Vacation surrounded by a forest of Madronas; sleep among the tree tops.
Location: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Washington State, USA (258 Gretchen Way is 10 Miles from Friday Harbor.) View Map
Accommodations: House, 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath (Sleeps 4-6)
258 Gretchen Way is a stylish contemporary custom built home, with modern minimalist interior design and an environmentally sensitive placement. Nestled in a forest of Madrona trees, which are unique to the Pacific Northwest and incredibly hard to replant, its foundations are in places only a few feet away from these beautiful trees. Three stories tall, this building allows you to reach high up alongside these majestic trees, and enjoy an elevated position from which to look out over the straits to Victoria. It's been nicknamed the "Castle House" because it's tall and skinny like a castle or fortified house. All it's missing is the ramparts and moat to complete the imagery.
Designed to be a passive solar heating house, each living space is interconnected with each other, and the only door (aside from the bathroom) is between the Studio and the Kitchen. Here is where you cross between the two structures; the Studio, some 15' x 15' with windows on all sides, a wood stove and fabulous sleeping loft above, is ideal for painting, writing or being creative in some way; the Kitchen is located in the middle of the main building, with a unique galley style kitchen, fully equipped with professional level equipment, it is a joy to cook and dine in.
Beneath the Kitchen is the Office/Living Room. Work, if you really need to, at the desk. (There is wireless high-speed internet throughout the house.) Relax on the long couch, or easily transform it into a double bed, and nap the afternoons away. Just off this room is the Sunroom, which positively bakes in summer time. Anybody who loves the Sun will love this compact room. There is a propane stove in the office/living room to take the chill off late season evenings. Controlled by a thermostat, it keeps the house at your chosen temperature. Running out of propane is never an issue, as the tank is on an automatic fill up schedule.
Above the Kitchen is the main bedroom, accessed by a ship's ladder, from here you can walk out onto the main deck and enjoy the last light of the evening. Savor the sights and smells of being up beside the tops of the Madronas. A great place for meditation, yoga, or just hanging out with a book.
As a design juxtaposition to the rest of the house, the shower room is styled as a European 'wetroom'. It's floor is constantly heated, and with a Grohe Raindance shower system, and constant on-demand hot water, you may have a hard time getting out of the shower anytime soon. A heated towel rail and a heated mirror means that everything stays warm and fog free.
Other things of interest: beautiful beech hardwood floors throughout; completely double glazed; very easy to keep clean and tidy. There is electrical hookup for an RV, but only really space for a B or C class.
I love my house and want you to enjoy it too. I live within fifteen minutes of the property when it is rented out, so any concerns or issues you have can be dealt with immediately. Please visit my website for more photographs and 360 degree Panoramics of the rooms in the house.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking: The property is fully fenced, and car access is controlled by two automatic gates. Controllers provided upon arrival.
- Gas Fireplace
- Wood Stove
- Beds
- Queen Bed (2)
- Child Bed: This is in the main Bedroom.
- Convertible Bed (2) : One is located in the Office/Living Room, and it folds out to a Queen sized bed. The other is in the Studio and folds out to a Double.
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Balcony (2) : One main deck outside of the Main Bedroom, one smaller balcony outside of the loft above the Studio
- View/Location
- Water View: Partial water view across to Victoria.
- Communications
- Telephone
- Broadband Internet
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Other Amenities
- Immediate Access to Land Bank Property, Access to Lime Kiln State Park
- Suitability
- Kid Friendly: Some caution has to be taken with younger children or those not comfortable with ladders. But half of the sleeping areas are easily accessible. It's only the Main Bedroom and the Sleeping Loft that require climbing up a ship's ladder. They are easy to climb and my daughter was going up and down before she could actually walk.
