This unique Bolinas home was crafted by boat builders, artists. Price: $4.75 million
An ocean-view Bolinas home built with driftwood posts and beams from the shores of nearby Gualala River, and heated kitchen floor tiles from Italy, has hit the market for $4.75 million.
The home, described by the owner as “a work of art,” was designed by Oakland architect Peter Retondo. It was built in 1958 and upgraded in the 1970s by a skilled masons, woodworkers and artists.
The two-bedroom, two-and-half-plus-bath home spans across 3,480 square feet of living space. Sitting on three acres of land near San Francisco, the residence is “solidly embedded into the hillside with estate-size level green lawn,” according to the official listing.
The main living space features 65-feet of sliding glass doors, angled to prevent reflection, with expansive views of the Pacific.
Granite steps lead up to a beautifully landscaped, enclosed courtyard. Large stones take visitors up to a front door hand-carved by artist Kit Anderson. The stones continue into the house and extend 70 feet to the edge of the master bedroom. Acting as a clever solar design, the stones are embedded below the living room floor to further absorb solar heat.
The home was listed at a new price by Compass agent Alexa Glockner in early March.
The house, known as 8 Ocean, is perched above Bolinas Beach and Duxbury Reef.
“Duxbury Reef encircles the property,” the listing says. “Its rugged bluffs buffer the wind creating a unique microclimate.”
Owner Bill Barton is a top amateur yachtsman who has raced sailboats since the age of 9. He grew up in Rye, New York, home of the American Yacht Club.
Barton described the property, emphasizing its microclimate, craftsmanship and works of art.
“The breathtaking views and the unique microclimate of this home are incomparable,” he said. “Often when it is blowing 30 knots on Bolinas Bay and out on the Pacific, this property has less than 10 knots. Even on foggy Bolinas days this property seems to (have) more sunshine than expected. It is a truly special place to live.”
He is moving to Maine after nearly 50 years in the Bay Area and plans to scale down. Cruising and racing on the Maine waters.
Highly skilled Sausalito boat builders helped craft the home and an “elite stone mason,” George Gonzales of Bolinas, added his unique touch, Barton said. Craftsmanship by David Moritz and extensive elegant wood finish and detail by David Whalen and Rob Rich are part of the home’s unique design, too, according to Barton.
There are nods to the nautical throughout the house. For example, a hand-hewn sailor’s ladder in the master bedroom leads to a loft and another ladder goes up to a sliding ship’s hatch where an ipe wood “whale watch” offers incredible ocean views.
Bolinas is a small, artsy, Marin County town.
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 9:13 AM with the headline "This unique Bolinas home was crafted by boat builders, artists. Price: $4.75 million."
