Treasure in Tiburon…for Sale - Page 2

"The design of this home is timeless," says Goldman. Vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, transom, and wall-to-wall windows frame gorgeous views of San Francisco, warmed by polished concrete floors with radiant heat.

A newer modern kitchen features an induction range cooktop, steam oven, and stainless-steel appliances. The owners worked with Hulburd Design in San Francisco on several other projects, then began working on this home in 2012.

"We purposely updated this home to honor the mid-century integrity of it—by adding Heath tile, for example, and not expanding the kitchen envelope when we remodeled it in 2017," Benjamin explains.

"We worked vertically adding shelves, under-counter fridges, and natural concrete countertops poured in Sebastopol. There was a hanging wood-burning fireplace that obscured the view, so we chose a modern, gas-burning unit for the upstairs family room."

An early phase of the remodel included updating the single-pane glass, adding a garage door, re-roofing, and installing solar. Today the home is powered by environmentally friendly rooftop solar panels, and has enclosed parking and EV charging to recharge your electric vehicles.

Architect Roger Yuen Lee was born in 1920, earning his Bachelor's Degree in Arts and Architecture from UC Berkeley in 1941. Between 1941 and 1945, he worked with William Hayes and Howard Moise designing U.S. post offices, and as an assistant engineer on defense projects in Honolulu.

Returning to the Bay Area in 1947, Lee worked with architect Fred Langhorst. He received many accolades over his lifetime, including special recognition from the London's Architectural Review Board in 1957 as one of 40 architects "who have made personal contributions to American architecture."

Lee relocated his practice to Hawaii in 1964, and passed there in 1981. His portfolio is dotted with award-winning homes, including the George Channing residence in Sausalito (1955), and William Wilkinson residence in Orinda (1956); and an extensive list of apartments, churches, homes, housing projects, and recreational facilities.

Filled with blueberries, cherry, and fig trees, Japanese maple, Magnolia trees, and poppies and roses. During the pandemic, they focused on the garden, growing vegetables like chard and tomatoes, planting two Japanese maples, and replanting a weeping cherry tree.

"Since [the original owner's] first name is Rose, we think this is why we have so many rose bushes on the property," Benjamin says, adding, "Although we have never seen ducklings, we do have pair of mallards who arrive every spring to loaf and roost by the pool."

Visiting a Roger Lee home in person is always best, but we can also take a virtual tour.

"The flow of this home is simply wonderful," says Benjamin, who clearly feels fortunate to have lived there. "Overall, the house is not large [at 2,050 square feet], but because of the ceiling height and sliding glass doors, it feels so open. We admire the original vision of Roger Lee's work."