Late Nordstrom Exec’s Elegant Seattle Home Hung on the Rack at $7.9 Million

A beautifully appointed traditional house in a coveted neighborhood of Seattle, with sweeping lake views? Designed by an esteemed architect who planned the University of Washington campus? Formerly owned by a renown local businessman? Check. Check. Check. Just one caveat: the buyer will need the deep pockets of a luxury department store exec to own this $7.9 million beauty.

Until his death late last year at 91, the property was owned by Jack McMillan, a former co-chairman of Nordstrom and a longtime civic leader. McMillan, whose corporate retail claim to fame might be that he invented the off-price Nordstrom Rack line of stores, also was part of the consortium of investors that created the Seattle Seahawks in 1976.

Now being sold by his heirs, the stately dwelling was designed in 1931 by architect Carl Gould, who, along with partner Charles Bebb, created numerous residences, churches, school campuses, hospitals, clubhouses, and commercial structures across the Seattle area. Its high perch in the Washington Park neighborhood provides for stunning vistas of Lake Washington, the Cascade Mountains, and Bellevue from both the upper and lower floors.

The nearly 100-year-old home, tastefully updated with ceiling speakers and recessed lighting, is imbued with a timeless elegance that was fashionable both in 1931 and now. Set on a third of an acre and measuring in with a generous 6,500 square feet, the house combines high-style luxury with Seattle’s relaxed lifestyle. There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and three half-bathrooms.

There are formal entries at both the front and back of the house, and dual powder rooms for entertaining large groups. A marble fireplace warms the ample formal living room, while a butler’s pantry connects the dining room to the eat-in kitchen. Other rooms on the main floor include a home office and a family room.

The four bedrooms upstairs, all good size with inviting nooks and crannies, include the ​primary suite, replete with a huge walk-in closet (formerly a fifth bedroom) along with a spacious en-suite bath that showcases designer lighting and walls sheathed in Calacatta marble.

The finished basement offers tons of extra space and packs in a climate-controlled wine cellar, a rec room, two large storage rooms, and a media room with a new half-bathroom that’s plumbed for a shower should the next owner want an en-suite bedroom in the basement for guests or staff.

The breakfast area of the kitchen opens to the walled entry courtyard, while French doors open several other rooms on the main floor to the backyard, with its spectacular lake view, large pool and the kind of mature gardens that only time can buy.

The property is available through Eric Akines and Shawn Filer at Real Residential.