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    Jack London Penned Novels at This Idyllic Wine Country Estate. Now It Can Be Yours for $5 Million.

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    Always wanted to live like a world-famous literary figure? Now’s your chance, because the picturesque Northern California lodge where the late author and journalist Jack London loved to blissfully while away his days has just popped up for sale. Dubbed Wake Robin and nestled amid a 3-acre parcel in the charming village of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County, tucked away in a narrow canyon between the Sonoma and Mayacamas mountains, this beguiling estate is now on the market for a speck under $5 million with Matt Sevenau of Compass.

    Particularly enamored by his editor Ninetta Eames’s niece Charmian Kittredge on his first trip to the property in summer 1902 with his then-wife Bessie and their two daughters, London returned the next year and later wed his soulmate and fellow writer Charmian after a highly publicized divorce. He subsequently made Wake Robin his home for some eight years, penning the bestselling novels White Fang and The Sea Wolf while concurrently buying seven neighboring parcels that he called the Beauty Ranch and today known as Jack London State Historic Park.

    A tree stump where Jack London is said to have sat and put pen to paper remains on the land.

    Jack Pier

    Originally part of a vast Mexican rancho and later a 160-acre ranch, Wake Robin rests beside the merging Sonoma and Graham creeks and was transformed into a lodge during the 1890s by Joshua Chauvet. The deed has changed hands numerous times in the years since, with Ann and Alexander Frick acquiring the place in the 1990s and giving it an extensive renovation before handing over the keys to current owners Malcolm Walter and Elizabeth Fisher in 2020.

    Spanning two stories and roughly 4,300 square feet, the modern three-bedroom, three-bath home is highlighted by an octagon-shaped living room that previously served as a lobby. Elsewhere is a fireside dining area that connects to a kitchen outfitted with Caesarstone countertops, an eat-in island, Dacor and Sub-Zero appliances, and a climate-controlled wine cellar with room for up to 500 bottles, as well as two offices, a bookshelf-clad library, a media room, and a screened porch. Another octagon-shaped room on the upper level houses a primary suite boasting a private deck and a walk-through closet that leads to a luxe bath spotlighted by a spa tub.

    An octagon-shaped living room with a floating staircase once served as the lodge lobby.

    SeaTimber Media

    Outdoors, the gated grounds are laced with oak trees and host a pool and spa, a firepit, and a fully equipped barbecue station. There’s also a barn that could be used as a garage, a gym, or a flex space, per the listing, along with a horseshoe pit and bocce court, a fruit orchard, raised garden beds, and covered carport parking for two vehicles. A tree stump where London would often sit and write also still graces the grounds.

    Water and Fisher, who themselves spent around $300,000 to upgrade the premises during their tenure, are moving because their work is mostly in Sonoma. “While we love living in Glen Ellen … We have found a home in Sonoma with many of the same amenities, but not the rich history that 4100 Wake Robin offers,” the couple said in a statement. “This is a bittersweet move.”

    Click here for more photos of Wake Robin.

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      in Luxury

      A California Beach House With a Guitar-Shaped Pool Just Listed for $15 Million

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      Good news, music fans! A beach house in Northern California with serious rock ‘n’ roll connections just hit the market. 

      Built in 1920, the storied property in the unincorporated township of Bolinas, a notoriously insular beach town about 30 miles north of San Francisco, is the former abode of Grace Slick, lead singer of Jefferson Airplane. In addition, the oceanfront hideaway has hosted fellow musical legends, including David Crosby and the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. The 4,074-square-foot spread sits on nearly an acre of land with roughly 400 feet of picturesque beachfrontage along the Pacific Ocean. Most oceanfront homes in Bolinas are perched on high bluffs. Slick’s former hideaway, however, is one of only two properties sited directly on the beach; the other is owned by Marc Pincus, founder of the social gaming powerhouse Zynga.

      On the market for just shy of $15 million, the home has been owned for over 25 years by Mark Talucci, chairman and co-founder of the Sak Group, one of the country’s largest lifestyle accessory companies. Along with its rock star past, the seafront spread was once used as a gathering place for affluent visitors who would arrive from San Francisco by boat, Mansion Global reported, and the dwelling also served at various times as a hotel, a tea house, a bathhouse, and a casino.

      The rock star retreat is one of only two properties in Bolinas with direct beachfrontage.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      “I couldn’t find anything with this much beachfront property,” Talucci told the listing site. “It’s practically in the ocean and built on a seawall.” The area itself, which is made up of about 1,600 people, offers tons of privacy and has long been a sanctuary for artists and creatives, including actress Frances McDormand, chef Alice Waters, and Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins. 

