Zen Realized - West Wind Estate

A one-of-kind American Sukiya is available for the first time in bucolic Nicasio in West Marin. Built as a labor of love and passion, the estate and winery is a convergence of Japanese philosophy and Northern California wine-country living at its finest.

West Wind Estate at 333-345 Willow Road in Nicasio exemplifies “Japanese Zen living.” The owners enlisted renowned architect Len Brackett (who also designed Larry Ellison’s iconic Japanese teahouse in Atherton, among many other celebrated structures) to help them realize their vision to build beautiful homes that would blend into the land and last a lifetime. The decision was made to use Japanese construction and build a Sukiya style, or formal Japanese home, for the aesthetics, the unsurpassed quality, and the low environmental impact. Nevada-City-based East Wind Construction Company along with highly select craftspersons from Japan were chosen to execute the building and employ authentic Japanese joinery practices—not a nail used in sight.

The property is unlike any other and truly next level in scope, say the listing agents Stephanie Lamarre and B.G. Bates of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, who specialize in high-end, exclusive Marin properties. “To have a totally off-the-grid private retreat of this magnitude and craftsmanship in this breathtaking setting is rare. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Lamarre. “It’s Zen realized.” The Japanese philosophy of living coincides with California’s lifestyle of living within nature and building with organic, sustainable, and energy-efficient materials. In turn, Japanese design characteristics include harmonious asymmetry, assimilation with the environment, varying roof pitches and angles, external amado and interior shoji to enhance the insulation while adding aesthetic detail, and Japanese gardens to “bring the outside in” to the home.

The Willow Road homes are made from naturally aged, old growth, Port Orford cedar. Each piece of wood was cut, hand planed, and each edge was chamfered. The planing, performed using traditional Japanese tools, keeps dust from sticking to the wood and allows the material to remain finish-free, promoting the wonderful fragrance for which cedar is known. Put together without any nails, each piece of the virtually knot-free frame was mortised and tenoned to fit into the next perfectly. The wood floors of the residence are sakura—or cherry—a traditional prized hardwood used in Japan. Their beautiful, warm color only deepens with time.

“A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,

it is Zen realized.”

Unique to this construction, each ceiling is a different height to be in harmony with the size of the room and the most pleasant human proportions. The direction of the ceiling boards also differs from room-to-room to give each space a unique aesthetic. They are composed of wide plank, western red cedar cut in a “matched grain” fashion from a single large wood block, creating a harmonious pattern across the ceiling expanse. The roofs are made from durable hand bent copper shingles, a traditional material in Japan. The roof design—its angles and pitches—are calibrated to allow sun in during the winter and to shade the interior in the summer. The traditional Japanese roof construction is designed to handle rain and wind but without traditional roof gutters. The rain is directed to channels in a stone walkway and carried away to downhill drains.

The exterior plaster, from Japan, has traditional components of clay, sand, and a binder with added elastomeric and cementitious elements to provide a long-lasting finish that requires little maintenance and is all natural and highly insulating. The color is integral to the material and doesn’t fade or flake. The interior plaster is a natural material made from clay, rice straw and sand which gives a beautiful warm color to the walls as well as an interesting texture. Naito-san and his wife traveled all the way from Japan to complete the work. The primary residence was his final project.

The estate is approached from the cul-de-sac at the end of Willow Road, leading to a crushed, brown granite aggregate driveway with arches of Bay Laurel trees reaching in from each side. Placed stone walkways lead to the front door of the authentic Japanese Sukiya. The over 3,000 square-foot residence includes three bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms as well as many custom comforts that meld with the mountaintop tranquility beyond. Highlights include concrete and cherry flooring, radiant heat, custom LED lighting, high-end kitchen appliances and amenities, shoji screened windows and a built-in media center. Adjacent to the home is a two-car garage with Tesla chargers, a bocce court, formal Japanese gardens and a spring-fed 50,000-gallon swimming pool.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom guest residence is uniquely designed and features a Japanese genkan—the traditional inside/outside area where one sits to remove shoes and coats—a soaking bath, and a built-in barbeque area. Lush Japanese landscaping includes koi ponds and a fountain. There’s also a separate 600 square-foot “maker space,” currently used as an art studio and workshop, approached through 12-foot doors featuring concrete flooring, radiant heating, a loft area and built-in worktables and storage.

Passionate stewards of the land, the owners enjoy crafting wine and olive oil from the estate’s vineyards and orchards. An 1,800-square foot Minka Style winery with dramatic 20-foot ceilings creates the perfect gathering place to enjoy the estate grown wine and includes a kitchen and full bath. A massive, 2400-square foot climate-controlled wine cave—the only of its kind in Marin—has 12-foot ceilings, a custom wine bar and event space, as well as a kitchen prep space ideal for hosting catered gatherings. Additional features include: the two-acre vineyard of pinot noir and cabernet franc with 777 Clone for costal climate (1,800 vines); and mature olive and fruit tree orchards.

The estate is practically “off-the-grid” enjoying its own water and electric power sources, including a well and a 5,000-gallon water tank supplied by natural springs, as well as a 17Kw solar array. Additionally, there are propane/generator sheds complete with a 10Kw generator, a vineyard greenhouse, and a security gate and call box to ensure privacy.

West Wind Estate
$18,500,000
WestWindEstate.com

Stephanie Lamarre
415.806.3176
stephanie@stephanielamarre.com

B.G. Bates
415.706.1026
BG@bgbates.com