The first thing you will notice about the living area is that you enter it through a brand new front door with fine, solid-brass hardware by Schlage. The second thing you will notice is that the living area has nearly a floor-to-ceiling, wall-through-wall, front yard to back yard view, creating a visual closeness to nature and a feeling of space. The lamp in the entry is controlled with a motion detector for security, convenience, and energy savings.

When everyone first enters this fabulous home, the first direction they look is upwards at the massive redwood ridge beam that runs the length of the home and the substantial beams supported off of it. Because load bearing is on the outer walls and four support points throughout the middle of the home (where the beam sections meet), the vast majority of interior walls are not load bearing. What that means, simply, is that remodeling this house by moving or removing walls is extremely easy and inexpensive. In fact the previous owner removed a wall between the front door and the camera location herself -- with very nice results indeed. The built-in bookcase to the left has very substantial solid wood shelves on movable peg supports. The middle shelves towards the right have extra depth and an electrical outlet to accommodate a stereo system. Speakers are ideally located in the top shelves. The acoustics of this room and the adjacent one are breathtaking.

This room and the adjacent den area feature enormous picture windows, with a combined window area of over 160 sf. Light is of course abundant. However, the greatest benefit of this window area is the serene view, simultaneously to the front and back yards. The double pane windows, dual ceiling fans, gas heat, and split HVAC systems contribute to relatively impressive energy efficiency, despite the expansive window area.

During the summer months, the afternoon sun lights up the foliage in the entry area and creates beautiful beams of light. Seen in the corner is the passage to the attached garage, which includes a walk-in cloak area.

Links: To see pictures of any of the above rooms, click on the image above, or click one of these links: