A San Francisco couple who invested $7.5 million for a four-story home in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco in 2010 turned the property into a museum-like home.
Richard Evans and his wife Gretchen fell in love with the beauty of the views surrounding their new home. However, they had one problem: the home they purchased had no windows at all. After buying the property, the former Alcan aluminum company CEO and his artist wife entertained the idea of renovating the house to add elements of light and openness. They spent $6.3 million for the 16-month restoration, Wall Street Journal reports.
The four-bedroom, seven-bathroom contemporary house was originally constructed in the 1950s for an avid art collector. It was first modified in 1990s wherein a solid wall was installed but no windows. The walls served the need for an enormous book display of the owner who is also a book collector. When Mr. and Mrs. Evans acquired the property, they incorporated mahogany windows that offer perfect views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Alcatraz.
The couple hired the same architect, Lewis Butler, who first renovated the 6,800-square-foot home. A unique feature of the museum-like home is a Guggenheim-like ramp at the front door. "It makes people stop and look at the art more carefully than a staircase," Mr. Evans claimed.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans changed the surface of the ramp from wood floor and gray stone to limestone and glass, allowing more passage of light. The couple spent a huge amount of money for installing windows. They ordered it from Massachusetts for over $80,000. They also invested for a circular staircase, insulated floors and walls and water heat. Mr. and Mrs. Evans now hold meetings or events for their group, the Northern Light School in Oakland.