Features

THIS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL PROPERTY IS ONE OF ATHERTON’S FINEST ESTATES with an unparalleled combination of grandeur, luxury, and timeless appeal. Set on an expansive 3.17-acre level lot, the estate is enveloped by breathtaking gardens established with specimen plantings at every turn adding a unique and awe-inspiring dimension.

The entire property was artfully rebuilt within the main structure in 2001 into a remarkable living experience with discerning taste. Over $22 million, in today’s currency, was spent to completely rebuild and upgrade the home. Every detail exudes a sense of elegance and luxury yet is purposely designed to create a welcoming ambiance that avoids feeling overly formal. Great consideration was given to creating multiple strong axes that connect not only one room to another but also to the grounds and through the center courtyard that connects the rooms on all four sides. The seamless blend of sophistication and warmth throughout ensures that moments spent here are cherished, whether hosting lavish gatherings or enjoying intimate daily activities with friends and family.

The property features 17,510 total square feet which includes a two-story main residence, attached one bedroom apartment and studio/fitness room, a detached guesthouse, two attached garages, a wine cellar, and multiple storage areas. In addition, the main home was built around a highly unique approximately 2,140 square foot Central Courtyard, perfect for indoor/outdoor entertaining. The kitchen family room opens directly onto the courtyard as well as onto the formal and family entertaining patios. Further enhancing the living experience is a generous guest house with full kitchen that serves as both a private retreat and a wonderful venue for entertaining poolside. An exercise studio and 1-bedroom apartment offer versatile living spaces, accommodating multi-generational living arrangements or providing room for staff, offices, and fitness.

The enchanting outdoor oasis beckons with established greenery, vibrant blooms, rare plantings and trees, and serene pathways meandering through the grounds. A large sparkling pool and spa, newly resurfaced tennis court, and golf practice area await relaxation and recreation. This property also boasts coveted amenities such as a beautiful sommelier-worthy 5,000-bottle wine cellar and oversized garages with parking for up to five cars. An unparalleled lifestyle for the best of timeless elegance and luxury living in the country’s most highly ranked city.

Offered at $35,000,000

Summary of the Home

Artfully rebuilt within the existing structure in 2001 with a design that promotes intimate as well as grand-scale gatherings
Over $22 million (in today’s currency) spent to completely rebuild and upgrade the home
Gated grounds of magnificently landscaped and established gardens on approximately 3.17 acres (138,085 square feet)
Designed around a magnificent center courtyard that connects the rooms on all four sides
6 bedrooms, each with en suite bath, plus 2 half-baths in the two-story main residence with 3 staircases
Large poolside studio guest house with 1 bath and full kitchen
Exercise studio with bath and kitchenette
1-bedroom, 1-bath apartment with full kitchen and laundry
Approximately 19,650 total square feet (per floor plan measurements)
- Main residence: 12,070 sf
- Center courtyard: estimated at 2,140 sf
- Guest house: 1,165 sf
- Upstairs exercise studio & apartment: 1,455 sf
- Main residence 3-car garage: 980 sf
- Detached 2-car garage: 590 sf
- Wine cellar: 205 sf
- Storage and mechanical: 1,045 sf
Main-level rooms: foyer, powder room, receiving gallery, living room with fireplace, sun room, wine room/office, dining room with fireplace, kitchen, casual dining area, family room with fireplace, media/family room 2, office, library, mudroom, flower arranging room, laundry room, half-bath
Upstairs rooms: primary bedroom suite with fireplace, 5 additional bedroom suites, dual-service laundry room
Large 50-foot pool with lap lanes, spa, putting green and chipping areas, newly resurfaced tennis court with options for basketball and pickleball, plus in-ground sleeves for volleyball, badminton, and tetherball
Visually stunning gardens with a tapestry of plants and trees, color for every season, plus orchard and vegetable garden
Private well for irrigation
Close to excellent Menlo Park private schools

