Embellished Mid-Century Home & Cottage Retreat

In an eco-rich creekside setting that remains walkable to everyday destinations, this Mid-Century home and detached cottage have been elevated for Twenty-First-Century living. Revitalization throughout the interior and exterior dovetails with meticulously maintained original character and includes new kitchens and bathrooms in both the main house and cottage. Both home and cottage savor their luxuriant surroundings and embrace indoor-outdoor connection. Expansive picture windows throughout generate radiance and invite the verdant landscape in, evoking a majestic treehouse ambiance; glass doors unite interiors with decks adjoining the nearly half-acre property featuring Sausal Creek rippling through it, plus mature live oaks and redwoods, all cultivating a retreat sensibility and buffering external noise, leaving only the sounds of water flowing and birds, including resident owls, warbling.

The sublimely private, woodsy location belies its close proximity to civilization. Leave the cars in the two-car garage, take the short stroll to Montclair village, and take pleasure in neighborhood convenience with the vibrant mix of cafes, boutiques, myriad services, and Sunday farmers’ market. Also ideally nearby are highly rated schools and highway access.

Architectural elements distinguish the home’s interior: red-oak hardwood floors, wood-panel ceilings, built-in cabinetry adding character and utility to bedrooms and the family-media room. Unified stylistically, bathrooms all feature striking marble-topped vanities.
Four main-house bedrooms and two full bathrooms are augmented by the studio’s luminous living space, appointed with its own entry, kitchen, bathroom, and private deck.

Integrating seamlessly to the Mid-Century-Modern aesthetic, an exceptional kitchen redesign by an award-winning architecture firm comprises the home’s magnetic centerpiece for congregating and creating. Completed two years ago, it intermixes exquisite surfaces: walnut cabinetry, quartz counters, and marble slab backsplashes integrated amid professional-tier appliances, such as a Thermador six-burner range and dual-fuel oven, and embodies a layout awash with efficiency and visual allure. As ingenious as they are inconspicuous, electrical outlets pop up from within the countertop when needed and hide away when not. An asymmetrical island illuminated by Murano-glass pendants offers a long stretch for seating, prep, and serving; equipping it with well-configured storage and creating a sizable walk-in pantry affords airiness and window expanses in lieu of extensive upper cabinetry. French doors access additional natural light and a stone terrace primed for al fresco grilling.

The open-plan living and dining room also extends out, with glass doors to a broad deck. A wood-paneled vaulted ceiling with skylights delivers loftiness and light to the space framed by large-scale vistas, a fireplace, and library shelves. Similarly, the master bedroom overlooks the exuberant oasis and opens to a hot-tub-clad deck.