Roland Terry Hilltop Original Hits Market

Positioned in Bellevue’s most storied midcentury modern enclave, the Roland Terry-designed residence remains a definitive benchmark for intentional, landscape-driven living.

A rare piece of Pacific Northwest modernism has returned to the market. Roland Terry occupies a singular space in the regional canon; while his contemporaries often leaned into the rugged or the rustic, Terry brought a refined, almost Parisian editorial eye to the Puget Sound. It is a legacy felt in the bones of the iconic Canlis restaurant and, most intimately, in this 1953 residential offering within Bellevue’s legendary Hilltop enclave.

Hilltop remains the region’s most successful experiment in intentional modernism. The 63-acre tract was discovered in 1947 by John Morse and developed by a collective of University of Washington faculty that reads like a “who’s who“ of midcentury design: Fred Bassetti, NBBJ co-founder Perry Johanson, and Wendell Lovett. Roland Terry was an integral part of this inner circle, bringing a singular, sophisticated eye to the community’s early landscape. This home is a cornerstone of that cooperative philosophy—a secluded site where the architecture serves the landscape, rather than competing with it.

The Aesthetic: Precision Over Volume

The brilliance of this home is found in its restraint. At 1,660 square feet, the structure relies on the precision of its proportions rather than sheer scale. The hallmark Terry signatures are present: a low-slung, single-level silhouette and floor-to-ceiling glass that dissolves the boundary between the interior and the 0.72-acre lot.

A meticulous 2015 renovation brought the systems—plumbing, electrical, and glazing—into a contemporary context without erasing the home’s soul. In the kitchen, a massive Calacatta marble island and quartz surfaces provide a tactile contrast to the warmth of the original timber frame.

The Outlook

In a market saturated with mass-produced “luxury,“ a Terry home is a collector’s piece—an investment in a specific strain of West Coast heritage. From the primary suite, the panoramic view of Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline, and the Olympic Mountains remains as Terry framed it in 1953.

To own here is to become a steward of a very specific legacy. With access to Hilltop’s private trails and shared greenbelts, it is a rare opportunity to inhabit a piece of architectural history that remains entirely relevant seven decades later.

The Details

• Architect: Roland Terry

• Community: Hilltop (Bellevue)

• Year Built: 1953

• Price: $2,750,000

• Listing: 5337 146th Ave SE, Bellevue

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Shawn Williams is a real estate broker and advisor in Washington state who is versed in the history and acquisition of the Pacific Northwest’s architectural legacies. From midcentury originals to contemporary masterworks, she provides the historical context and market insight required to navigate the region’s most intentional homes.

Shawn Williams, House of Grā | Keller Williams Eastside

Call or Text 206.436.9099 | email: shawn-williams@kw.com

MLS #2488588 | Photos courtesy NWMLS

Listed by Terri Agee Smith, Windermere Real Estate Co.