Sacramento area home with 14-foot indoor waterfall built of native rock sells for $1.7M
A home near Sacramento with a dramatic centerpiece — a 14-foot indoor waterfall cascading down an entire floor into a pond below — has sold for $1.7 million.
The stunning waterfall was built out of a native rock outcrop that stood in the middle of a residential lot in Rancho Murietta, and had previously deterred everybody from building there. The only choices seemed to be blowing up the ancient rock formation or building a home at the very back of the property.
Jerome Hoberg had a better idea.
“My father bought that lot that no one wanted because it had rocks in the middle,” his daughter Karen Hoberg, owner-broker of Rancho Murieta Homes and Land, told The Sacramento Bee when the home first listed. ”He said, ‘Yes, you can build on it,’ and then proceeded to design that house to fit into the rock outcroppings.”
The expansive Rancho Murietta home sold for the asking price of $1.688 million, plus a little extra for some of the custom teak furniture that perfectly fits the Zen-like retreat.
The family who bought the residence is moving 30 miles south from Rocklin to the gated golf course community, Hoberg said. Rancho Murieta is about 20 miles east of Sacramento, California.
“He loved it instantly for the character (and) the design,” Hoberg said Monday. “It’s very peaceful. It’s ... relaxing and calming and he really loved that, and of course the views (of the golf course).”
The stunning waterfall cascades down from a formal entryway into a koi pond in the living room one level below. A curved staircase is suspended over the waterfall. The water flow can be adjusted to various power levels, too.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home is the largest residence in Rancho Murieta — spanning 8,225 square feet — and sits on one of the community’s largest lots (.66 acres), said Hoberg, who was listing agent for the property.
The style of the home, built in 1983 on Guadalupe Drive, is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of Jerome Hoberg’s favorite architects along with Richard Neutra.
“It’s quite a feat of design, engineering and architecture,” Karen Hoberg said. “It’s like being in a museum with the art, landscaping, the rocks and the waterfalls.”
The house — with Japanese-style green ceramic roof tiles, lush landscaping and streams running down rocks — was designed to blend with the natural environment of native oaks, redwoods and outcroppings.
An expansive redwood deck and free-form pool — fed by another, outdoor waterfall — offer views of the 14th tee and fairway at the Rancho Murieta Country Club golf course.
Inside, the extraordinary architecture is supplemented by walls of glass, detailed hand-carved teak cabinetry and furniture from Thailand, redwood paneling and high-quality Van Luit wallpaper — all designed by Jerome Hoberg, who studied architecture at USC.
Across from the waterfall, pond and stairway, impressive bell-shaped light fixtures from Thailand hang from the living room ceiling. The lights also adorn the master bedroom.
“The wonderful light fixtures are the same bells that are found in the (Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok),” Hoberg said.
Other elements, including heat-resistant soapstone counters in the kitchen, modern appliances and travertine flooring were added during various remodels and upgrades over the years by the sellers, who are private business people and philanthropists.
With a total of 21 rooms, the multi-level residence also features a library, sauna, three fireplaces, private office, den with a wet bar, and a fitness room.
The home is designed for entertaining. Off the gourmet kitchen is a butler’s pantry with a temperature-controlled, glass-encased wine room. The butler’s pantry leads from the kitchen to a formal dining room via a hidden door — a great set-up for hosting dinner parties.
The home sold within two months of listing.
Massive rock formation became indoor waterfall in Sacramento area home listed at $1.7M
