NOVEMBER 2020
Exquisite Midcentury Home a Private Sanctuary in Jack London State Park
SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
SPONSORED BY:
Holly.Bennett@sothebyshomes.com
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THE WALLY BAR
Poised over four-and-a-half acres of the verdant surroundings is a midcentury home, delicately wrapped in glass and designed to bring the variety and magnitude of the Sonoma Valley into every room. Conceived in 1959 by renowned architects John Campbell and Worley Wong, the unique property of modernist character and design has been respectfully updated to maintain the original architecture. Both the spacious great room and master bedroom feature stunning clear heart redwood walls and floor-to-ceiling glass, and a fireplace in both rooms promises comfort on chilly evenings. Elsewhere in the one-story home, ceiling-height windows ensure the seductive effect of the setting isn’t for a moment lost. An airy chef’s kitchen employs the entire valley as a backdrop for your culinary creations—equipped with a six-burner range and dual ovens, marble-topped counters and island, and custom cabinetry, the kitchen can handle even the most ambitious dinner menu. Just steps away is the dining area, situated next to ceiling-height glass that reveals the wooded setting opposite valley views on the kitchen side. In addition to the master bedroom, a guest bedroom, office, and two full bathrooms complete the layout of the main house.
For a home with so many of the period details that midcentury fans will be delighted to find intact, it is the expansive outdoor spaces that make this unique property special. A newly-constructed west-facing porch offers al fresco dining even in cooler weather; the area is electronically screened and a ceiling-mounted heater serves to keep things cozy. But that’s just the beginning. Expansive, multi-tiered decking on the southeast and southwest sides of the home captures the sun’s daily transit, and a Japanese garden lends a tranquil quality to one’s afternoon perambulations. Dappled with late afternoon sun through a canopy of native growth, a beautiful courtyard with original fieldstone fireplace is a postcard-perfect setting to share a crisp rosé before dinner. Stairs from the long deck at the south of the house lead down to the heated pool, where a large flagstone patio and sitting area provide a space for guests to dry off after a dip—while they look down at the 200 or so Bordeaux grape vines that trace a beguiling contour along the property.
Standing on the southeastern-facing deck at sunrise, one holds one’s breath for a moment. Soft green hills reach to a brightening horizon and descend into cool blue glades, lush with dewy vegetation and stout trees. Overhead, the moon lingers despite the growing sunlight, making a silhouette of a red-tailed hawk riding warm currents in the air. Soon, daybreak will cast the contours of the Valley of the Moon in rich hues of green, gold, and russet, and another day will unfold on this bucolic landscape where peace and plenty prevail. It is easy to see what drew Jack London to this place, his storied “Beauty Ranch.” Now, a piece of this landscape, an exquisite treasure steeped in California history, can be yours to call home.
Offered at $2,895,000
Holly Bennett
(707) 484-4747
The natural beauty and tonic qualities of this particular stretch of the Valley of the Moon captured Jack London’s heart and imagination more than a hundred years ago. “All I wanted,” London wrote of Glen Ellen, “was a quiet place in the country to write…and get out of Nature that something which we all need, only the most of us don’t know it.” The home at 1455 Hill Road, an example of midcentury architecture at its finest, was built with an eye toward dissolving the boundaries between inside and out, inviting the sort of quiet introspection London wrote about. Now this lovingly-maintained architectural property is an opportunity to enjoy your own personal light-filled sanctuary, situated within Jack London State Park to offer a sweeping view from the front promontory of the Mayacama Mountains, through the stream-fed Sonoma Valley and all the way to Mount Diablo. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit https://www.beautyranchglenellen.com or contact the realtor directly: Holly Bennett, (707) 484-4747, Holly.Bennett@sothebyshomes.com
4,264 sq. ft • 4 Bedrooms • 4.5 Baths