Some houses have a story. This one has several.

Designed in 1968 by Berkeley architect John Rolf Hattam, 606 Grizzly Peak is one of the great under-the-radar mid-century homes in the East Bay. It sits on a stretch of Grizzly Peak Boulevard that architecture enthusiasts know well: a ridgeline address where Morgan Shaw, Henry Hill, and a handful of other landmark designers left their mark across the postwar decades. Hattam’s contribution holds its own in that company. One of the rare homes along this stretch where the street-level approach looks directly over the roofline to the Bay beyond, it announces itself before you even walk in the door.

Inside, the main living level delivers on that promise. Three bedrooms and two baths are organized around an open living and dining room with views that stop people mid-sentence. Hattam pushed the western facade toward the Bay, offsetting it from the neighboring homes on either side, and the result is sightlines that open not just to the west but to the north and south as well: a panorama stretching from Marin across San Francisco and down the Peninsula, with the Golden Gate Bridge front and center. Original pecan-toned wood paneled walls and cabinetry have been preserved, complemented by museum-quality matte white oak floors. Soaring ceilings and eight-foot doors do what the best mid-century interiors always do: they make the space feel even larger than it is, so the views have room to breathe. Remote-controlled custom lighting and shades throughout the living and dining rooms let you set the mood without leaving the sofa. The kitchen was updated with custom cabinetry, a central island, polished concrete counters, an indirectly lit Heath tile wall, and a full suite of Miele appliances. Step outside and you’re in a private Japanese garden courtyard, equally good for morning coffee or an intimate dinner party. A rebuilt cantilevered deck off the living room extends the entertaining footprint further, with a custom conforming railing designed to keep sightlines completely unobstructed, even at night.

The lower level was transformed from an unfinished shell into a spacious family room and study, a generous guest bedroom, and a beautifully finished full bath with Hans Grohe fixtures, a Schicker shower door, and a concrete shower pan. The owners excavated beneath the house to add an additional 200 square feet, and installed custom awning windows on the western wall to bring the view in. A private garden deck gives the lower floor its own indoor-outdoor connection, and a storage area has been plumbed and wired for a future kitchen. Custom ceiling soundproofing throughout makes this level as serene as it is versatile. The two-car garage was converted into a professional painting studio with skylights, art lighting, and a custom exterior door purpose-built for serious creative work. The full renovation was designed by Rick Irving, formerly Director of Interior Architecture at Richard Meier and Partners and lead designer on the Getty Center interiors.

That studio is where the home’s most extraordinary chapter unfolded. Wanda Westberg, one of the Bay Area’s most celebrated fine artists, has painted here for over a decade. Her work is held in private and corporate collections internationally. She and her partner Richard Pettler, a noted attorney and art collector, purchased the home in 2012 and transformed it into something genuinely singular: a living gallery where world-class art was made and displayed in the very space that inspired it. Wanda’s paintings are featured prominently throughout every room, their scale and presence perfectly matched to Hattam’s generous proportions and light-filled interiors.

Her celebrated 2020 series “Sky” was painted directly from the living room and deck: the San Francisco skyline, the Golden Gate, Mt. Tamalpais, the light shifting across the Bay through every season. The house didn’t just inspire the work. It is in the work. Much of the mid-century furniture was sourced by Richard, giving the collection a curatorial coherence that is rare outside of museum walls. To move through this home is to understand how great architecture and great art elevate each other.

Since 2012, the owners have invested nearly $470,000 in thoughtful, high-quality improvements, touching every system and surface while preserving everything that makes the architecture special. The grounds are drought-tolerant and beautifully maintained, with rebuilt redwood decks and fencing, copper downspouts, and a fully repainted exterior.

Whoever purchases 606 Grizzly Peak inherits more than a great house with irreplaceable views. They will inherit an artistic oasis where prolific creativity flourished for years. This is only the second time 606 Grizzly Peak has come to market since it was built in 1968. For the right buyer, that is the whole story.

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Amenities

Architect-designed 1968 mid-century modern | John Rolf Hattam architect | Panoramic Bay views| 3 bedrooms + 2 baths main level | Open plan living and dining | Original wood-paneled walls | Museum-quality white oak floors | 8-foot doors | Updated kitchen | Polished concrete countertops | Floating Island | Custom Heath tile | Private Japanese garden courtyard | Cantilevered deck with bronze railing | Lower level family room and study | Lower level guest bedroom | Lower level full bath | Storage pre-plumbed for future kitchen | Lower level garden deck | Converted 2-car garage artist’s studio | Professional skylights | Art lighting throughout | Pre-wired for serious creative work | Mid-century furniture collection | Drought-tolerant landscaping