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We’re used to talking about the facade of a building: the dormers, doors, and other architectural features that form its distinctive first impression. This modern triplex leads with its huge front window, which a friend of the designers compared to the big, square mouth of Japanese cartoon character Domo—even before the metal cladding got its custom pink powder coat.
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it: Big Mouth House has more than a facade. Big Mouth House has a face.
The home is practically famous, and not just among the neighbors of Squire Park who turned up to the open house, eager to finally get a peek inside. The American Institute of Architects recognized the house, a collaboration between the Best Practice Architecture and Hybrid Architecture, with its Award of Honor in 2019, emphasizing the project’s “thoughtful and inventive approach to adding density to our neighborhoods.”
In a city that showed up a little late to the party on middle-density housing, Big Mouth House says, “hold my beer.” If building three expansive townhomes on a narrow Seattle lot weren’t enough, each unit also features its own ground-level ADU. That provides an especially ideal, privacy-maintaining opportunity for multigenerational living, which has increased in popularity—or necessity—in recent years. “It feels really revolutionary. It would be exciting to see more places like this,” says listing agent Lauren Essl.
Even the home’s groundbreaking design pales in comparison to its cheery interiors, all clean lines and natural wood broken up by occasional bursts of color. On the third floor, a pink-tiled bathroom features a subtle wall illustration by one of the designers. In the kitchen, a rainbow xylophone of upper cabinets helps ground the high-ceilinged living area. “It’s just like a pop of happy in the home,” Essl says. “So it’s very hard not to smile while you’re inside the space.”
The rooftop, a massive outdoor space complete with a stunning skyline view and a custom mural by Seattle artist Sam Wood Wilson, speaks for itself.
While the home has more than its share of idiosyncrasies, it still feels a bit like a blank canvas. “It almost feels like you’re stepping into an art gallery,” Essl says—the two-story bookcase and high-ceilinged white walls just waiting to hear what Big Mouth House has to say next.
Listing Fast Facts
716 16th Avenue #C, Seattle, WA 98122
Size: 1,877 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
List price: $1,125,000 (Pending)
List date: 9/24/2025
Listing agent: Lauren Essl, Compass Real Estate
