Standing in stark contrast to neighboring houses, this incredible architectural gem was built in 1960 near San Francisco, a simple yet dramatic design by architect B. Clyde Cohen. In 1995, Bob Mooney chanced upon this house, noting the striking design in spite of the current condition: dry rot, old chipping paint, results of years of neglect. All beams were painted black, window trim was a combo of black and Chinese red, and the siding was painted a very dark brown. A visionary, he saw past that and bought the house, and restored it even beyond its original grandeur.

The home has a number of unique features including a remote-control gas concrete fireplace with a full 6 and 1/2 foot opening, and a relecting pond surrounding one side of the living room. To enter the home, you cross over the reflecting pool via flagstone steps. Other features include seven separate sliding glass doors, complete with their original boomerang door handles, to the many outdoor living areas, including the front view deck, a large deck off the master bedroom, and the fully enclosed entrance patio. It was designed in post-war modern fashion similar to Eichler homes, bringing the outdoors in and indoors out. The ratio of glass to standard walls is approximately two to one.

The house is situated in the hills of Belmont, California, and faces north-west towards San Francisco and the bay. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath house is on an unusual lot size, approximately 150' long, yet only about 30' deep, and on a steep slope. It was originally built as a one bedroom, two bath house with a photographers studio, and a unique dining deck in the middle of the house. Both of these rooms have since been converted into bedrooms.

Purchasing the home was the beginning of Bob's interest in modern architecture and mid-century interior design. He knew the house needed something special for the inside and he decided to keep the interior design true to the house's design era. Cara Greenberg's book Mid-Century Modern introduced him to Arne Jacobsen's Egg chair… love at first sight! Also impressed by Vladimir Kagan, the living room soon featured a Kagan sofa. Next came two Ribbon chairs by Pierre Paulin.

The style continued into the dining room when he traded his Adirondack deck furniture with a friend for her six dining chairs. He later learned their provenance: Verner Pantons' 1-2-3 chairs. The lamp over the dinning table was a bonus, it came with the house, an original Arne Jacobsen.

Five years of attention, planning, and detailed restoration paid off: the house now sits as a proud example of 60s modern style, inside and out. An Eero Aarnio Ball Chair has taken the place of the Egg chair which was moved to the upstairs study along with a Nelson Saucer lamp. He's added an arch lamp by Castiglioni along with two hand-blown glass mushroom lamps by Isabelle Gianpietro. And scattered everywhere are twentieth-century electronics, Bob's real passion. "The house is more than furnished at this point", Bob admits, wishing for more minimalism yet enjoying many fine objects in his home. "If I were to get anything new, something would have to go, and that just isn't going to happen."

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