LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
DESIGN & ARCHTIECTURE
CALM BY DESIGN
Villa Cento is a serene lakefront home where restrained materials, softened light, and thoughtful spatial flow create an interior that quietly amplifies the beauty of its setting.
LEIGH SMYTH
PHOTOGRAPHY: AARON LEITZ
Designing Villa Cento was not about reinvention, but refinement, an exercise in listening closely to what the house, the site, and the clients were already asking for. Positioned on a rare 360-foot, west-facing lakefront parcel along Lake Washington, the home is defined as much by light and water as by walls and volume. From the outset, the design intent was clear: create interiors that feel composed, quiet, and deeply restorative, spaces that allow the lake to remain the protagonist.
The renovation was undertaken for a newlywed couple eager to embrace the home’s potential while respecting its architectural soul. Rather than overwrite its history, the approach focused on recalibration, refining proportion, circulation, and materiality to better align with contemporary living. Serenity and calm became the guiding principles, shaping every decision from spatial planning to the smallest tactile detail.
Winston Wachter Art by Hiro Yokose; Scocnes by Ironware; Lounge Chairs by Formations with Fabric by Dedar with Pillow Fabric by Osborne & Little; Coffee Table by Dennis and Leen; Sofa by Rose Tarlow with Fabric by Cowtan and Tout; Pillow Fabric by Fortuny with Trim by Samuel&Sons; Bench by Formations and Fabric by DeLeCuona
Sconces by Urban Electric and Art Chair by Janus Et Cie with Fabric by Pierre Frey
A comprehensive reconfiguration of the interior layout allowed the home to unfold more naturally. The kitchen was relocated to improve flow and connection, transforming it from a utilitarian space into a gracious hub that feels both intentional and inviting. Throughout the home, original windows were replaced with Italian-made steel windows, their slender profiles and quiet strength sharpening views and drawing the eye outward. These windows do more than frame the lake, they soften the boundary between inside and out, allowing changing light, shifting skies, and reflections on water to animate the interiors throughout the day.
Material choices were deliberately restrained, selected for how they feel as much as how they appear. Every surface was reconsidered, from millwork to finishes to lighting, with a focus on lightness and continuity. Fabrics in oyster-shell tones introduce a hushed palette that moves seamlessly from room to room, creating cohesion without monotony. Texture replaces contrast, linen against stone, warm wood alongside cool metal, allowing the interiors to feel layered and lived-in rather than styled.
Cocktail Table by Lawson & Fenning with Custom Stone Top by Lambert Stoneworks; Pillow Fabric by Sien and Co. with Trim by Samuel and Sons and Lounge Chair by Restoration Hardware.
Wallcovering by Gregorius Pineo; Art by Woodside Braseth; Dining Table by Gregorius Pineo; Buffett Table by Formations and Dining Chair by Anees with Fabric by Holly Hunt.
Antique Stand and Table Lamp by Rose Tarlow; Stone Console by Cache; Wooden Sphere by Blackmann Cruz and Art by Nicola Bennett
The living room is the emotional anchor of the home. With soaring 24-foot ceilings, the space feels expansive yet grounded, its scale softened by material warmth and carefully calibrated proportions. A dramatic northern Italian steel window wall draws the lake directly into the room, transforming the view into a constantly evolving backdrop. Morning light filters in gently, afternoons glow with warmth, and evenings settle into a quiet, reflective calm. The furnishings respond in kind, tactile, inviting, and deliberately understated.
Just beyond, the library offers a shift in mood. Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, it is intimate and enveloping, a counterbalance to the openness of the living room. This is a space designed for pause, for retreat, where the sound of water outside becomes a subtle accompaniment rather than a focal point. It is cozy without being heavy, vibrant yet serene.
Custom Mirrors; Bed by Baker with Fabric by Zinc with Pillow Fabric by Morris and Co with Trim by Houle; Dresser by Vanguard; Chandiler by Dennis and Leen; Upholstered Wall Fabric by Zimmer + Rohde; Table Lamp by BK Antiques with Lamp Shade by Illume; Nightstand by Gauge Design; Console Table by New Classics and Mirrored Console by Ironies
PROJECT TEAM
Interior Design: Susan Marinello
Architecture: Ripple Design Studio
Contractor: Schultz Miller
Landscape: Ragen and Associates
Stylist: Janna Lufkin, Photostyle
Chandiler by Studio Bel Vetro; Sconces by Urban Electric; Drapery by Penthouse Drapery with Fabric with Zimmer & Rohde; Chair by Baker and Area Rug by Turabi Rugs
Wallcovering by Gregorius Pineo; Art by Woodside Braseth; Dining Table by Gregorius Pineo; Buffett Table by Formations and Dining Chair by Anees with Fabric by Holly Hunt.
The primary suite was reimagined as a private sanctuary rather than a single destination. It unfolds in a sequence of spaces, a study for focus, a sitting room for quiet reflection, a dressing room that feels tailored and personal. The white marble bath opens directly to the lake, allowing the ritual of bathing to become a sensory experience, cool stone underfoot, soft light on water, the hush of the surroundings creating a feeling of retreat that borders on the meditative.
Throughout the project, the clients’ commitment to quality and intention was evident. They envisioned a home that felt timeless rather than trendy, relaxed yet considered. A place equally suited to hosting friends as it is to quiet mornings spent watching light move across the water.
Exterior Pendants by Paul Ferrante; Mirror by Formations and Custom Stone Console by Lambert Stoneworks
Led by Susan Marinello and her design team, Villa Cento achieves a rare balance. It honors the home’s original architecture while infusing it with a contemporary softness that feels both natural and enduring. The result is a residence defined not by excess, but by clarity, a home where material, light, and landscape exist in quiet harmony, and where serenity is not a concept, but a lived experience.
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