2025 Outstanding Restoration – Villa Costella
The Queen Anne Historical Society’s 2025 Preservation award for Outstanding Restoration was presented to the Home Owner’s Association of the Villa Costella Condominiums at 348 West Olympic Place for their restoration of the building to its original character and detail after damage from a fire impacted several units.
Villa Costella was built as the Spanish Court Apartments in 1929. The name was changed to the more romantic Villa Costella shortly thereafter. The 20-unit building was converted from apartments to condominiums in 2000.
Villa Costella in 1938. Photo: King County Archives
The distinctly Mediterranean style building was designed by Everett J. Beardsley, a prolific apartment designer particularly known for buildings of the Spanish Revival style. Revival styles dominated Seattle’s booming apartment construction era of the 1920s, with Tudor Revivals being the most popular. But Spanish Revival styles were quite popular as well, and Villa Costella is an exceptional example of the Mediterranean subset of the style, complete with stucco cladding, red barrel tile roofing, round arched doors and windows, heavy timber beamed ceilings and French doors leading to covered balconies.
It was on one of those covered balconies on January 27, 2021 that a deep fryer cooking mishap caused oil to burst into flame, spreading to the exterior wall and resulting in fire and smoke damage spreading to five other units. Fortunately, the Seattle Fire Department responded in time to save the building from irreparable structural damage; and most importantly, before the fire caused bodily harm to any of the residents.
Villa Costella fire, January 27, 2021. Photo: QAHS
The Villa Costella home owners were recognized by the Queen Anne Historical Society for the care they took in restoring the damaged building. The balcony where the fire started, which is the roof of the unit below, completely collapsed. Two French doors, two massive arched, divided light windows, and the wooden balcony were replaced with in-kind materials that match the original in every detail. A front door damaged by firefighter axes was replaced, and eleven ornamental appliques salvaged from the original door were applied to the new one. Fortunately, Villa Costella had a reserve of red barrel roof tiles, which they used to replace the damaged tiles.
Detail of balcony showing decorative balustrade. Photo: Villa Costella HOA
Detail of replacement door. Photo: Villa Costella HOA
Villa Costella is a City of Seattle historic landmark, designated in 2010. Because of that, its restoration was undertaken with input from the Landmarks Preservation Board. But that does not diminish the importance of the decision that the residents made to do a true restoration, avoiding the use of less expensive alternative materials in favor of employing skilled craftspeople to recreate the damaged elements.
Villa Costella. Photo: RMLS
We are grateful to the 20 owners of the Villa Costella for their commitment to preserving this special place. To learn more about this wonderful historic property, visit Landmarks of Queen Anne.