PUBLIC ROOMS

Foyer & Gallery

Double true divided light front doors and matching sidelights open to a classic foyer with floating formal staircase; floors in diagonally set oak in a parquet pattern defined with honed marble borders; beveled edge glass pocket doors open to the receiving gallery with coffered ceiling and three sets of French doors to the central courtyard garden; honed marble finishes the floor in a series of blocked patterns

Living Room

Grand formal venue has a coffered cathedral ceiling with up-lit corbel details above oak floors in a wide parquet pattern; multiple French doors include an arched display at one end looking out to the beech tree forest; three hidden closets provide abundant storage space; focal-point fireplace outlined in honed marble and traditional mantelpiece flanked by French doors to a garden terrace

Sun Room

A more casual bright and light gathering area continues the floor design from the living room and features three sets of French doors to the gardens; tray ceiling with uplighting and chandelier; the adjoining hallway has double glass carriage doors to the central courtyard plus French doors to a flexible-use room for office or second wine cellar

Wine Room/Office

Walk through French doors into this conditioned room, which is ready to be a walk-in wine cellar or additional office

Formal Dining Room

Scaled for large gatherings with oak floors set diagonally within the same square pattern beneath a coffered ceiling mirroring the square pattern; chandelier, wainscot with integrated hidden storage, walls with hidden storage, plus multiple French doors to the rear terrace and to the central courtyard; a gas-log fireplace is outlined in layers of honed marble and a hand-carved mantelpiece with rosette and dentil design

Kitchen and Casual Dining Area

The kitchen family room opens directly onto the courtyard as well as onto the formal and family entertaining patios; white cabinetry is topped in honed limestone, including two oversized islands, one with butt-jointed marble inlays on the countertop; backsplashes in handmade tile with a relief pattern of various fruits; second oversized island with elevated breakfast bar with inlaid feature strip of decorative mosaic tiles; large walk-in pantry; day office with built-in desk; large casual dining area with fireplace

Appliances: Viking gas range with electric oven; pot filler; second Viking oven; two Miele dishwashers; Panasonic convection/micro oven; KitchenAid compactor; Sub-Zero refrigerator; Sub-Zero freezer drawers; Sub-Zero refrigerator and Sub-Zero freezer in adjoining pantry

Family Room

Fully open to the kitchen beneath a glass-topped cathedral ceiling; three sets of French doors open to the central courtyard plus a gas-log fireplace flanked by French doors to the rear gardens and pool; entire wall of built-in cabinetry with integrated media; hardwood floors extend throughout

Media/Family Room 2

A more intimate gathering room with wall of cabinetry designed for media, built-in workstation, and pocket door enclosure and large picture windows overlooking side gardens

Office

Fully customized cabinetry on four sides plus center island, including 3 integrated workstations with retractable keyboard trays; French doors open to the side terrace looking over the pollinator garden and fountain, and to the central courtyard

Library

Nesting doors from the office and French doors to the foyer hallway; parquet wood floor, wall of built-in cabinetry, plus French doors to the side terrace overlooking the pollinator garden and fountain, and to the central courtyard

PERSONAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Primary Suite

Double door entrance, sitting area with gas-log fireplace flanked by recessed custom cabinetry, and three sets of French doors to a balcony overlooking great lawn and view of the western hills; spacious all limestone bath has a large Jacuzzi tub, steam shower for two with dual entrances, separate vanities, banquette seating, and private room with commode and bidet; 2 tremendous, fully customized walk-in closets

Bedroom Suite 2

Located next to the primary suite, and ideal for a nursery, with French doors to the balcony, walk-in customized closet, and en suite bath with tub and overhead shower

Additional Bedroom Suites 3, 4, 5, and 6

Four very sizable bedrooms each with walk-in customized closet, three with French doors to a balcony, and two with built-in desk centers; each has an en suite bath with single-sink vanity and tub with overhead shower surrounded in an array of limestone, tile, and mosaics

EXTERIOR BUILDINGS

Guest House

Spacious central room with all wood and glass ceiling plus elevated window-lined cupola; natural stone tile floor, extensive built-ins including Murphy bed, gas-log fireplace, and 4 sets of French doors; granite-finished kitchen with Whirlpool electric range, dishwasher, and microwave, plus Frigidaire refrigerator/freezer; bathroom with marble shower and outside access to the garden and pool