      “Bolinas is known for being exclusive and reclusive in that it’s only accessible via unmarked roads, so before the days of GPS, locals would tear down signs on the state route to keep outsiders from finding it,” Kara Warrin of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty told Mansion Global. 

      The kitchen and dining area have unimpeded ocean and coastline views.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      Altogether, the home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Talucci and his wife have painstakingly restored the interiors while keeping the traditional and low-key Northern California beach house look. Think wood shingles, exposed beams, and lots of shiplap. In the kitchen, the couple even went as far as to preserve the home’s original Douglas fir floors. Additional highlights include a main-level primary suite with an outdoor shower and patio, a recreation room with a built-in wet bar, and a sauna. Out back, a nod to the home’s musical pedigree, there’s even a guitar-shaped swimming pool that Slick designed herself in the ‘70s. 

      “The spacious family room was the home of the practice stage where members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and other legendary musicians crafted songs and jammed late into the evening,” notes the listing. “Like those timeless classics, this home is indeed one for the ages.” 

      Click here to see more photos of 99 Brighton Avenue.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      in Luxury

      Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Is Selling His Silicon Valley Estate for $24.5 Million

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      For several years now, Eric Schmidt’s ever-growing real estate portfolio has been the talk of several towns—he’s spent hundreds of millions buying up prime properties in locales like Miami, Beverly Hills, New York City and Washington, D.C., just for starters. But now he’s decided to let at least one of his myriad homes go, having put his longtime Northern California compound up for sale.

      The asking price is $24.5 million, or roughly 12 times more than the former CEO and chairman of Google doled out for the property a little more than three decades ago, back in 1990. The listing is held by Katharine Carroll of Compass.

      Completed in the late 1960s, but extensively remodeled during Schmidt’s tenure, the 3.3-acre spread in the affluent Silicon Valley enclave of Atherton includes a main European-inspired mansion and newer guesthouse designed by Schwanke Architecture—for a total of five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in a little more than 5,200 square feet.

      A fireside sunroom opens to the grounds.

      Peter Lyons

      Fronting the residence are two gated driveways that empty out at a trio of motorcourts, including one resting adjacent to a detached three-car garage boasting a lower-level recreation room. Once inside, an entry foyer displaying herringbone-style hardwood floors and a curving iron-railed staircase flows on one side to a living room highlighted by a fireplace and doors spilling out to a terrace, formal dining room, and kitchen outfitted with custom marble countertops, Waterworks fixtures, dual sinks and dishwashers, and a Thermador range. An accompanying breakfast nook lined with a bay window opens to a patio sporting a water feature.

      A sky-lit hallway on the opposite side of the foyer leads to a fireside sitting room, handsome wood-paneled office/study with a full bath and wet bar-equipped family room that connects via a fireplace to a sunroom; and upstairs, an inviting primary bedroom comes complete with access to an expansive private terrace, a dressing room, and luxe bath spotlighted by a soaking tub and marble shower.

      On the grounds is a conservatory-style greenhouse imported from the U.K.

      Peter Lyons

      Especially standing out are the picturesque grounds, which are laced with mature plants and specimen trees, and host a swimming pool and spa, as well as numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. Rounding it all out: a separate building for the security team, along with a charming Amdega Conservatory imported from the United Kingdom that now serves as a greenhouse.

      Besides his Atherton property, Schmidt—whose net worth is currently estimated at $24 billion—also lays claim to a $65 million parcel of undeveloped land in the mountains high above Beverly Hills that was last owned by deceased tech billionaire Paul Allen. He also possesses a historic $15 million mansion in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., where Jackie Kennedy once resided, not to mention $114 million worth of island homes in Miami Beach.

      Click here for more photos of Eric Schmidt’s Atherton estate.

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      in Luxury

      Annie Leibovitz Lists a Century-Old Northern California Ranch For $9 Million

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      Photographer Annie Leibovitz, whose work has appeared on the glossy pages of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair for decades, is parting ways with her historic Northern California ranch, now on the market for $8.995 million.

      Leibovitz, who has shot everyone from Richard Nixon to Queen Elizabeth to John Lennon and Yoko Ono and regularly shoots covers of Vogue, purchased the incredible 65-acre ranch in 2019. Located in the famously reclusive seaside community of Bolinas, a favorite, under-the-radar Northern California hideaway for artists, Hollywood types, and the Silicon Valley set, the hilltop ranch dates back to the 1800s, when the first settlers of the area called the ranch home.

