Calistoga | $4.979 Million
A 2009 stone villa with three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest suite, on a 39-acre lot
This estate, which includes an olive grove, a vineyard with cabernet grapes and an art studio made from antique stone, is about 20 minutes from the city center. It is less than an hour from Napa, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, on the Russian River. Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, where hiking trails lead to the top of Mount Saint Helena, and Clear Lake, a popular spot for swimming, fishing and boating, are also about an hour away.
Driving to the beaches of Sonoma Coast State Park takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area are about a two-hour drive.
Size: 5,228 square feet
Price per square foot: $952
Indoors: A long driveway leads from the main road up to the home’s covered entryway, passing an olive grove and vineyard along the way.
The arched wood front door opens into a tiled foyer with a grand staircase and access to a powder room.
Straight ahead, through an arched opening under the staircase, is a sitting area with French doors that open to a terrace. To the right of the sitting room is a living room with a stone fireplace and glass doors that open to another terrace overlooking the grounds; to the left is a dining room with French doors that open to the main terrace and a covered space for outdoor dining.
On the other side of the dining room is a spacious kitchen with a beamed ceiling, a large center island and stainless steel appliances, including a Viking gas range.
Overlooking the foyer on the second level is an open area with arched windows and more beamed ceilings that the sellers use as a den. To the right is the primary suite, which has a fireplace, a private balcony and a bathroom with a free-standing soaking tub and separate shower. Two guest bedrooms are on the other end of this level; both have balconies and en suite bathrooms.
A guest suite with another full bathroom is in a barn within walking distance of the main house.
Outdoor space: The terrace off the dining room steps down to a swimming pool surrounded by a paved deck and mature trees. A bocce court and a detached structure used as an art studio are nearby. The long driveway offers parking space for 10 cars.
Taxes: $62,232 (estimated)
Contact: Bob Pennypacker, Sotheby’s International Realty, 707-799-6032; sothebysrealty.com
Santa Barbara | $5 Million
A 1933 Spanish-style house with five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, on a 1.7-acre lot
This house in the Riviera neighborhood was designed by Winsor Soule, an architect responsible for a number of Spanish Colonial Revival buildings in the city, including public schools and residences. It is less than 10 minutes from the Santa Barbara Bowl and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, which has walking paths and a redwood grove. Downtown and a number of beaches are also about 10 minutes away.
The University of California, Santa Barbara campus is about 20 minutes away. Driving to Santa Ynez or Solvang, a small city known for its Danish-style architecture, takes about an hour. Los Angeles is two hours away.
Size: 4,549 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,099
Indoors: The front door, framed by original green-and-white tile, opens into a foyer with access to a powder room. Straight ahead is a living room with high, beamed ceilings, a fireplace and a large window offering a view of the ocean
To the left of the living room is a dining room with beamed ceilings, built-in cabinets and a fireplace with a glossy burgundy tile surround. This space connects to a kitchen with white cabinetry, red tile floors, an island topped by butcher block, space for a breakfast table and an arched door that opens to an enclosed patio used for outdoor dining.
Also off the dining room is a cozy sitting area that connects to the primary bedroom, which has an en suite bathroom and glass doors that open to a Juliet balcony with ocean views. Another bedroom is across a short hallway; it has an en suite bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
A third bedroom and full bathroom are on the top floor.
Two more bedrooms linked by a shared full bathroom are on the lower level, along with a wood-paneled library that has a fireplace and a wet bar.
Another full bathroom and a room that could be used as guest quarters are in a detached garage, above a parking area.
Outdoor space: In addition to the patio off the kitchen, the property includes a swimming pool and paved deck off the lower level of the house, with sweeping views of the neighborhood and the ocean beyond. There are two additional garage spaces.
Taxes: $62,496 (estimated)
Contact: Marsha Kotlyar, Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, 805-565-4014; mkgroupmontecito.com
Los Angeles | $4.995 Million
A 1926 Spanish-style house with four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half bathrooms and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest cottage, on a 0.3-acre lot
This house is in Los Feliz, near a stretch of Franklin Avenue with a Gelson’s grocery store, an independent bookshop and a French bistro. It is a few blocks from the beginning of Fern Dell Nature Trail and less than half a mile from Griffith Park, putting it within a five-minute drive of Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theatre. Cheremoya Avenue Elementary School, a public school for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and Immaculate Heart, a private school for girls in sixth through 12th grade, are also about five minutes away.
The Hollywood/Western stop on the Metro Red Line is five minutes away by car or 15 minutes on foot. Driving to Studio City or downtown takes about half an hour.
Size: 4,664 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,071
Indoors: Privacy hedges separate this property from the street, sheltering the swimming pool and the entrance to the stairs leading up to the partially covered patio near the main entrance.
The front door opens into a foyer with hardwood floors and access to a powder room with William Morris-inspired wallpaper. To the left is a living room with a fireplace, arched picture windows overlooking the patio and French doors that open to a family room with a built-in sofa and more French doors offering outdoor access.
To the right of the foyer is a dining room with another arched picture window and French doors that open to a sunny breakfast room with built-in cabinets and casement windows. Swinging doors connect the breakfast and dining rooms to an updated kitchen with white cabinetry, a white tile backsplash, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a farmhouse-style sink and access to a powder room and a brick patio.
All four bedrooms are on the second floor, reached from stairs in the foyer. The primary suite has a walk-in closet, windows with electric shades, glass doors that open to a Juliet balcony, and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub and separate shower. The bedroom next door has large windows, another Juliet balcony and an attached bathroom with a combined tub and shower. The third bedroom has yet another Juliet balcony and an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower; the fourth has an en suite bathroom with a claw-foot tub.
The guesthouse, used by the sellers as a recording studio, has a living room, a kitchenette, a bedroom and a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The pool in front of the house is surrounded by a concrete-and-grass deck. The patio off the kitchen faces a yard planted with fruit-bearing citrus trees. The detached garage has two parking spots.
Taxes: $62,436 (estimated)
Contact: Peter Lorimer and Cindy Lorimer, PLG Estates, 310-666-7383; peterlorimer.com
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