A wide expanse of porch gives Howard Kirz and Stephanie Ager Kirz a peaceful spot for relaxing on warm, sunny days.

There, on that stretch of forested land, those willing to explore will find examples of just about every house style except "blah." There's Cotswold Tudor, Shingle Style and American Colonial. There's also "Dollhouse Tudor," a category Carmel claims as its very own, as well as a Usonian example or two built by disciples of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Imbued with a certain Hansel-and-Gretel quality, such houses were designed for and by people with a seemingly vested interest in protecting the fairyland-atmosphere nature bestowed on this part of the world.

One thing is for sure: Those who fall for Carmel fall hard.

Such was the case for Stephanie Ager Kirz and Howard Kirz, both of whom lived there at different points in their lives.

Neither truly believed they'd end up in one of those fabled cottages. But they never thought they'd build a place from scratch either. Or find the most perfect piece of island property to build on.

More on Carmel Style Most Carmel homes remain cleverly hidden by nature, or by architectural elements designed to protect the privacy of residents. A recently published book brings it all into focus for the first time: "Cottages by the Sea: The Handmade Homes of Carmel, America's First Artist Community," by Linda Leigh Paul (Universe, $35).

Would they — could they — dare attempt to create a Carmel aesthetic in the Pacific Northwest?

But that's jumping ahead.

To understand what happened, it's necessary to know certain things: This couple is unapologetically romantic. Unapologetically up for any challenge. Unapologetically in love with each other, with life, and — ultimately — with their dream-turned-reality Bainbridge retirement retreat.

Fortunately, neither the couple nor the house is over the top. Both are models of well-mannered restraint married equally to a sense of tradition and adventure. In the end, they created a quietly beautiful cottage imbued with traditional craftsmanship: eyebrow dormers, open beams, numerous "arched" elements, extensive use of beadboard, a river-rock fireplace and cozy alcoves.

The real challenge was finding the property. Bainbridge Island was their first choice, but it dawned on them that finding an old house with modern amenities and a southwest water view might turn out to be the biggest fantasy of all. In what Kirz refers to as an act of providence, the couple finally viewed the perfect spot just one day before it went on the open market.

	The arch between the living and dining rooms is a recurring architectural theme. The steelhead trout over the fireplace was caught by Kirz; the rock in the surround is from the river in which the fish swam. The custom chandelier is from Iron Design in Seattle.
	At the end of a curved driveway, the house snuggles into its wedge-shaped waterfront lot. A prized architectural detail: the steeply sloped, shingled roof with a pair of eyebrow dormers custom-built by Lincoln Windows of Merrill, Wis.

"This is it," said Ager Kirz, as she walked down the sloping path toward the water. There was just one clinker: The property had only a rundown, circa-1907 cabin to its name.

Having lived in the same Seattle house for 30 years, they were definitely ready for a change. Retired (he was a physician, she owned a public-relations business), the couple no longer felt the need to be in-city full time. Ager Kirz also had a personal connection to Bainbridge: Her grandfather, Benjamin Purrington, was the commander at Fort Ward during World War II, and she had lived on the island until she was 17.

They decided to go for it.

Once the property was purchased, the pair flew to Carmel, took dozens of "sample" photographs, then set off to interview architects. Several scenarios later, they decided on architect Peter Stoner, AIA, of Seattle.

In the beginning, Stoner wasn't exactly sure what they meant by a "Carmel" house. "Working with a client and asking, 'What is it about this particular image that's important to you?' is the fun of a project," he says. "When you finally get it right, that's the reward."

Throughout the planning process, Stoner worked with Kirz and three project designers: Linda Stoner, Jan Fredrickson and Ann Livengood. "This house is less about blue-blood design and more a collaboration of several styles," says Peter Stoner. "What we ended up with is essentially an unusually romantic beach house."

With Kirz focused on the design, Ager Kirz picked up on the implementation of the 3,000-square-foot, two-story home. Translation: She worked hand-in-hand with the contractor, Don Heppenstall of Pleasant Beach Construction. "Managing the building process was easy for me," says Ager Kirz. "It was simply another job, another client, another spread sheet, and a bunch of deadlines. I never got the feeling we were out of control."

Rather than entirely rework their interior scheme, the couple managed to transition most of the furnishings from their previous house to the new. Likewise with their extensive collection of Native American art.

The couple also commissioned local artisans to incorporate two images into a number of architectural art elements: that of the heron (with likenesses in sandblasted glass and in the custom iron fireplace doors) as well as a leaf and wrapped-vine motif (representative of the locust trees and ivy vines native to the property).

When all was said and done, the pair honored the Carmel tradition of giving each house a name. Theirs: "Heron's Hollow."

As if one big project wasn't enough, just weeks after the house was completed in the fall of 2000, the couple embarked on a rigorous 4,000-mile bike ride across the country to celebrate Kirz's 60th birthday.

The next challenge?

"We really don't have one lined up," says Kirz, with a laugh. "Stephanie is going to bake berry pies, and I'm going to eat them. For today, that's the plan."

An arched hood over the stove shelters a collection of copper pots assembled by three generations of Ager women. The two-level hanging rack was designed and fabricated by Enclume Forge of Port Townsend; the white backsplash tile is Capriccio by Ann Sacks Tile.

Banks of windows frame the water view — as well as the Bainbridge Island ferry as it glides by. In the kitchen, the custom cabinets were built by Renaissance Woodworks of Poulsbo, the iron-finish cabinet hardware is from Acorn Hardware, the dark-green slab granite is Verde Fontaine by Meta Marble.

Writer Victoria Medgyesi regularly reports on architecture and interior design. Benjamin Benschneider is a Pacific Northwest magazine staff photographer.