The Open House & Curb Appeal

$760,000
3 bedroom, 2 bath
2,083 square feet

The photographer they hired was talented. I put this particular Open House on my list because the backyard looked like a fabulous oasis and the front of the home gave a hint of art deco glam, circa 1930. As my husband drove down the narrow street with cars parked haphazardly and no real estate signs in view, I began to have my doubts. I watched the house numbers as he drove slowly in the rain. The best I could tell, we were almost there.

"Maybe they canceled because of the weather." My husband doubted aloud.

"No, it's right here," I pointed as a small real estate sign jumped into view. There was no curb appeal, I silently questioned why I had put this home on my list.

"Should we do it?" He asked.

"Yes..." 

And I'm glad we did. After we parked our car (blocking the driveway on the tight street), we walked into one of the most surprising homes I've seen. It was almost like walking through the wardrobe door in a CS Lewis novel. 

A bright naturally lit flagstone entry with a well varnished gnarled wood bench welcomed us. I wanted to hang my coat and stay, but I was just a temporary guest and began to wander.

The home owner had updated the 1930's home with every modern convenience imaginable, and it was beautiful! The bathrooms were Architectural Digest perfect with white porcelain sinks and modern stainless steel fixtures, the closets had been fitted with the Elfa storage system, a fabulously large laundry room had been carved out in the center of the home and the large kitchen was gourmet at its best.

I almost skipped from room to room, ecstatic that I had put this home on my list.

"Did you go in the backyard yet?" The realtor asked. "Don't let the rain stop you."

Out the sliding glass door off the kitchen, was the huge backyard I'd seen in the on-line photos. There were majestic redwood trees, a swimming pool, a classic cedar hot tub, a small shed which housed pool equipment and changing room complete with a shower and toilet. The yard also had stand alone building furnished as a guest bedroom. 

The rain fell harder, my husband and I did not stop wandering, but stood in the shelter of a rain proof umbrella standing over an outdoor dining table. "Do you love it?" He asked.

"Yes, this place did not look like anything from the street. What a treat!"

Going to Open Houses every week, I see much of the same thing over and over. This house is why I won't stop. Those homes which are unique or surprising are incredibly fun to look at and even more fun to imagine living in. This home would not be a good family home, but a perfect artist retreat or space for hosting salons. 

Next Sunday will be Easter, a holiday for many and probably even fewer Open Houses than Super Bowl Sunday. It's a good thing the Open House I saw yesterday was so incredible, it will tide me over.

Old is New in Marin

$2,195,000 

5 Bedroom, 4 Bath
2,860 square feet

I hit the road today and found myself looking at Open Houses in Marin County. For those unfamiliar with the Bay Area, Marin County is the county immediately north of the Golden Gate Bridge. And as one gets closer to the Golden Gate, real estate prices increase, thus the houses today were in the $2 million range. 

There were two beautiful victorian homes in the Historic Forbes Neighborhood of San Rafael, just a few steps from one another. One home had been completely restored back to its 1889 grandeur complete with antique radiators under each window. Speaking in full hyperbole, the realtor bragged it was one of "the best restored homes in all the Bay Area." I admired each room and walked on.

'Fully modern make over' is the term to best describe the second home on the walking tour. The bathrooms and kitchen were fashioned after what is hot now: marble counter tops, sunflower shower heads, and a Japanese style bathtub. This home had once been the neighborhood eyesore and a contractor purchased it and worked hard to turn the home into something with numerous wow factors.

The 2016 version of a 1960's fixture

The first wow was the light in the front entry way. Orbital and starlike, the light begged for attention. I saw the inspiration for this light fixture last year when I visited an estate in the hills above Sonoma Valley. The estate of Dot and Bill had been built in the 1960's and nothing had been touched or modernized since. I eagerly snapped photos of the wallpaper, light fixtures and patterned carpet, like a museum employee cataloging Brutalist architecture. One light fixture in particular kept my attention for days after the Open House; the same starlike light. The stark and bare fixture flooded light in all directions, like a solar flare. The brass fixture stood over a room of shag carpet with blue and green shapes imitating the earth as if the room were a world unto itself. I sent a picture of the light to my father to prove I had traveled back to the 1960's that day.

I

The original 1960's light fixture

magine my amazement when I found this same light in the entry way of the thoroughly modern makeover in Marin. The Forbes home had been built in 1900, so the light fixture was not there to signify the home's historic past, but perhaps a place holder in between 1900 and 2016.