It’s a short scene in David Lynch’s 1992 film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. After being berated by Leland Palmer for not washing her hands before dinner, Laura Palmer is seen crying at a sink in a dimly lit bathroom. This scene was shot on location at a historic Rucker Hill home located in Everett, Washington that’s now owned by Mary Reber (Alice Tremond from Twin Peaks Part 18).
WHERE IS THE PALMER HOUSE BATHROOM LOCATED?
There were two houses used for the Palmer family in Twin Peaks. The establishing shot of the house’s exterior seen in the first two seasons is located in Monroe, Washington.
The other house used in the pilot episode, feature film and third seasosn is located at 708 33rd Street in Everett, Washington. The approximate coordinates are 47°58’25.3″N 122°13’14.4″W.
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company District Manager Fred Schoch built the Dutch Colonial Revival home around 1924-1925. At the time of filming in September 1991, Marilyn Petersen owned the home. Her family would occupy it until fall 2014 when Reber moved in. You can read more about the extensive history of this home in this article.
If visiting Washington state, book a tour of this historic home hosted by Mary. Checkout VisitPalmerHouse.com for tour packages that have retails between $75-195. It’s definitely worth a visit!
THE PALMER HOUSE BATHROOM
This scene takes place just after Laura Palmer is scolded by her father for not washing her hands. The dialogue and scene appear in the August 8, 1991 script by David Lynch and Bob Engles
A beat to return to what is normal
SARAH
Oh Leland, sit down and eat your dinner.
LELAND
Oh, I’ll sit down but none of us are going to start eating till Laura goes and washes her hands.
Leland sits stoically. Laura rises from the table.
Interestingly, previous home owner Petersen cooked the food for scenes in the Palmer house.
“Many of the scenes they shot were meals at the dining room table,” Petersen told The Daily Everett’s Leslie Moriarty in an article on August 23, 1992. “They thought they going to have to go out and buy food to make it look real. But I told them to forget that. I cooked all the food they used in the meal scenes.”
The scripted action continues in scene 104.
104. INT. BATHROOM – NIGHT
As Laura washes her hands, she stares at her reflection. Terrified.
During my first visit inside the home on September 13-14, 2019, I snapped this image of the same bathroom. It was redecorated and modernized compared to its on-screen counterpart.
More recently, Mary shared on Facebook that the original flooring in this bathroom would be replaced.
Demolition and tile removal began on Nov. 18 which revealed some of the original house tile. The honeycomb pattern is gorgeous but was sadly damaged when the drab square tiles were installed.
While we get a great look at the bathroom in this memorable hand-washing scene, the location appears in other scenes in both the Pilot, theatrical cut and The Missing Pieces
APPEARANCES OF THE PALMER HOUSE BATHROOM IN TWIN PEAKS
Believe it or not, the bathroom has a cameo behind Deputy Andy Brennan very early in the Pilot. He enters the Palmer’s living room to speak with Sheriff Harry Truman. Look behind Andy to see the bathroom door slightly ajar.
When Laura Palmer returns home with the framed photo presented to her by the Grandmother and Grandson, the camera is seen floating through the house. The bathroom door is open as Laura approaches the small hall between the living room and kitchen.
As she slowly climbs the stairs, you can see the flooring (albeit slightly out-of-focus) inside the bathroom. It looks like mauve-colored rugs adorn the tile floor.
In one final moment from a deleted scene from The Missing Pieces, Sarah Palmer is seen standing in front of the bathroom door.
Thank you to Mary for sharing her home with the many Twin Peaks fans from around the world. Remember this is private property, so please don’t be that person who screams outside the home in the middle of the night (yes, it happens).
Book a tour with Mary and check out her online shop if you are looking for a unique holiday gift this year.
