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The Midpeninsula has no shortage of seriously unique homes. From a historic modern “treehouse” perched among oaks and redwoods in Palo Alto to a historic Victorian with logging-era roots, these one-of-a-kind properties – whether because of their price, unusual design or history – are notable even for Silicon Valley. We’ve compiled a list of some of these not-so-ordinary properties that are on the market right now – or recently sold.
$16M
Contemporary glass ‘treehouse’
Palo Alto
Pending
Set on a long, narrow 0.39-acre lot in Palo Alto, this contemporary home, known as “The Treehouse,” is designed as much around its landscape as it is within it. The two-story, L-shaped home, made of interlocking structures clad in zinc, cedar, stucco and glass, appears to wrap around and perch among the canopy of redwood and oak trees that dot the property.
Designed by award-winning San Francisco architecture firm Aidlin Darling Design for a young family in 2014, the home balances open gathering spaces with cozy, private areas, according to a 2019 article by online design magazine Dezeen. The 5,135-square-foot home’s design has won multiple awards, including a 2018 National Design Honor Award from the Society of American Registered Architects, according to the design firm’s website.
Among the design challenges was creating indoor-outdoor living in a dense suburban neighborhood without sacrificing privacy. Here, the design takes advantage of the landscape. A grove of redwoods at the front and mature oaks in the back help shield the home while also shaping its layout and views.
Expanses of glass connect nearly every room to the surrounding trees, bringing in soft, filtered light. Sliding glass walls open at the corners, allowing the main living spaces to flow outside. The upper level of the home extends beyond the lower level, creating large, covered outdoor living spaces.
Other notable features include a staircase made from reclaimed wood that appears to float within a glass enclosure, lit by sculptural fixtures above. Heated concrete floors on the main level and hardwood floors upstairs add warmth throughout the home. A long wall of rough-sawn cedar runs through the house, adding a design element while also hiding built-in storage.
$8.9 million
Historic estate with logging-era roots
Woodside
Sold
This 3.4-acre estate, located next to Woodside Elementary School, is a rare piece of Woodside history, tracing its roots to the town’s early logging days and carefully preserved by generations of the same family. This is the first time in decades that the property has been listed on the market.
Anchored by a Victorian home built in 1901 by one of Woodside’s founding families, the property offers a glimpse into the area’s rural past. Hugh and Elizabeth McArthur settled the land around 1870, operating a sawmill along Bear Gulch Road and managing hundreds of acres of redwoods and pasture.
Over the years, the family transformed the grounds into a lush, productive garden, cultivating hundreds of rose bushes alongside fruit trees and vegetable plots. The four-bedroom, three-bath Victorian home was renovated and modernized in 2010.
Much of the land remains intentionally untouched, preserving its open, natural character. Remnants of its past are scattered across the grounds. Barns dating back to the 1870s still stand, and a redwood grove at the back of the property — bordered on three sides by a creek — includes two rustic summer cabins built in the 1920s. The property received a Woodside Historic Preservation Award from the town in 2013. The property was listed on March 12 and sold on April 9 for $8.9 million.
$11.8M
Modern home with ‘Orient Express room’
Los Altos Hills
On the market
This modern Los Altos Hills home comes with ponds, streams, waterfalls and a Japanese teahouse-style guest house. But its most unique feature is tucked behind an office: a hidden replica of a 1920s-era sleeper car from the “Orient Express” complete with Art Deco wood paneling, a padded sleeping berth, overhead luggage rack and train-style window.
Built in 2004, the home sits on just over an acre of manicured gardens and combines distinctive design details with a spacious, modern layout.
The property includes a main house, a two-story guest house and a pool with a separate pavilion. In total, the home has five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and about 8,800 square feet of living space.
Additional spaces include a library, lounge, bar, tiered home theater, 2,000 bottle wine cellar and a fitness area with a steam room and sauna, along with two offices.
The guest house features shoji screens and wood plank ceilings, while the poolside pavilion includes a full kitchen for outdoor use. The home also includes amenities such as home automation, a backup generator, radiant heating and electric-vehicle charging in the garage.
