Knoll

Jul 20, 2023

Listing of the Day

Location: Portola Valley, California

Price: $42.9 million

Perched atop a knoll, this contemporary new build on a 7-acre property offers 360-degree hillside views and easy access to the Silicon Valley tech campuses and downtown Palo Alto.

“It truly feels like you’re sitting on top of the world when you’re up there,” said listing agent Billy McNair, of the McNair Group at Coldwell Banker Realty. “It has an incredible indoor-outdoor floor plan.”

“To get 6.9 acres and 360-degree views is very unusual here,” he said. “And it’s extremely convenient to schools, tennis and racquet clubs, and shopping.”

“You really have the best of both worlds here,” McNair said. Portola Valley is an area where the building process can be quite lengthy and complicated, he said. This took over four years to complete.

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Designed by Swatt/Miers Architects, the gated home on Firethorn Way features a long private driveway that leads to the top of the knoll and a circular motor court, according to the listing. There are reflecting pools on both sides of the walkway to the pivoting front door.

You enter a double-height great room with a disappearing wall that flows out to a large outdoor terrace with open views, McNair said. “It creates a breathtaking first impression—it’s not something you usually see in this area.”

To link the two spaces, Juno limestone flooring is used in both the indoor rooms and the outdoor terraces, he said. “In the great room, it almost feels like you’re sitting outside.”

The kitchen features French custom cabinetry, two islands, Gaggenau appliances and PITT integrated burners in the slab countertops, McNair said. A butler’s pantry/prep kitchen is tucked behind the main kitchen.

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The adjacent family room has three disappearing walls and looks directly out to the infinity pool, he said. This main level also has a home office, a lounge area across from a 600-bottle wine cellar and a guest suite with a separate entrance.

The upper level holds four en-suite bedrooms, including the primary suite. A pivot door opens into the main bedroom, where there’s a sitting area, a corner private deck, sliding walls of glass, a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a soaking tub and a walk-in shower with a rain-style head, McNair said.

The lower level has a rec room with a full wet bar, a tiered home theater and a bedroom suite with a separate entrance.

The estate also has a well-appointed accessory dwelling unit with a full kitchen, guest accommodations and an exercise room, according to the listing. An expansive rooftop deck with open views of Windy Hill is atop the versatile ADU.

The property is adjacent to an open space preserve, which adds to the feeling of privacy, McNair said.

Stats

The 9,525-square-foot house has seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. It sits on a 6.9-acre lot.

Amenities 



Amenities include a pool and spa, a large rooftop deck, an elevator that serves all three floors, a butler’s pantry, an outdoor kitchen, a tiered home theater, a 600-bottle wine cellar, a rec room, a bar and a private driveway and motor court.

Along with a four-car garage, there is overflow parking for 20 to 25 cars, McNair said.

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Neighborhood Notes 



The wealthy San Mateo County town of Portola Valley is “directly adjacent to Woodside, and both are in the western part of the (San Francisco) Peninsula with a rolling hills topography,” McNair said. “Most Portola Valley residents like the natural setting with the hills that are dotted with majestic oak trees.”

“It’s an outdoorsy demographic,” he added.

The home is 15 minutes from downtown Palo Alto and Stanford University and convenient to all of the tech campuses.

“You can be in downtown San Jose or downtown San Francisco in 35 to 40 minutes,” he said.

Agent: Billy McNair, McNair Group, Coldwell Banker Realty

View the original listing.

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