      Known today as The Hideaway, the ranch brims with creative history. Photographer Ansel Adams famously shot images here that were part of a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, and later on, Warren Hellman, businessman and founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival, lived here. 

      The kitchen remodel is in keeping with the relaxed charm of the coastal ranch property.

      Jacob Elliott

      The rural coastal retreat is located where the Pacific Ocean meets Mount Tamalpais, and there are stunning views of the Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais, and San Francisco, which is just an hour away. Several of the ranch’s many structures date back to the 1920s and ‘30s, and a few date back to the original settlers. After purchasing the property in 2019, Leibovitz spent nearly $2 million on renovations, which saw the addition of a new kitchen and major upgrades to the infrastructure. Still, the home retains its unassuming farmhouse charm. 

      In total, there are seven structures, four of which comprise the residential portion of the compound. The remodeled 1920s main residence has four light-filled bedrooms, a charming updated kitchen, and quaint living spaces. There is also a one-bedroom guesthouse, a caretaker’s residence, and a converted garage. Elsewhere on the property, a dairy barn includes a recording studio that was added during Hellman’s ownership, while the remaining structures, a hay barn and a seven-stall horse barn, are dedicated to equestrian facilities. There’s also a 100-foot x 200-foot year-round riding arena, additional horse and livestock stalls, and fenced pastures. 

      “The Hideaway at 605 Horseshoe Hill Road stands as a historic property with generations of notable stewardship,” said Alexander Lurie, a listing agent with Compass, who is co-listing the property with Nick Svenson, in a press statement. “During Hellman’s ownership, the agrarian and equestrian wonderland served as a gathering for musicians of his time. The site of many special events, concerts, and weddings over more than a century, The Hideaway has an indelible place in history—both for the San Francisco Bay Area and globally. This special space has served as a launching pad of creative inspiration for renowned musical and visual artists of international repute.”

      Millions have been spent to update infrastructure as well as the ranch’s seven humble structures.

      Jacob Elliott

      In addition to panoramic water and mountain views, the ranch property is filled with rolling hills, verdant forest, lush pastures, and nearby bird and seal sanctuaries.

      Leibovitz, currently serving as the first IKEA Artist in Residence, has been much in the real estate news lately. Though she still owns an equestrian property in New York’s Hudson Valley, she sold a duplex apartment in a distinguished building on New York City’s Central Park West earlier this year for $10.6 million—more than $600,000 less than she paid about 10 years ago—and her 3,200-square-foot live-work studio overlooking the Hudson River in the West Village was put up for sale in January and is now in contract with an asking price of $8.5 million.

      Click here for more photos of The Hideaway.

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      in Luxury

      A Former Apple CEO’s Onetime Northern California Estate Hits the Market for $23 Million

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      Back in spring 1983—shortly after John Sculley joined Apple as CEO, and subsequently oversaw the ousting of company co-founder Steve Jobs—the former PepsiCo executive doled out nearly $2 million for a swank Northern California residence. Around seven years later, before resigning from his position in 1993, Sculley sold that home for $3.4 million toSamuel Maslak, co-founder of ultrasound manufacturer Acuson; and now, a little more than three decades later, the place has quietly popped up for sale off-market, this time asking a speck under $23 million.

      Originally built and designed in the early 1930s by noted modernist architect Gardner Dailey for his wife’s family, but extensively renovated and restored over several years during Maslak’s tenure, the 1.5-acre spread in the affluent Silicon Valley enclave of Woodside features an English Country-style manor offering six bedrooms and nine baths spread across 10,000 square feet of living space. Leaded-glass windows and terraces also overlook picturesque views of the neighboring Menlo Country Club golf course, San Francisco Bay, East Bay Hills and Mount Diablo.

      A pedestrian gate opens to an expansive front courtyard filled with a sparkling pool and custom-designed bench surrounding a heritage oak tree.

      Patrik Argast

      A gated driveway leads to a brick motorcourt and four-car garage tucked off to the side of the house, with a secure pedestrian entrance opening to a stone walkway that passes through a spacious courtyard holding a swimming pool and custom-designed bench wrapped around a centuries-old oak tree before emptying out at a charming speakeasy front door. Once inside, a foyer displaying green-hued marble floors, a mirror-lined arched alcove and staircase with carved balustrade railings greets and flows to a large wood-clad living room sporting a coffered ceiling, fireplace and cozy seating nook.

