Atherton FLW Seeks Steward - Page 2

"It's in a really quiet, private place that is very desirable," Lombardelli says. "People like how it's set apart from Atherton."

The 3-bedroom, 2-bath brick home features broad eaves, redwood ceilings, skylights, stained concrete floors, built-ins, radiant heating, and is finished in Philippine mahogany paneling.

A wood-burning, brick fireplace, extending from floor to ceiling, is shared by the dining room and living room, with views looking out through walls of glass to the terrace, pool, and private grounds.

"The shape is an equilateral parallelogram, and it's just the craziest feeling being inside of it," Lombardelli says.

"[Architect] Aaron Green, who was the project manager for Frank Lloyd Wright, took over after one of the contractors switched over, so it was completed by Green and Green [Construction]," she explains.

Green (1917-2001) became Wright's West Coast representative after moving to San Francisco in 1951, working independently (as Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc.) as well as on more than 40 projects with Wright. He was internationally recognized for his diverse architectural designs and large-scale urban planning.

"The entire home is 60- and 120-degree angles; there's only one right angle in the home," Lombardelli pointed out. "Because the home is small, Wright wanted the space to flow better, so he added softness and flow to the architecture."

Acclaimed landscape architect Thomas Church (1902-1978) brought his modernist magic to the home's landscaping, incorporating oak trees, sculptures, and a pool into the park-like grounds.

Church pioneered the 'California style' working from his San Francisco offices for more than 40 years. Among his most prestigious projects are the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, the Donnell Garden in Sonoma, and the master plans for Stanford University and UC Berkeley.

"With one-of-a-kind homes [like the Mathews House], I'm starting to see more and more people looking at them as art, valuing them as originally created," Lombardelli says.

"The most powerful, most beautiful things can come in small packages," she added. "I hope that with this Frank Lloyd Wright home, we can find someone who will preserve it and take care of it."

Showings of the Mathews House to prospective buyers are by appointment only. For more information and photos, click here. For a walk-through video, click here.