In 1908, Zenhichi Harui came to Bainbridge Island from Japan and started growing plants and flowers, selling them at a small farm stand. The business grew to include a general store, gas station and gardens that attracted visitors from far and wide. The gardens fell to ruin during World War II, when the Haruis and […]
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Posted inHome
Designing a Forever Home
The arrival of an AARP invitation in the mail can be a trigger that sends a person off like the proverbial dog looking for its forever home. It may come as a shock —”What?! I’m nowhere near old enough for retirement!” — but that one little invitation turns the idea of aging into a personal […]
Posted inHome
A Home Full of Light and Life
Stepping into the foyer of Brian and Holly Jacobsen’s home and looking into the great room, one is struck by the amazing light flooding through the massive expanse of windows that face the water. White millwork and a well-chosen monochromatic color scheme of soft grays and blues offer a sense of cleanliness, peacefulness and serenity. […]
Posted inGarden
Winter in the Garden at Bloedel Reserve
Winter in the Northwest may not be the time of year when some people think of visiting a garden, but Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island embraces nature during every season of the year. History Prentice Bloedel, an innovator of the timber industry, and his wife, Virginia, purchased 150 acres with a residence in 1951 and […]
Posted inHome
A Chic and Charming Home
A contemporary, stucco home on the south end of Bainbridge Island delivers unexpected turns of surprise and delight far exceeding the simplicity of its exterior. A colonnade between the garage and the home frames a view of Port Orchard Passage on its way to the tucked-in entrance. The front walk is sheltered by a wall […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Accessing the Abel Tasman, New Zealand
New Zealand — a wonderland of jaw-dropping scenery from Milford Sound in the far south to the most northern Bay Islands. Many of its best and indescribably beautiful vistas with some of the most dramatic panoramas can only be found off the beaten track. And unfortunately, many tourists visiting New Zealand see its beauty through […]
Posted inHome
Grandma’s House — Part of a New Beginning
A few years ago, Deb Ross decided it was time to begin a new chapter in her life. Her husband had died, leaving her with a home on acreage that she lovingly dubs “the farmhouse.” That home was filled with memories of a long and happy marriage but now the children were grown, establishing lives […]
Posted inGarden
A Forest for the Grandkids
“We kind of built this whole place around the grandkids,” said Sam Johnson, speaking about the 30 acres of mostly forested land near Kingston that he and his wife, Debi, purchased in 2001. The Johnsons had been living in Edmonds and were both getting ready to retire from the construction business. They wanted a place […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Massimo Italian Bar & Grill Rooted in Family Tradition
Surrounded by large windows facing out to Henderson Bay and sitting near a warm fire blazing on the stone hearth, Massimo and Cindy Terracciano tell the story of their lives. Their love, marriage, family and restaurant — no one part of it more important than the other — blended seamlessly together, creating a delicious and […]