By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
California contemporary living
Santa Barbara feel for $975K
dining
The formal dining room includes rich walnut floors and earth tones. - photo by DENNIS WYATT
RIPON — It’s a home worthy of a cover spread in Sunset Magazine.

It offers warmth, clean lines and flows inside to outside effortlessly in true California contemporary style.
It was a labor of love five years in the making. It was built three years ago with an appraised value in excess of $1.2 million. The owners who designed and oversaw the building of the home with Santa Barbara sensibilities in terms of function, feel and flow are ready to design and build a new home with a little bit less square footage. Building custom homes they live in is a passion as well as a labor of love hobby. They are now offering the 3,500-square-foot, one-story home with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms for $975,000. It is on a corner lot at 1433 Riverview at Doak Boulevard in West Ripon with deep 40-foot setbacks from the street.

The curb appeal is nice. You’ll see three-layered landscaping with liberal use of stylish maples including one maple near the front sidewalk that is separated from the street by a classic parking strip. The maple serves as the focal point of a slate sidewalk that runs in a semi-circle around it before heading to the front door.

It is when you approach the front door that you realize this isn’t your typical Ripon custom home.

A custom walnut doorway – complete with 18 glass panels accented by the rich wood along with wide and tall side windows and a glass transom is inviting and makes it clear that the home and the yard were designed as one. One step and you’re into a grand circular entry with a custom, hand-blown chandelier and sconces as well as art-style lighting for two areas designed for paintings. Off to one side is the office complete with a huge walnut built-in wall-system and angled desk. In another direction is the master suite and on the other side are the secondary bedroom suites. It is what lies directly ahead that gets your attention.

It’s too nice to be called a hallway
There is an 8-foot wide gathering area – it’s too nice to be called a hallway – with the rich walnut flooring you’ll find throughout including in the kitchen – that has a stunning built-in with various partial and full “box frames” that each feature their own art lighting for displaying crystal and other art.

Still standing at the front door as you take in the unique built-in wall unit you can see into the family room and beyond as another set of front impressive walnut frame glass doors leads to the back patio and a Hollywood-style swimming pool.

If you’re thinking the luxurious California contemporary look of the 1950s from the Hollywood Hills or anywhere along the Southern California coast such as Sancta Barbara you’re on the right track.

Lighting fixtures blend in seamlessly with the design making everything just right.

The area is aptly called a “gathering place” because when the owners entertain people gravitate to the area to bask in the richness.

The “half bath” is located off this open corridor featuring a pewter bowl style sink setting atop a unique contemporary black vanity with modern drawers that run at an angle.

Like all other rooms, earth-tones for wall colors bring everything together as one.

A rough off-white stone-style brick fireplace complete with mantel and a floating hearth graces one wall of the family room along with a built-in entertainment center and book case. Again, a bank of almost floor to ceiling walnut windows brings in the warmth and beauty of the outdoors.

An added touch is an electronically powered doggie door tucked into one corner that raises and lowers as via a built in signal in your dog’s collar as Fido nears the door.

The owners note that the day-to-day gathering place for family or when friends are over is the island in the kitchen that flares out in a bulb. Like other counter tops, it is all marble. There is a vegetable sink as well as the main sink in the island that also has two dishwashers.

All of the Kitchen-Aid appliances stay including the double-wide refrigerator. There are also two ovens and a warming drawer.

Steel tile back splash in custom kitchen
Even though the island is impressive, the centerpiece of the kitchen has to be the stove complete with steel tiles for backsplash and even the ability to fill teapots with water without leaving the range.

As an added touch for the built-in vacuum system, a tap with a foot turns on a ground level access point to the system and allows you to sweep those crumbs and dust away without worrying about dust pans.

There is also a built-in china closet in the casual dining area that is not a breakfast nook but an honest-to-goodness dining area.

The “nice dining” area features rich walnut floors and warm tones that opens up through double glass doors accented by transom and side windows into a private slate` patio walled off from the street and complete with fountain. The owners simply keep the doors open when entertaining a large gathering and let people flow back and forth.

The master suite has more traditional French doors – but with walnut wood – opening to a private garden.

There is also a built in cedar chest with pull-out drawers that doubles as a window seat. There is an exercise room off the bedroom while a large master suite bathroom is on the either side with a walk-in closet complete with large window and built-in storage and drawers.
The bathroom has a set of four “cubby” inserts on each side for rolled up towels or knick knacks. A full-length mirror is on the inside of the toilet  area’s door allowing it to be opened for anyone grooming to use a large mirror running across she length of the double vanity to see both front and back at the same time. It is a testimonial to the detail of the home’s design.

A Jacuzzi tub is below two walnut framed windows. Again, there is no departure from the look of the overall home.

A shower area separated by block glass from the tub includes a Mr. Steam. A transom above the shower door allows you to convert the shower into a steam room with ease.

The slate patio is under the roof-line of the home. A 9-foot deep Hollywood-style pool with a diving board and a shallow area of steps complete with umbrella holder can be seen completely from the bank of family room and kitchen windows. There is an elevated grass area behind the pool accented by large pottery vases planted with bamboo that stay as they were designed as part of the look.

Part of the side setback was utilized for a bocce ball and horseshoe pits court screened by landscaping from the street. A decomposed granite path separates two of the layers of landscaping.

The home has an inside laundry that stays true to the design plus a pantry.

There is a 3.5-car garage plus a side room for storage.

To make an appointment to view the home call Kathy Hammons at 824-2071 or 402-9192.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, e-mail dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com or call (209)249-3532.