When Lynne and Bruce Pasternack saw the home at 43 Valley Road in Atherton, they were on the verge of becoming grandparents.
"I had a vision of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere here," Lynne Pasternack said. "I could picture us outdoors with all the kids and grandkids, having family gatherings and meals."
Nine years later, she feels her mission was accomplished.
The four-bedroom, five-bath Traditional home has 5,490 square feet of living space and features a wraparound portico, a covered patio, a pool, spa and lush gardens. A section of the 1-acre, fruit-replete property has plum, apple and pear trees; another contains a lemon and orange tree grove.
The residence is listed for $4.498 million.
"I love the way the house flows," she said. "From every single room you have a view of something from the outside coming in. You almost always look out and it's green and full of flowers, warm and inviting and sunny. At no time of the day is the home dark."
All this sunniness offers more than spectacular garden views. Bruce Pasternack, who worked in the predecessor to today's U.S. Department of Energy during the Ford administration, said solar panels the couple installed a few years ago have reduced their Pacific Gas & Electric bills from around $1,500 a month to $200.
"We did a brand-new roof with five panels," he said. "But you can't even see them unless you look on the side driveway."
The home comes with a chef's kitchen, a breakfast room and an expansive family room with French doors that lead out to the pool area.
Lynne Pasternack said the master bedroom is her favorite.
"It's quite large, but the thing that's so nice about it is that it has a huge walk-in closet that's big and long," she said. "The room is almost like a retreat."
"The upstairs family room is ideal as a media room or extra guest bedroom," said Shirley Brown of Coldwell Banker Northern California. "The secluded study can be a secret hideaway for working or catching up on your reading."
With high ceilings and large windows, Lynne Pasternack said the home is "very open."
"Open but secure," her husband added. "We don't have a fence, we have a wrought-iron gate," she said. "You can't get in unless somebody lets you in."
Despite the open atmosphere of the property, Lynne Pasternack went on to say that the home offers considerable privacy as well.
"There are only seven houses on our street and they're all large," she said. "You feel like you're in your own little neighborhood but we're near a lot of things. The freeways. The park."
An adjacent property has a paddock with horses, which she said added to the "bucolic" mood.
She said the home provides the perfect setting for large family gatherings or small, intimate parties. "It's a great home for entertaining," she said. "All the rooms are large. But we're ready to downsize. This is now more house than we really need."
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Solar-power-is-an-added-boon-of-Atherton-estate-3866610.php
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| The spacious living room is surrounded by numerous built-ins, including glass-front cabinets at the wet bar and a floor-to-ceiling wine rack |
"I had a vision of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere here," Lynne Pasternack said. "I could picture us outdoors with all the kids and grandkids, having family gatherings and meals."
Nine years later, she feels her mission was accomplished.
The four-bedroom, five-bath Traditional home has 5,490 square feet of living space and features a wraparound portico, a covered patio, a pool, spa and lush gardens. A section of the 1-acre, fruit-replete property has plum, apple and pear trees; another contains a lemon and orange tree grove.
The residence is listed for $4.498 million.
"I love the way the house flows," she said. "From every single room you have a view of something from the outside coming in. You almost always look out and it's green and full of flowers, warm and inviting and sunny. At no time of the day is the home dark."
All this sunniness offers more than spectacular garden views. Bruce Pasternack, who worked in the predecessor to today's U.S. Department of Energy during the Ford administration, said solar panels the couple installed a few years ago have reduced their Pacific Gas & Electric bills from around $1,500 a month to $200.
"We did a brand-new roof with five panels," he said. "But you can't even see them unless you look on the side driveway."
The home comes with a chef's kitchen, a breakfast room and an expansive family room with French doors that lead out to the pool area.
Lynne Pasternack said the master bedroom is her favorite.
"It's quite large, but the thing that's so nice about it is that it has a huge walk-in closet that's big and long," she said. "The room is almost like a retreat."
"The upstairs family room is ideal as a media room or extra guest bedroom," said Shirley Brown of Coldwell Banker Northern California. "The secluded study can be a secret hideaway for working or catching up on your reading."
With high ceilings and large windows, Lynne Pasternack said the home is "very open."
"Open but secure," her husband added. "We don't have a fence, we have a wrought-iron gate," she said. "You can't get in unless somebody lets you in."
Despite the open atmosphere of the property, Lynne Pasternack went on to say that the home offers considerable privacy as well.
"There are only seven houses on our street and they're all large," she said. "You feel like you're in your own little neighborhood but we're near a lot of things. The freeways. The park."
An adjacent property has a paddock with horses, which she said added to the "bucolic" mood.
She said the home provides the perfect setting for large family gatherings or small, intimate parties. "It's a great home for entertaining," she said. "All the rooms are large. But we're ready to downsize. This is now more house than we really need."
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Solar-power-is-an-added-boon-of-Atherton-estate-3866610.php