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Sightseeing
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Swimming
- Snorkeling/Diving
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
WINTER RATES:
$400/3 days .. $700/week .. $1200/2 weeks .. $2200/month
(minimum rental period: 3 days)
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Credit Cards Accepted:
Map & Owner's Profile
Contemporary San Juan Island Home: Live Peacefully & Stylishly
Year Purchased: 2003
Why the Owner Chose Friday Harbor
Friday Harbor is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I've travelled extensively for my work over the years, from the bitter cold of Siberia to the foothills of Guatemala, and everywhere in between. People always ask me why I chose Friday Harbor when I could have lived anywhere. And the short answer is that the island has a certain magic to it. Some people stay and some people leave. I think the island decides for you. If you want to kayak, see the whales, cycle through the forests, run the trails that crisscross the island, or just meander around Friday Harbor drinking lots of good coffee and seeing lots of great art, there is something for everyone here. It's definitely a place to slow down, stop and smell the roses.
The Unique Benefits at this House
This house is unusual. Built to be environmentally friendly and located with great care among a forest of Madrona trees, it is not your typical Friday Harbor vacation rental. But that's not to say it isn't flexible. With enough beds for eight, a large family could stay here easily. Yet it's equally comfortable for a couple wishing to have a secluded retreat, tucked in the forest away from the masses, a romantic pied-de-terre built in the country. I keep being amazed at the quality of light that comes streaming through the Madronas, so my studio resided here for the longest time. So if you are an artist, photographer, or just someone that appreciates the beauty in his/her environment, you will love sitting out on the deck or sitting in the kitchen drinking tea while basking in the evening sunlight. The property sits adjacent to Land Bank property, which is a non-profit organization that buys and protects important parcels of land on the island from future development. So you have 100 acres of trails to explore and easy access to Lime Kiln State Park, or San Juan County Park. If you have dogs they will love to romp through the woods with you too, and when you return home they can continue their exploring on the property, as the triangular 0.5 acre lot is fully fenced, and access is controlled through two automatic gates. Kids can run wild without any danger of them getting lost.
Perfect place to watch the whales roll by, or wander the extensive trails. Can be reached either by walking down the road (1.5 miles), or through the trails from my house (1.2 miles)
Great place to launch kayaks from, or just enjoy easy access to the water. It's a great camping place too.
Lots of history with this sheltered cove; early immigrant workers being washed up to shore in bags after being pitched overboard from the slave ships. Not too sandy, but plenty of space to spread out
Owner's Map of Friday Harbor
My name is John Sinclair, and I am happy to share my beautiful house with you during your vacation on San Juan Island. My wife and I purchased this house in 2003, as an unfinished project. There was no trim, no flooring and in some rooms not even any sheetrock! I don't think we fully understood what we were getting ourselves into... first time buyers that we were. We have poured thousands of hours of labor into finishing the house; everything you see is our own handy work. But it's definitely been worth it, as we now have this awesome house that continues to grow and develop with each passing year. I've lived in Friday Harbor for nine years, moving from one very large island to this tiny one, as I emigrated from Scotland to the USA. I'm a professional photographer, running my own commercial gallery and studio in Friday Harbor. The gallery showcases new and emerging photographers who have never shown before, as well as supporting local photographers. We offer website design, technology and photography tutoring, as well as custom framing and large format printing. Oh, and there is a large selection of Monographs to browse, so come on by, hang out on the couch and browse the day away.
Property Photos
- Vacation surrounded by a forest of Madronas; sleep among the tree tops. - Friday Harbor House with Passive Solar Heating, High-Speed Internet, a Sunroom, and 2 Balconies
- Lounge outside on the Bluestone Terrace, or inside in the Sunroom. - Friday Harbor House with Passive Solar Heating, High-Speed Internet, a Sunroom, and 2 Balconies
- Office/Living Room. A propane stove warms the house on chilly offseason days. - Friday Harbor House with Passive Solar Heating, High-Speed Internet, a Sunroom, and 2 Balconies
- The fully equipped galley style Kitchen is designed for cooks in mind.
- The Studio has great light. Perfect for Artist, Writer or any Creative Person.
- The Sleeping Loft above the Studio. Look out the cute Romeo & Juliet Balcony!
- The Bedroom among the Treetops. Sleep inside or outside on the large deck.
- The practicalities in life are easily taken care of in this stylish Laundry.
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #237767
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This listing was first published here in 2009.
Date last modified - November 07, 2009
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