3-Car Garage, Exercise Studio & 1-Bedroom Apartment

EV charging, bike storage area, and center indoor, sky-lit staircase to an exercise studio and apartment; the exercise studio has laminate wood floors, vaulted ceiling, French doors to 2 balconies, kitchenette with refrigerator and sink, plus bathroom with shower; the 1-bedroom apartment has a living room with balcony, eat-in kitchen with electric range, dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator, separate bedroom with walk-in closet and en suite bath with tub and overhead shower plus laundry

2-Car Garage, Beautiful Wine Cellar, Gardener/Staff Workshop & Irrigation/Well/Gardener Supply Storage Room

Two bays with brick flooring plus separate room for bike storage; keyless entry to the third bay has been converted to a beautiful temperature-controlled wine cellar for approximately 5,000 bottles with redwood racking; large skylit gardener’s/staff workshop, with loft storage and two sets of French doors, provides ideal project and break space for staff; additionally, there is a large storage area with two sets of double doors for well equipment, irrigation, and gardening supplies

THE GROUNDS

The Gardens

Espaliered apple and climbing roses on arbor-covered terrace
Colonnade arbor entwined with jasmine, clematis, roses, and fruiting grapes
Countless varietals of roses
Massive stretches of lawn
Orchard with many varietals
Greenhouse
Chicken coop, 5 raised flower beds, and 5 fully enclosed vegetable beds, all organic
Lavender and pollinator garden with vintage French fountain
2 rare Metasequoia trees plus many specimen Japanese maples
Many heritage oaks
Redwood grove
Beech forest at the tea garden
Used brick and gravel paths throughout
Second gated entrance and corporation yard for trucks and workers
Well and water filtration system

Resort Amenities

Extra-long 50-foot pool with lap lanes and separate spa, protected from the wind
Terrace with fireplace
5-hole putting green plus 35-yard and 65-yard chipping areas
Newly resurfaced tennis court with options for pickleball and basketball
Volleyball and badminton sleeves in great lawn; tetherball sleeve in family parking court along with another basketball hoop
Large center courtyard with covered honed marble porch, open flagstone terrace edged in verdant ground cover, numerous Magnolia Soulangeana (tulip trees), lemons, and olive trees, plus gas-log masonry fireplace
Gazebo for outdoor gatherings
Main patio between home and pool plumbed for children’s water spray fountains
Swing for 5 and full playground behind the tennis court

OTHER FEATURES

Formal powder room (with plumbing in place for a shower, if desired)
Mudroom and laundry room with Frigidaire washer/dryer and adjacent half-bath
Second mudroom designed for flower arranging with foot pedal operated sink, metal-lined drawers, retractable counter, skylight, and front and rear entrances
Upstairs main laundry room with island, 2 sets of Bosch washer/dryers, custom sweater racks, sink, custom designed tile backsplashes with a laundry theme, and huge skylight
Upstairs gallery with 6 French doors overlooking the central courtyard
Lutron programmable lighting
All new electrical, plumbing, and heating in 2001
All new shear wall, sheetrock, lighting, doors, windows, cabinetry, hardware in 2001
New water heater in 2023
Air conditioning in kitchen, family room, and primary suite bath
Radiant heat throughout with heated floors in kitchen, family room, library, office, and primary suite
Partial basement for storage and utilities
Conrad shades
Closet organizers throughout

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Work Done 2020-2023:

Tesla Charger Added
Kitchen, Family Room and Media Room remodel: walls painted, cabinets updated with new paint and hardware, new plumbing fixtures, new light fixtures
Well refurbished
Shower in Guest House redone
New pool and spa covers
New fountains
Minor roof repairs
Exterior painting (trim and gates, etc) – no need to paint house!

