A Little Bit Country,
a Whole Lot Santa Fe
The main house is not really visible until you pass through the entry gate into a small courtyard. Then you notice the stucco-plaster walls, the roof tiles and several figures of Kokopelli, the mysterious flute-playing character who has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwestern United States for thousands of years.
Then you get it. The house is a paean to the Spanish-Mediterranean architectural style so popular in parts of New Mexico. In fact, if it weren’t for the redwood trees and the neighbor’s cattle, you might swear you were in Santa Fe.
It comes as no surprise that the owner lived in Santa Fe before returning to California to take over some of her family’s property. She built the house, planted cactus and birds of paradise and decorated a fountain in the back courtyard with colorful tiles. Throughout the nine-room home are other mementos of the Southwest, ranging from New Mexico-style paintings to “dream catchers”, those feather-weight talismans considered good luck by Native Americans who intentionally wove a “mistake” into each one to catch bad dreams.
But many of the home’s distinguishing features are purely Californian, including a spa tub in the master bedroom bath. Just off the kitchen, which is laid out with marble and tile and furnished with alder wood cabinetry, is a semi-private space – with a fountain gurgling in its own mini-courtyard -- that would work as a place to practice yoga or give a massage.
The “great room” has a raised-hearth stone fireplace and arched doorways and room dividers. All the interior walls are painted with an unusual blend of granulated walnut shells and a buttery-beige pigment that creates an interesting textured finish. Sliding glass doors open onto a wraparound deck, where a hot tub affords views of the landscaping -- conifers, walnut trees, day lilies and lavender plants – as well as open space and forested hills to the west and south. Off to one side is a giant meditation circle, where a labyrinthine gravel path leads to a rock ideal for sitting contemplation. (It even has indentations for placing candles or sticks of incense.) It is but the largest of several garden vignettes and seating areas arranged around the property, which is also landscaped with corkscrew palms and citrus trees.
This hidden retreat also has room for family, friends or just tenants. The guest wing in the main residence, which is handicapped-accessible, has its own small courtyard and entrance. Like the other bathrooms, the one here sports a round basin fashioned out of smooth stone.
A vintage barn with wood floors and abundant storage space sits between the main house and a second residence, a one-bedroom home that has a white clapboard exterior trimmed in green, a large rear deck and its own brand-new garage.
And if that’s not enough room for the next owner, the property also boasts an RV hookup for those unexpected guests from out of town.
Offered by Doug Del Fava and Susan Parker
Del Fava Parker Progressive 707.523.9160