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12090 Hwy 116, Guerneville - $475,000
1 bed 1 bath -- square feet. Year built: 1980.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Millar and Company Real Estate)
This dome-style house looks interesting from the outside, and perhaps a little quirky, but that's nothing compared to what you'll find inside. Every part of the interior is customized, with almost exacting attention to detail. This is one of the houses I would strongly suggest going to visit in person. Click to get a look at what I mean...

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Interior. (Photo courtesy of Millar and Company Real Estate)
This is an overview of the attention paid to the interior, if you look through the original listing you'll see custom tile work, wood work, and little details throughout. Scroll to check out the next unique property...

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2250 Nectarine Dr, Santa Rosa - $665,000
3 beds 3 baths 2,497 square feet. Year built: 2006.
**PENDING SALE AS OF 10/08**
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Artisan/Healdsburg Sotheby's International Realty)
The Christopherson family have been building houses in Sonoma County since the 1970s, and after a rough patch, came back with a new company that focuses on new buildings as well as renovations. This single family home is a Christopherson built example, and though newer, the turret for an entryway references some of the Queen Anne Victorian homes that started showing up after the Civil War. Whether you're into architectural history or not, it does look cool. Click to check out the interior...

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Interior. (Photo courtesy of Artisan/Healdsburg Sotheby's International Realty)
The circular nature of the entryway sets the interior of the house up for an interesting aesthetic indoors. This home is filled with unexpected curves and archways - a chalenge for even an experienced interior designer. But this may not be as unique as you expected, scroll to see the next property...

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612 Orchard St, Santa Rosa - $625,000
3 beds, 1 bath, 4,464 square feet. Year built: 1886.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Sterling California Properties)
Okay, it's a church, certainly - but it's also in the historic Cherry district, has 4,464 square feet of interior space, and with some work (sidenote: a LOT of work) could be a stunning, artistic residence. If you think that's unimaginable, a close friend of mine purchased an old police station in S.F. to turn into a home/art studio - sometimes recommissioned buildings can have a new life. However - it does need a ton of work done to it. Click to see the inside...

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Interior. (Photo courtesy of Sterling California Properties)
So, yes, this church was built in 1886. I could have shown a picture of the main hall - which is still presentable - but anyone who really enjoys bringing old buildings back to life will be able to see the potential for restoration here. Scroll to check out the next property...

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508 Sonoma Ave, Santa Rosa - $639,000
3 beds, 2 baths, 1,385 square feet. Year built: 1906.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Keller Williams Realty)
This Queen Anne Victorian isn't a custom house; but it is unique. Built in 1906, it's rare to find a home from that early that's still in good shape, and hasn't had at least moine major remodel (extra rooms, tearing out interior walls to create more space). It also looks as though the original colors were kept along with the decorative railing on the porch. But the exterior isn't the only thing that's well maintained; click to check out the interior...

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Bathroom. (Photo courtesy of Keller Williams Realty)
Rather than a random interior shot, I wanted to show this vintage-style bathtub that's period specific, so it shows an accurate glimpse at what this room looked like when this house was first built. Scroll to see something a bit more woodsy...

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2766 Victoria Dr, Santa Rosa- $580,000
4 beds, 3 baths, 1,976 square feet. Year built: 1984.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Artisan Sotheby's International Realty)
We're back to the unique and creative with this single family home that give the appearance of being built out of rough slats, or reclaimed barn wood. Click to see what the inside looks like...

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Interior. (Photo courtesy of Artisan Sotheby's International Realty)
Surprisingly, the rough wood look didn't get carried into the interior, but the look of diagonal planks did, on the ceiling. Scroll through to see what unique can look like out in the woods...

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22145 Umland Cir, Jenner - $529,000
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,311 square feet. Year built: 1972.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Artisan Sotheby's International Realty)
This house tucked away in the woods looks as though it's the frame of a tract home, but had planks and shingles added to the exterior so it would seem more 'woodsy'. The other interesting thing about it is that it it's built on the edge of a hillside, so the woods play a big part in the overall look and feel. Click through to see what I mean...

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Back patio. (Photo courtesy of Artisan Sotheby's International Realty)
This patio in the rear of the home looks out at the forest, and you can see from this view how rustic they were able to make a somewhat ordinary house. Scroll through to see something even more rustic at The Sea Ranch...

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33273 Sea Forest Dr, The Sea Ranch - $640,000
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,741 square feet. Year built: 1987.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties)
This unique house was designed by a well-known Mid-Century Modern architect Carson Bowler, who's other works can be seen around Jenner and Bodega Harbor. It's meant to look more sculptural than anything else, but the interior has a surprisingly open floor plan. Scroll to check it out...

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Interior. (Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties)
The use of the space, windows, and sunroofs make this home feel open and welcoming - it's also a very unique, one-of-a-kind house. There's one more on the list; click through to see a fully customized home in Forestville...

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10355 Scenic Dr, Forestville - $425,000
1 bed, 2 baths, 1,080 square feet. Year built: 1974.
Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Wright Realty)
This custom home is hard to see from the street, as it's tucked behind the trees and built to work with te surroundings. These angled side windows are following the slope of the land, and the idea of bringing the outdoors inside can be seen throughout the interior. Scroll to check it out...

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Kitchen. (Photo courtesy of Wright Realty)
Generally, rough boulders or lava rocks are used to frame a fireplace (which it does in this house) but here it creates the base of the kitchen counter. It's not everyone's cup of tea, design-wise, but once you've seen it (or have a guest over to see it) it won't be a detail that's overlooked (or forgotten).