998 Quietwater Ridge Santa Rosa (All photos courtesy of St. Helena Real Estate)

998 Quietwater Ridge Santa Rosa (All photos courtesy of St. Helena Real Estate)

I tend to avoid reviewing brand new homes because they haven’t been lived in and given a personality, or had unique one-off additions made to them. This new house was brought to my attention, and when I saw it described as ‘Modern Prairie’ I was ready to dismiss it: who can improve on a style inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright?

This 6,470 square foot house in the hills above Santa Rosa proved me wrong. It successfully demonstrates everything that an original Prairie home made famous: protected outdoor spaces, low-pitched roofs, and harmonious use of both vertical and horizontal planes – and then it threw in some individual, and thoroughly modern, touches of its own.

I could explain these artistic additions, but it’s better to see them firsthand. I believe Mr. Wright would fully approve of this home, especially once he caught sight of the pool: 

998 Quietwater Ridge, Santa Rosa – $6,500,000
4 beds, 5.5 baths, 6,470 square feet. Year built: 2016.

Infinity edge pool.

Infinity edge pool.

 

I have to start with the pool. Infinity edge design dates back to the 1400s, where it was first used in a fountain at the Palace of Versailles. With a pedigree like that, it’s no wonder this pool is so impressive.

Living room terrace.

Living room terrace.

 

The seamless blending of indoor/outdoor living space can be found on this living room terrace.

View from the terrace.

View from the terrace.

 

Just one more look at the pool. I know I made a big deal about the style of the home, but this pool both amazes and terrifies me; I wouldn’t take a dare to actually swim in it, even though it’s perfectly safe.

Living room.

Living room.

 

The entryway leads directly into the living room, creating an open and welcoming environment.

Living room.

Living room.

 

From this perspective, you can see the blending of indoor/outdoor again. While not a solid panel, the wall of windows is 10’ by 18’, supplying guests with a panoramic view.

Outdoor living room.

Outdoor living room.

 

These windows fold open, in case anyone wanted a truly unobstructed perspective.

Outdoor living room.

Outdoor living room.

 

The temperate weather in Santa Rosa is what I’ve enjoyed most about living here. Sure, there are really cold days, as well as really hot ones, but the overall consensus is that its lovely year round. I would love to have a room like this no matter the season – though a fire pit during winter would be a must.

Kitchen.

Kitchen.

 

The kitchen features a long marble island and high-end appliances.

Kitchen.

Kitchen.

Kitchen.

Kitchen.

 

From this angle, you can see how this space is utilized so that even those who want to eat in the more casual kitchen area can still easily converse with those seated in the formal dining room.

Grand hallway.

Grand hallway.

 

The main hallway leads to the den and bedrooms.

Den.

Den.

 

They’ve staged this den to show the concept of precise lines and a lack of superfluous ornamentation.

Master bedroom.

Master bedroom.

 

The master bedroom has all the amenities of a miniature house (minus a kitchen) with an outdoor living space, sitting area, and fireplace.

Master bathroom.

Master bathroom.

 

And the master bathroom’s not half bad. Actually, that was an understatement – with his-and-her vanities as well as walk-in closets, it’s quite luxurious.

Soaking tub.

Soaking tub.

 

Relaxing in this tub with that view has got to be a good feeling.

Stairwell.

Stairwell.

 

This stairwell on the main floor gives you two choices – up or down. We’ll go up first, which is where the media room and guest room is, just to peek at the media room so we can then go downstairs where my favorite room is (Wine cellar).

Media room.

Media room.

 

As it’s staged, it may not appear to be more than an additional living room, but it’s fully wired and ready for any configuration of modems, cable boxes, televisions…whatever digital entertainment a homeowner prefers. Now it’s time to head downstairs…

Wine cellar.

Wine cellar.

 

…to the wine cellar. The glass door and minimalist racks make it a very modern wine room, but it exits out to the pool deck so if you’re not fond of it, you can take your glass of wine poolside and relax in the outdoor living room.

Car courtyard.

Car courtyard.

 

My secret is that I am a car aficionado, so this car courtyard was the real reason I got really, really interested in this home. One of the three-car garages is attached to the main residence, the other is detached, and has a granny unit above it.

Garage with granny unit.

Garage with a granny unit.

 

Let’s go up this set of stairs and see what a long term guest, or renter, would have in store for them.

 Kitchen in the granny unit.

Kitchen in the granny unit.

 

A full kitchen with wood floors.

Living room in the granny unit.

Living room in the granny unit.

 

A sizable living room with stunning views of the countryside.

Aerial view of the house.

Aerial view of the house.

 

After touring the interior of the home, you can see from this aerial shot how well planned out the layout is.