Bellevue mansion ranks among priciest listings in Washington

The elegant waterfront West Bellevue estate of the late Diane Foreman , the business and community leader who started Columbia West Properties, hit the market Thursday for $23.75 million.

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty managing broker Jay Kipp has the listing of this home, which is among the five most expensive homes on the market currently in Washington.

Foreman, who died April 28, was married to Richard Foreman , attorney and three-time mayor of Bellevue. In July, family and friends gathered in memoriam at the palatial estate that the couple built in 2004.

“This home was a love thing,” says daughter Michelle Foreman Barnet , president and CEO of Pineapple Hospitality, a subsidiary of Columbia West Properties. “They loved to collect eclectic glass art from the Northwest and modern art — nothing ever traditional. And they loved the water. So this house, right on the water, was filled with art and love. It was their dream house and it was built to withstand anything.”

Dubbed Château de Chêne, a French nod to a giant longstanding old oak tree at water’s edge, the estate is situated with water on three sides and occupies its own peninsula on the eastern shores of Lake Washington, with 336 feet of flat, no-bank waterfront.

The views span south and west, looking at Mercer Island, as well as both Interstate 90 and Interstate 520 floating bridges and the Seattle skyline.

There are breathtaking views from virtually every room in the 8,100-square-foot home, a place that epitomizes luxury and yet gives a feeling of intimate comfort as well.

“They thought of everything,” said Barnet, of the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home she calls her peaceful place.

“They built everything with the future in mind,” Barnet said. “For instance, the upstairs has a whole separate wing so they could have live-in help and stay in the home until the end. But it also works very transitionally for nannies. It’s all so versatile.”

Barnet said her mother’s favorite part of the house brings warm feelings.

“She loved her parlor,” Barnet said. “It was very feminine and lovely and takes you back to kinder and gentler times.”

Barnet’s fondest memories are having access to the water with a deep water dock that can accommodate a 75-foot yacht, as well as several smaller watercraft. There’s also a lift and a covered area for smaller boats.

“I had been raised on the water and loved the ease of coming and going to this house and the casualness and the access it offers. We saw lots more of Mom and Dad because they were on the water,” she says.Take a look at the pictures by Clarity Northwest Photography to get a feel for a manse.

Click here to view original web page at www.bizjournals.com