The Home Page: Country Living and Checkerboard Dreams

Exploring Valley Vibes and Country Corners in Los Olivos

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on April 3, 2022. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

VALLEY VIBES

I spent some time in Los Olivos last weekend and was reminded what a quintessentially charming destination it is. With no shortage of restaurants, art galleries, wineries, and boutiques, I beelined for J. Woeste, my favorite gift-shop-slash-nursery to peruse the myriad treasures along their meandering outdoor paths. After sandwiches at Panino, we drove out toward Grass Mountain in search of wildflowers. Pastoral scenes like the one above took my breath away and had me daydreaming of the valley lifestyle.

YOUR OWN CORNER IN THE COUNTRY

I was still dreaming when I got back home, and a little research led me to this adorable home at 2353 Henning Drive, situated on a creek-side acre surrounded by greenery at the end of a private lane just a few blocks from the town square in Los Olivos. Cathy O’Neill and Tiffany Dore at Village Properties will be showing it by appointment this weekend. If you want to take your own drive in the country, give them a call at (805) 947-0608. While you’re there, I highly recommend a stop at J. Woeste!

CHECK IT OUT

One of my recent design-blog wormholes — you know, where I click on one thing, which leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to oh, great, it’s 8:30 and I haven’t started dinner yet — was this series over on the Tidbits blog that’s everything you ever wanted to know about checkerboard flooring … and then some. From colors to sizes to sourcing to types — harlequin, anyone? — it covers all the bases and even provides DIY info.

NOW I’M OBSESSED

So now everywhere I turn, I see checkerboard flooring. This beautifully oversized tile works perfectly in the open-plan great room of this gorgeous Lake Los Carneros home. Offered by Ricardo Munoz at Berkshire Hathaway, this three-bedroom, two-bath beauty sits on a quarter-acre lot at 6290 Momouth Avenue. Listed at $2,195,000, it’s a brand-new listing, so don’t delay.

Whether you’re cruising the corners of the county or at home strategizing your next DIY project, make sure you check out this week’s big Summer Camp issue of the Independent and enjoy your Sunday!

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