Complete Remodel Done in 2001:

New shear wall and earthquake retrofitting throughout
All new plumbing: from street into walls, to plumbing fixtures. Copper piping
New transformer and circuit boxes, entirely new electrical system
All new wiring, outlets, and light switches with programmable Lutron System
All new light fixtures throughout
All new whole house A/V system
New radiant heat system
New air conditioners
Most new interior walls/studs; all new sheet rock
New subfloor except where old wood floors were retained, mostly upstairs
New hardwood and/or honed marble floors throughout most all of downstairs
New ceilings, including coffered ceilings, beamed ceilings and skylights
With the exception of the formal dining room, new custom doors and windows throughout
New kitchen stairs (flipped the old stairs to provide morning light in the kitchen)
New circular stairs/grand staircase at entrance
New front door and balcony above (though you would never know because owner matched the style of the existing balconies exactly)
Added approximately 5 to 6 feet (into the courtyard) between the kitchen and what is now the Media room. This allowed the creation of an axis between the kitchen and the Media Room.
Moved doors and windows around to create various axes throughout the house. (These are straight lines of vision through each room and out to the garden.) This is subtle, but if anybody is interested in architecture, it lends a sophisticated aspect to the house that might not otherwise be noticed. Specially designed doors exist along primary axes.
2 new outdoor and 3 new indoor gas fireplaces, including chimneys
New custom cabinets downstairs in his den/library, primary office, media room, formal powder and family powder rooms
New custom cabinets upstairs in every bathroom
New custom tile and marble and/or limestone in every bathroom
New custom cabinets, limestone and one of a kind tile in new upstairs laundry room
New custom cabinets, limestone, and tile in the kitchen
New appliances in the kitchen
Pantry created
Exterior access garbage room created
New cabinet hardware throughout
New door hardware throughout
New irrigation system
Well completely reconfigured/renovated (again just last year)
Greatly enlarged back patio/entertaining patio
New patio where the barbecue is “barbecue patio” or “family room patio”
New arbors: large one connecting house to guest house/pool house; smaller one creating the Formal Living Room garden; 3 framing paths leading from Great Lawn to Brick Path
New, more private entrance and driveway leading through woodland and away from house before returning to Guest Parking and Entry
New multiple fountains
New raised organic vegetable and cutting flower beds
New chicken coop and greenhouse
New planting! When owners bought the house, the lawn was surrounded by one row of daylilies. There were no roses, and not much of anything else!

Previous Owners Work Completed Between 1992-1994:

3 car garage and 2 apartments over garage
Building with two extra garage spaces and 5000 bottle wine cellar, as well as gardener’s office/staff workspace opening onto garden and well/irrigation supply storage room on other end
Solar panels on roof of extra garage which heat pool & spa (existing, but not in use)
Tennis court, now with pickleball and basketball lines!
Extra-long 50’ pool with lap lanes and extra large spa, surrounded on two sides with fig-covered stucco wall, creating its own protected environment
Guest house/pool house with kitchen and Murphy bed
New roof on main house
New brick driveway
New Atherton Ave fence, entry gate and corporation/staging yard gates
New copper gutters

A Bit of History:

The roots of this property date back well before 1934, when the structure of the original house which is currently here was completed.
The original house and property was called the “Percy Selby House”. The house was nothing like the current structure.
Rosalie and Clarence Walter purchased it in 1906.
It spanned from the corner of El Camino and Atherton Ave to Tuscaloosa to up near the “s-curve” on Atherton Ave.
Apparently the owners’ SF home was destoyed in the big quake so they and their close relatives all camped out here with the garden providing for all of them!
There was a fire in 1932. The current house was rebuilt by ‘34.
Supposedly this was after Mr. & Mrs. Walter had been to Italy, seen this exact house and sent their architect to copy it.
Gardens were originally laid out by John McLaren, famous SF landscape designer, in 1910-11 and later Tommy Church, in apparently his first job, designed part of the garden.
All of this is taken directly from an interview with Rosalie Walter Wolf. It was given to the owner by her granddaughter, who happened to be at lunch with her one day at Gamble Garden and very generously approached her to introduce herself and offer to send this info.