About 650 Branciforte Ridge
This stunning custom-built home, perched on a ridgeline above Monterey Bay, leans gracefully into the curves of the hillside, taking advantage of every sliver of light and views, from sunrise to sunset. The muted colors of the building materials stone, concrete, gravel, brushed aluminum, copper blend subtly and seamlessly with the Mediterranean tones of olive and citrus trees. The smooth stucco exterior has been stained ochre another Mediterranean touch.
Surrounded by 28 acres that guarantee privacy forever, a circular drive echoes the home’s curves, with a stunning entryway dividing the semicircle. A custom-designed stainless glass door, flanked on either side by French doors with the natural wood and brushed aluminum frames found throughout the house, opens to steps with custom stainless steel and teak railings, leading to a dining area and a view of the tree-lined hillside below through its 20-foot high windows. Natural light streams through the entryway from all sides, including a custom oblong skylight above and a porthole light over the front door.
The south-facing dining room overlooks an infinity pool that gives the illusion of gently cascading over the edge of the property, but in fact is ingeniously engineered to catch water in a basin below and pump it back into the pool. The pool is surrounded by private tree-top views, stainless steel and teak wood inlay fencing, and every touch needed for elegant entertaining: a concrete fire pit with built-in seating, a stainless outdoor Firemagic barbecue with built-in storage, and plenty of space on the custom-poured concrete deck for a variety of outdoor seating, eating, gazing and grazing areas.
The pool is also accessible through French doors from two other areas: the kitchen and master bedroom. The kitchen is equipped with high-end, chef-grade appliances: a Dacor double convection oven, a Viking professional six-burner stove, and a sleek Kitchen Aid double-door refrigerator. Custom Allegro wood cabinets, a built-in wine rack, and a walk-in pantry with custom shelving offer plenty of accessible storage. The concrete counter and sink, dramatically angled island, and brushed aluminum drawers echo the materials found throughout the house, and every spot in the kitchen is well-lit with a combination of recessed lights and hanging lights over the kitchen.
The east-facing master bedroom, which has its own direct access to the pool area through another set of French doors, features two linen closets, a master bath with glass vessel sinks and a concrete counter, a Philip Starke tub overlooking a window, and a shower with limestone walls and glass doors. Like other parts of the house, the concrete floors have radiant hydronic heat, divided into zones so that different parts of the house can be heated as needed. In addition to the master bedroom and bath, the home includes two other bedrooms with high ceilings and walk-in closets, as well as a guest bathroom, featuring the beautiful and natural materials found throughout the house. A graceful curved hallway with recessed lighting, ochre walls, and more French doors connects the rooms. A guest bath and and separate laundry room are accessed from the hallway. The cozy family room open to the dining room, has a 20-foot vaulted ceiling, Rumford fireplace, and entertainment center with custom Allegro wood built-in cabinets. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views to the west and south. An office area with built-in bookshelves and storage and the same dramatic windows opens to the private Sunset Terrace.
A three-car garage with custom aluminum-paneled doors complete the layout. The house is surrounded by a terraced garden with fruit trees, raised boxes for vegetables, and citrus and olive trees all nourished by a drip irrigation system and protected with engineered retaining walls.
With the best of old-world craftsmanship and materials and new-world engineering and architecture, this beautiful home takes full advantage of its stunning hilltop setting to bring a modern Mediterranean vibe to the center of the Central Coast.
