PHOTOS BY MARK HOLEWINSKI, MJH DIGITAL IMAGES

You can’t miss the triangular-shaped staircase building that sits atop Mount Washington — and that’s by design. 

Built in 1983, the Trimont’s unusual footprint mimics the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers below, and the staircase steps of the exterior enhances the very mountain it sits on. 

Unit 1140C is a penthouse unit inside the building featuring a private elevator, three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms. Listed for $1.49 million (MLS# 1537542, Vera Purcell, Howard Hanna Real Estate, howardhanna.com), it is open by appointment. 

The city of Pittsburgh and the Trimont were unknown to Darice Venderly when she moved into the unit in April 2017 from Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

“My daughter moved to Pittsburgh and wanted some family support,” Venderly recalls. “I told the agent, ‘I can’t do anything where I have to go up steep hills.’” 

So instead of taking the sharp ascent up P.J. McArdle Roadway, her Realtor drove her through Mount Washington’s backside via Woodruff Street, where she fell in love with the view of Downtown from the Trimont penthouse. 

“I turned to the right and saw the view and said, ‘This is it,’” she says.

While the view was lovely, the interior needed some work. Venderly says it appeared the space had not changed since the Trimont was built; her granddaughter commented that it “looked scary.” 

Still, Venderly went through with the sale, only to get a shock on her first night in the building as she watched television. 

“I thought I heard gunshots,” she says. “But the Pirates had scored a home run and they blasted off fireworks.” 

It was a funny introduction to a Pittsburgh baseball tradition at PNC Park that Venderly says delighted friends and family the entire time she lived here.

“They would ask, ‘What’s the occasion?’” I said, ‘Who knows?’ It just became part of life,” she says. 

To overcome the “scary” design, Venderly had the unit remodeled down to the studs. Today, there’s a circular floor plan featuring specialty finishes and millwork. 

“All of the floors were replaced with ceramic plank tile, and several bathrooms, the kitchen and living area also received a treatment of radiant-floor heat,” Venderly says.  

Remodeled by Caruso Cabinet in North Huntingdon, the kitchen has granite countertops. The cabinets have a beautiful glaze overlay as well as side panels. There’s also a glass-front cabinet that overlooks an eating area as well as a 24-by-25 square-foot family room. 

The entire space opens to the smaller of two patios, which has a grill.

There’s also a 34-by-24-square-foot dining room and living room of the same size that open to each other, creating a generous floor plan that flows right into the larger of the terraces. Realtor Vera Purcell notes that the unit has a one-of-a-kind view. 

“It covers three points from the east to the south,” she says. 

The primary bedroom also was completely reconfigured for maximum storage, including the addition of mirrors and glass to visually expand the space. The former closet was replaced by a custom version done by Inspired Closets by Tom.  

“There was a closet in the bedroom that had a vanity sink,” Venderly recalls.  

She had the sink moved to the main bathroom, where she took out the pink Jacuzzi tub and installed a separate shower and true soaking tub in its place. 

The unit’s two other bedrooms measure 19-by-14 square feet and 15-by-13 square feet. There’s also a remodeled laundry room with storage. 

Venderly takes credit for the decor of the charming powder room, which has a vessel sink and charcoal grasscloth wallpaper.

Among the building’s amenities are a rooftop pool, doorman and concierge services, outdoor grilling area, underground parking, fitness center and guest suites. The sale also includes three parking spaces that are located near the elevator. 

Now a full-time Florida resident because the grandchildren she moved to Pittsburgh to care for are in school, Venderly says her great memories of the home, and the city’s traditions, remain.  

“The Fourth of July parties were the best,” she says. “You are eye level with the fireworks.” 

Hot Property is an inside look into unique and historic homes on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh-area home. And four times a year, Hot Property gives an in-depth look at the region’s real estate market in Pittsburgh Magazine HOME, tracking housing prices and sales and detailing where the hot properties can be found. Rosa Colucci can be reached at onecordovaroad@gmail.com.

About: Mount Washington
Population: 14,567
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: A 20-minute commute to the airport. Daily transport via Port Authority, including two historic inclines. Street parking.
Schools: City of Pittsburgh. (pghschools.org)
Neighborhood: Perched 367 feet above the river bank, Mount Washington has been named in the top three city views worldwide. Overlooks, inclines and a panorama that reaches from all points from the apex of the city and the head of the Ohio River are a perennial tourist draw. Grandview Avenue is filled with cliffside restaurants, including Altius and LeMont, while St. Mary on the Mount Church keeps a watchful eye on the city below.