Issue date: February 24, 1999

Landmark sold: New owner of Louise Davies home in Woodside says he will spend $3 million to restore it Landmark sold: New owner of Louise Davies home in Woodside says he will spend $3 million to restore it (February 24, 1999)

JANE KNOERLE

Restoring the Ralph and Louise Davies estate in Woodside to its 1940s elegance, is the goal of its new owner, a 32-year-old Silicon Valley resident, according to his architect Louis Skelton.
The estate, on the market for $6.25 million, has been sold for a reported $5.8 million. The buyer, whose name was not disclosed, was represented by Diane Rothe of Coldwell Banker in Woodside. Restoration is expected to take 18 months and approximately $3 million.
"That's more money than I've ever spent developing a property," says Mr. Skelton, who is also the owner's uncle.
A resident of Palos Verdes Estates in Southern California, Mr. Skelton is chairman of the Los Angeles County Historic Landmarks and Records Commission and adviser to the state office of Historic Preservation. His work, which has received several awards for historic architectural preservation, includes restoring a Greene & Greene house in Los Angeles.
The Davies home was designed by architects Anshen and Allen of San Francisco, who were proteges of Frank Lloyd Wright. Mr. Skelton says the house reflects Wright's Prairie-style influence. His goal is to preserve the house's original splendor, yet bring it up to 1999 standards.
Designed in contemporary style, the home has a timeless quality in its use of materials, such as redwood from Northern California, gray Sonoma stone and auburn Utah stone. Tall windows extend from floor to ceiling, bringing outdoor views into the living areas.
The house has two levels, with the living room, dining room, library, kitchen and guest suite on the main level. Upstairs are six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a sewing room.
The house needs major foundation work, says Mr. Skelton, which will be directed by John Nielsen of Nielsen Geotechnical Inc. All mechanical and electrical systems will be brought up to code and the kitchen will be completely remodeled. Exterior finishes will be refurbished and the present shingle roof replaced with a copper standing seam roof that was part of the original design, but never installed.
The story is, when building costs kept soaring, Ralph Davies told the architect he wasn't going to put another dime in the house, so they put on a shingle roof instead of the more expensive copper seam roof.
The gardens, which have been attributed to famed architect Thomas Church, will be documented and restored to the original design. The barn, swimming pool and tennis courts on the property will all be brought to top condition.
Although the 20-acre property is actually five individual lots, there are a number of boundary issues and easements that need to be resolved, says Mr. Skelton. He adds that the owner has no intention of subdividing the property and intends to use it as his personal residence.
Who bought it?

Just who is the new owner? His uncle, who is a distant cousin of comedian Red Skelton, assures us he doesn't intend to be a mystery man, just keep a low profile. He wants to introduce himself to his surrounding neighbors before making a splash in the press.

We do know "Mr. X" grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and thinks Woodside is similar to that verdant horse country. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York.

His background is in computer technology and investment banking and he has managed several start-up companies. His areas of technical expertise include digital multimedia for Windows and electronic commerce for the Internet, says Mr. Skelton.

During the restoration, Mrs. Davies' caretaker, Phil Yee, will live in the house, then stay on with the new owner.

For almost 50 years, Mrs. Davies opened her home for innumerable benefits, luncheons, teas, style shows, dinners and auctions, for the community. The young owner admires and respects that tradition, and also, eventually, hopes to share the estate with the community, says Mr. Skelton.