and Vent-a-Hood
Double KitchenAid dishwashers (dinner-party people, rejoice!)
Recycled glass countertops made on Camano Island
Barker cabinets made in Oregon and a Delta faucet

Upstairs Bathroom

Handmade Fireclay tiles, Delta fixtures, and a new bathtub
Custom concrete sink and Barker cabinets

Floors

Refinished all hardwood floors
New hardwood in the kitchen and chimney area

Exterior

New concrete board and batten on most of the siding, plus new insulation
New roof over the bedrooms and bathroom
Milgard Thermally Improved double-pane aluminum windows in place of almost all single-pane windows
New deck doors and basement door

Systems

Whole-house rewiring and a new electrical panel
Copper inlet plumbing
Oil tank removal and a new gas line from the street
Downstairs radiant floor heat in place of the old ducts
New water heater system and ductless mini-split heat pumps

2022 To 2026: The Glow-Ups

Updated modern basement in this custom built mid-century modern home with wall paper and built-ins

In 2022, our clients gut renovated the entire basement. That project created the dreamy media room, a full bar room, and my favorite bathroom ever!!!!

New flooring, drywall, and lighting throughout
Remodeled bathroom and a brand-new laundry room
Built-in media center cabinets and a billiard room bar
Fresh paint and new wallpaper

Then came the finishing touches. In 2025, they updated the entryway awning, added new lighting, and hung new wallpaper in the upstairs south bedroom. Finally, 2026 brought a new front door, a new north bedroom window, and fresh paint.

Listing Details For This Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home

Original wood details in the entryway of this custom built mid-century modern home in South Seattle

Address: 7282 S. 135th St, Seattle, WA
Neighborhood: Earlington
Listing Brokers: Kim V. Colaprete and Donna Burns
List Price: $825,000
Square Footage: 2470
NWMLS Number: 2585710
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 1.75
[More Information >

Why Is Kim V. Colaprete And Team Diva Experts At Selling A Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home?

Custom built mid-century modern home opened directly to the open deck with views of Mount Rainier

Honestly, mid-century modern homes are our love language. Chavi and I don’t just sell them. We live in them, too! In fact, we spent 21 years restoring our own custom built mid-century in Seward Park. Our lake house in Long Beach is mid-century as well. So we know firsthand what it takes to care for these homes.

Just as important, we know what buyers really want. With 25+ years in business and 1,000+ households served, Team Diva knows how to reach design-forward buyers. Our team ranks in the Top 4% of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide. RealTrends also named us one of “America’s Best.” On top of that, Seattle Magazine has named me a 5-Star Agent 19 times. You may have seen us quoted in the Seattle Times, U.S. News & World Report, and Seattle Met, too.

When you list a mid-century home with us, we go way beyond square footage. We talk about the sloped ceilings, the original details, and the updated systems. Most of all, we share the life you can live there. After all, that’s what sells a Seattle custom built mid-century modern home.

Want More Information About Buying A Seattle Custom Built Mid-Century Modern Home?

Luckily for you, our passion for mid-century homes has turned into many guides. Start here for your Seattle mid-century modern home journey:

We are here to help. Our team knows this process can take a year or two, so give us a call! We love helping people build a personalized listing plan for their homes. Email us at thediva@teamdivarealestate.com or call/text 206-271-0264.