Tessa Carla Blog's: Must-See David Bowie Pool Makes This $3.5M Washington Mansion a True Rock Star

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Must-See David Bowie Pool Makes This $3.5M Washington Mansion a True Rock Star

David Bowie Swimming Pool — Windermere Real Estate

For most waterfront homes, the view is the key selling point. But that’s not the case for this island home, where the outdoor pool is the true superstar.

Actually, it’s more accurate to describe the pool as a rock star.

Ground control to Major Tom: A giant portrait of music legend David Bowie graces the bottom of the pool of a 6,000-square-foot home on Glen Acres Road SW on Vashon Island, WA. The unique property is on the market for $3.5 million.

“We are getting so many people who are contacting us who are fascinated by that pool,” says listing agent Linda Bianchi.

“They are anxious to get out and see that pool. But the house is so overwhelmingly beautiful and unique,” she continues. “People walk in and they’re first mesmerized by the house. Then they’re mesmerized by the views, and then they say, ‘Oh yeah, and there’s a David Bowie pool and we’ve got to get out and see that,’”

Street artist Ten Hundred, aka Peter Robinson, took five days in 2016 to paint the Ziggy Stardust mural at the bottom of the pool with swimming pool paint.

The artist, who documented his work in the video below, used a giant stencil to outline the design and then worked his brush-based magic.

The stunning result is a distinctive homage to one of music’s most extraordinary artists.

“We’ve had quite a few showings at the house this week, and younger people who are looking at it love it. They think it’s awesome,” Bianchi says. “It is awesome. I mean, I’m older and I think it’s pretty awesome.”

The house is on the market for only the second time since it was built in 1971 by Bill Kirschner, the founder of K2 Corp., which manufactured the first fiberglass skis.

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“He designed and built the home for his family, and for his wife, who was a concert pianist. There’s a section of the house off the living room that was specifically designed for her piano,” Bianchi explains. “It is true midcentury architecture, and it’s almost in original condition. Very little has changed over the years, and it’s been meticulously maintained.”

The Kirschner family sold the home in 2015 to current owners Mike McConnell and his wife, Elizabeth. McConnell is the founder of Caffe Vita coffee and a music lover.

McConnell commissioned the “Space Oddity”–themed pool.

He’s “a rock ‘n’ roll guy. He has a huge record collection. He’s got a collection of pinball machines in the game room in the basement. He’s just a really interesting person, and he loves David Bowie, so they had Bowie painted on the bottom of the pool after they bought it,” Bianchi explains.

The house has five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, large windows throughout, plenty of deck space, and gorgeous views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier.

In keeping with the midcentury modern aesthetic, the ceilings are high with lots of wood accents and clean lines.

The kitchen is no-nonsense with a large eat-in bar and wood cabinets.

The house sits on 2.8 acres, including 280 feet of water frontage with a boat launch.

One caveat for buyers: The island is accessible only by ferry.

“We are about a 20-minute ferry ride from the city of Seattle and about 10-minute ferry ride to Tacoma,” Bianchi says. “Our island is unique. It’s rural, but pretty hip. It’s very desirable, and we’re getting a lot of people who are trying to escape the city for various reasons.”

Guesthouse living room
Windermere Real Estate

Guesthouse kitchen
Windermere Real Estate

Guesthouse eating nook
Windermere Real Estate

Included in the sale is a 1,700-square-foot guesthouse with two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and a kitchen.

“The original owners had it designed and built first, and they lived in the guesthouse while they built the main house, so it’s architecturally similar to the main house, with high ceilings and beautiful windows all around.”

Bianchi says she hopes the future owners will appreciate the midcentury architecture and construction of the house, the location, and the Bowie pool.

“It’s just over the top. I can’t imagine anyone ever changing it because it’s so unique, and it’s just absolutely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” she says. “[This house] has it all: architecture, beautiful location, the pool. It is just so unique. It has everything.”