This $18.8 Million Bay Area Estate Takes Its Cues From California’s Wine Country
You’ll feel worlds away from San Francisco’s urban energy in Hillsborough, California, a leafy, sedate town just six miles south of San Francisco International Airport. Since the 1950s, the town has mandated a minimum lot size of one-half acre in order to preserve the spacious, semi-rural feeling, and a recent study found that Hillsborough is the wealthiest town in all of California, with the median household income at $250,000—232% higher than the U.S. median income. And, with proximity to both San Francisco and Silicon Valley, it comes as no surprise that the area has long attracted Silicon Valley’s tech elite, including Elon Musk, Charles Johnson, Eric Schmidt, Rupert Johnson, Jr., and more.
Some of Hillsborough’s homes are more than a century old, including the iconic Carolands estate, built around 1915, and the so-called Western White House that recently changed hands for $23 million.
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For today’s more modern-minded buyer, architect Michael Kao of the San Francisco-based firm MAK Studio has designed what is considered a rare find in this Bay Area enclave: a modern, farmhouse-style property inspired by the sprawling estates found in Northern California’s wine country. His recent creation on Chiltern Road, on the market for $18.8 million, spans nearly 7,600 square feet with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It’s situated over one level and maximizes much of its 1.14-acre parcel. Surrounded by redwoods, it’s exceptionally private and designed specifically to facilitate seamless indoor-outdoor living.
“I wanted to create a modern-day farmhouse that sits in harmony with the environment,” says Michael Kao. “[I envisioned designing the home for] a family with children that enjoys living both indoors and outdoors, who spend a tremendous amount of time together but require their spots for solitude.”
Despite its minimalist style, the residence feels cozy, inviting and eminently livable. Kao worked with steel, glass, and white oak to create a balanced interplay of materials that feel both luxurious and casual, he explains. Spacious, airy, and full of light, nearly every room is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows or sliding glass doors that seamlessly connect interior and exterior living spaces. Vaulted ceilings bring added volume to each room, while the wood adds an element of warmth.
The home’s various wings allow for gathering in the commodious and centrally located living spaces as well as retreating to the bedrooms or home office when desired. A fireplace housed in a smooth concrete volume serves as a focal point of the living room, while the kitchen is lined with white oak cabinetry and features a large island with a built-in dining table.
“The site allowed for there to be more than your ‘traditional’ front and back yard,” Kao says. “We were able to create different outdoor ‘rooms,”’ like a covered outdoor living room, al fresco dining area, and pool lounge. We also were able to create a more formal yard in the public space for entertaining and an additional yard for exercise outside of the gym.”
The communal spaces, which include the living room, kitchen, formal dining space, and family room, are vibrant hives of activity that spill out to extensive terracing and a swimming pool, all surrounded by mature redwood and oak trees that provide a tranquil, natural barrier that attracts an abundance of birds and other wildlife while screening out neighboring homes. Keri Nicholas of the Parc Agency holds the listing.
Click here for more photos of this brand-new Bay Area home.
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