The Ultimate Carter Sparks/Streng Bros. Modern Home in Woodland, CA
From the Listing
Move Into a Work of Art.
A 1977 Carter Sparks designed atrium home with custom interiors by a designer whose work appeared in Architectural Digest. Original redwood beams, walnut cabinetry, and Japanese textured tile throughout. A dry creek runs from the entry through the light-filled atrium and out into Japanese-inspired gardens shaded by mature redwoods and cedars. True indoor-outdoor living with over twelve hundred square feet of outdoor patio and shaded space shielding an enclosed RV/Boat area. Owned solar, heat pump, and a new Bosch and Electrolux kitchen with formal and casual dining spaces making this a dream home for intimate meals and entertaining alike. Preserved and perfected for you and your family, there’s nothing to do but move in and enjoy life under the palms.
Indoor Outdoor Living
Step through the front door and the atrium greets you: fourteen-foot palms arching toward a skylight that fills the home with soft, diffused light all day long. A dry creek of American River rock winds from the entry through the living spaces and out into the garden – disappearing behind a berm at the far end of the lot so you feel it continues into the landscape beyond. The atrium connects everything: the living areas look into it, the kitchen overlooks it, the master suite opens to it. It’s the room you pass through on the way to every other room and the one you find yourself lingering in longest.
Design and Character
This is a 1977 Streng Brothers home designed by architect Carter Sparks with custom interiors by Larry C. Fernandez- a noted designer whose work appeared in Architectural Digest and Designer’s West. He designed this home for his sister, and her family has cared for it ever since.
The kitchen sits at the center of the home- a departure from the standard Streng plan that puts the cook in command of the atrium, the garden, and the living spaces all at once. Warm walnut slab cabinetry is carried consistently through the kitchen and bathrooms. Japanese textured floor tiles in earth tones match the exposed aggregate of the atrium walkway. Exposed redwood beams in their original Mission Brown stain run overhead. A full-height front door flanked by floor to ceiling glass makes the entry a moment, and the black glass wall in the dining room- reflective like a dark mirror- creates intimacy in the open plan.
Everything reads as one composition: calm, cohesive, and designed with a consistency that makes the house feel larger and more serene than its square footage suggests.
Outdoor Living
The garden is the other half of the house. Over twelve hundred square feet of exposed aggregate patio, with nearly half shaded by pergolas of alternating boards that filter sunlight without closing you in. The dry creek runs from the atrium out through the backyard, landscaped with specimen plantings along its path. Mature redwoods and cedars- nearly fifty years old and arborist maintained- create a dappled canopy overhead.
The front of the home faces west with no windows, screened by mature junipers and trees so the house stays cool even in Woodland’s warmest months. The wall of sliding doors in back faces east, and those first warm rays of morning through the garden are gorgeous. In winter, Woodland’s soft misty light lasts most of the day, and the house feels like a Japanese tea house- warm inside, looking out through glass at the sculptural trees and stone.
Preserved and Perfected
Every upgrade is invisible. Owned rooftop solar cuts summer electric bills. A heat pump water heater replaced the original gas unit. Recessed LED lighting uses enclosures matched to the originals. Nearly new Bosch and Electrolux appliances include an induction cooktop. The entry closet has been converted to a whole-house media hub- speaker wire runs to every living area and the backyard with no visible wires. A modern shoji-style glass-paneled garage door completes the exterior.
The original design was flawless. Nothing was changed. Everything was improved.
The Spaces
Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, approximately 2190 square feet, on a 10,880 square foot corner lot.
The open living and dining area flows around the atrium with the original Streng Bros. fireplace as anchor. A family room with integrated dining opens onto both the atrium and garden with sliding glass doors. The master suite features a walk-in closet, private ensuite bathroom, and a double-wide doorway to the atrium. Two generous bedrooms, a hall bath with skylight, and an enclosed utility room with newer washer and dryer form a private wing. The fourth bedroom opens to the garden through its own sliding doors- an ideal home office for remote work. Spacious two car garage with extensive storage, workbench and integrated sink. A fenced utility area for RV/Boat storage currently with a 10X10 Tuff Shed provides additional storage.
Highlights
Single Owner Since 1977 meticulous preservation
Enclosed Atrium with 14-Foot Ceilings
Enclosed RV/Boat/Shed area
Owned Rooftop Solar System
Heat Pump Water Heater
Bosch and Electrolux Kitchen Appliances
Induction Cooktop
Original Redwood Beams
Japanese Textured Floor Tile
Walnut Slab Cabinetry Throughout
Original Streng Bros. Fireplace
Black Glass Feature Wall
Whole-House Audio Wiring
Over 1,200 Sq Ft Patio Space
Shade Pergolas
Japanese-Inspired Gardens
Mature Redwoods and Cedars
Modern Glass-Panel Garage Door
Corner Lot
Strong School District
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