      An adjacent office space equipped with bookshelves and a wet bar flows to a duo of multi-purpose sitting rooms, and other highlights include a formal dining room topped by a Murano Venetian-style crystal chandelier, as well as a European-inspired kitchen outfitted with tiled countertops and walls inlaid with decorative accents, a granite island, built-in desk, and high-end Bosch, Wolf, Sharp, Sub-Zero and U-Line appliances, plus an adjoining dining area and sky-lit family room.

      A coffered-ceiling living room is spotlighted by a fireplace encased in a wood-paneled wall.

      Patrik Argast

      Elsewhere is an upstairs primary bedroom suite decked out with a private balcony, a standalone office, and dual dressing rooms and baths, along with a secluded one-bedroom apartment that has its own entrance, living area, kitchen and bath; and outdoors, the landscaped grounds are laced with 24 varieties of fruit trees, and host a greenhouse and several raised vegetable beds. There’s also a finished basement with plenty of storage space, an attached four-car garage that’s pre-wired for an EV charger and adjacent 2.8-acre lot that’s available for sale separately should the new owner desire extra privacy or a development opportunity.

      “The time, care, attention and love that went into every corner of this house throughout its entire existence is truly remarkable,” says listing agent Erika Demma of Compass. “The history of being built by a legend in both landscape and architecture for his personal family is amazing in itself. But then to add this extensive 10-year restoration and remodel, it has created the most gorgeous timeless estate that is perfect for today and always.”

      Click here for more photos of John Sculley’s former Silicon Valley house.

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      in Luxury

      Billionaire Marc Andreessen’s Longtime Silicon Valley Estate Just Popped Up for Sale at $33 Million

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      Marc Andreessen currently lays claim to more than $255 million worth of properties in Malibu, including a 13-structure Paradise Cove compound and an adjacent $34 million property, plus another $44.5 million home on nearby Escondido Beach. So, now that he spends a significant amount of time in the seaside SoCal city, it’s not entirely surprising that the tech/crypto/venture-capitalist billionaire has decided to hoist his longtime Northern California residence onto the market.

      The asking price is a tad over $33 million, or roughly double what the co-founder of Netscape and venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and his wife Laura Arillaga—the only daughter of late Silicon Valley philanthropist and multibillionaire John Arrillaga—forked over for the place a little more than 17 years ago, back in early 2007.

      Completed in the mid-1990s by custom builder Colin Whiteside, but extensively renovated over four years during the couple’s tenure, the gated 1.5-acre spread in the affluent Silicon Valley enclave of Atherton includes a main Tuscan-style mansion, plus a guesthouse and separate office/studio—for a total of five bedrooms and seven baths in a little more than 12,400 square feet.

      The stucco and terracotta-roof structure is showcased by balconies and a terrace lined with carved balustrades.

      Bernard André

      A circular driveway fronts the primary residence, which is distinguished by an expansive terrace lined with carved balustrades and topped by balconies. Once inside, a foyer displaying herringbone-style cherry floors and a sweeping staircase greets and flows to three-story living space highlighted by an elevator to all levels, seven fireplaces, and high-tech home-automation, security and surveillance systems.

      In addition to a living area boasting soundproof suede walls, automated window shades, a concealed projector and retractable cinema screen, other highlights include a formal dining room served by two kitchens outfitted with a suite of top-tier Bosch, Hestan, Kitchen-Aid, Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, as well as a family room that opens to a covered terrace sporting a built-in barbecue, den with an adjoining office, recreation/media room, mirrored gym, and an upstairs lounge that connects to a sumptuous primary bedroom decked out with a private balcony, dual walk-in closets, and a luxe marble-clad bath spotlighted by a spa tub and curbless shower.

      A hallmark of the residence is a commitment to media needs, complete with both visible and concealed screens in nearly every room.

      Bernard André

      Outdoors, the manicured grounds are laced with a mix of natural and synthetic grass lawns. specimen trees, gardens and fountains, and host an arbor-covered media lounge. As previously mentioned, the premises also contain a one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse with its own kitchen and living area, and an office/studio with a kitchenette and full bath. There’s also a three-car garage with a fourth bay that’s been converted into an office and catering space.

      Besides his Malibu and Atherton properties, Andreessen—whose net worth is currently estimated at $1.9 billion—also reportedly owns a $36 million vacant lot just outside Las Vegas.

      Click here for more photos of Marc Andreessen’s Silicon Valley estate.

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