The second-floor bedroom features a sleigh bed and dresser in a rich wood finish. Windows in every corner give the feeling of a treehouse hideaway.
An angled rug adds a twist to the formal symmetry of the main floor bedroom.
The sunroom is furnished in wicker, which withstands the rays of summer and provides a perch for sunset viewing all year long. The aerielike loft in the tower adds a strong architectural element.
	Illuminated by a lamp, a glass-topped table reveals a bowl of quartz stones from the nearby beach. The bowl sits on a base a level below the glass top.
An arching faucet updates a marble counter top.
Purchased by Kleysteuber and Bruggeman at the Museum of Northwest Art annual auction, a work by Gerald Gedekes of Bellingham hangs on the second-floor chimney.
The window sill is a study in shapes with a geometric clock juxtaposed with the curving lines of a glass bowl.
The fireplace and kitchen glow with a warmth. New tile, appliances and cabinetry transform the look.
	A bank of floor-to-ceiling windows allows in light and offers views. The curved sofa follows the curving lines of the tower.
The view of Skagit Bay from the main floor bathroom is essentially doubled with the addition of a mirror over the tub.
The tide is out and the sun is setting. The deck offers a place to view nature's ever changing moods.

At first glance this Northwest contemporary style home - a tower between two conventional structures - appears to have separate parts. Inside, however, the rooms flow together.

Owners Gary Kleysteuber and Mike Bruggeman achieve this in the form of color, texture and light - all of which link the home's various living spaces. The outdoors is linked, too, and comes inside through a natural color palette of forest and sea greens, pale browns, blue-grays and burnt reds.

"We picked the paint to match trees, the sky and the water," Gary said.

Bruggeman and Kleysteuber bought the 2,000-square-foot, late-1980s home last year. The year before, Mike and Gary had purchased the Heron Inn in La Conner and spent their first months in Skagit County living at the inn. It wasn't long before they felt the need to get away from the job.

"The house had a lot of potential, great architectural features and just needed an update and some care," Gary said.

Working as their own general contractors, Mike and Gary had a lot going on during the renovation of their home. Along with their business, they are active in the Chamber of Commerce and the La Conner Institute of the Performing Arts. Twelve-hour days are the norm.

"We've had a lot of wheels burning in different directions. So it's nice now to come home and say 'aahhh,'" Mike said.

Natural elements are celebrated and provide the theme in this home, with glass, metals, wood and stone playing prominent roles.

"Again, things that you find outside," Mike said.
The views from the house are a major part of the melding of indoors and out, Gary said. Skagit Bay, Whidbey Island and the Olympic mountains set the scene for beautiful sunsets.

"The house seems built to take advantage of the change in sunset locations throughout the year," he said, pointing to the row of windows in the tower.

With a decidedly Northwest theme in mind, Gary and Mike began the renovation with the decision to try to work with what already existed in the house. No changes were made to the fir beams or to the paneling, some of which is in 24-foot strips and probably came from the trees cut down to build the house, Gary said.

In the living room, the biggest change was to the Russian fireplace, which radiates heat on two floors for up to two days. Formerly white brick, the chimney now is covered in quartzite that matches the slate hearth and floor. The house also is heated through the floors, keeping the place cozy on rainy winter days.

In the kitchen, new lighting, sleek stainless appliances, cherry wood cabinet fronts and a slate backsplash now blend with the original green marbled countertop. The new combination fits well together, Gary said.

Where once the mismatched floor materials defined each room, now the tile flows between each space. Furniture fabrics in these rooms work well together, too, adding to the feeling that the living room, kitchen, dining area and sunroom are all parts of a large great room.

The curve of the tower is echoed in the curves if the living room sofa and coffee table. This keeps the eye moving around the room, while curly maple branches, which stretch from the living room floor up to the second floor loft, keep the eye moving up as well.

And the details keep the spaces all "pulled together," Mike said.

Little changes made a big difference, Gary said.

"We discovered a lot of ways to update - as simple as new light switch plates - without spending a tremendous amount," Gary said.

In the main floor bathroom, the green bathtub and sink were left in place, while cabinets were refaced and other changes made. The major addition in the room is a mirror that, at a right angle to the window above the tub, effectively doubles the view from the room.

A rug in the main floor bedroom is placed at an angle, and two small, crescent-shaped windows above the bedside tables add light and focus to the room.

The upstairs bedroom, furnished with antiques, offers the feeling of being in an elegant tree house. Branches are seen through windows at every corner, and a vaulted ceiling adds to the rustic feel. The upstairs bathroom features a floor inset with beach rocks and green walls that focus on the color instead of the small size of the room.

The loft on the second floor overlooks the living room and has space for an office on one side and room for a piano on the other, with the fireplace chimney separating the areas. A curved staircase leads up from the entry foyer, which serves as a gallery for glass art.

Outdoor rooms include a small eastside deck in the wooded area off the kitchen, an outdoor spa overlooking the beach below and a covered patio that serves as a carport, too. Popular with visitors, the deck on the view side of the house wraps around and provides extra living space all summer long.

"It's one thing to decorate your home, but people have to feel comfortable and be able to sit and relax," Mike said of their finished renovation project.

Gary agreed.

"We like the casual feel of the house," he said. "When we have guests, people still tend to gravitate to the kitchen. But they usually end up in other areas because the rooms are open and work well together."