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Clarendon Heights: Hot Tub on the Roof, Now for Less

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[News Flash; the price of 206 Palo Alto has been dropped to $3.695M]
This handsome house in Clarendon Heights, one of our favorite neighborhoods, has been pricechopped from $4.2M to $3.995 and pulled from the MLS. Four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths on three levels with seriously great views north. The realtor assures us it's still on the market and the sign's still up out front so we've re-posted the pictures in the gallery and added the floor plans. Frankly we're stumped as to why it hasn't sold, although it's clear the pool of buyers in this particular stratosphere has become shallower. Or it was just too ambitious a price. So lets see if the chop helps. According to Property Shark, this was built new in 2003, replacing a house from 1938. Back to stumps, there was been some negative chatter on another blog about that tree trunk section in the hall.

Click on plan to enlarge:

We see the stump as a riff on two design classics- the furniture of Michael Taylor, the game-changing California decorator, and the tradition of a round center table in a large formal hall, played off against the highly finished wood of the stair. Expensive and indulgent, and an eclectic house that pulls from everywhere, a little Billy Haines here, some applied surfaces there. lots of tile. A hot tub on the roof? Why not. The street side almost disappears- and the rear elevation is a straightforward composition of glass and interlocking planes covered in stone. Basically, it's well laid out and looks easy to live in. Decor is changeable if you really hate it that much. Plus it's a great place for parties. Downside? You know you're not going dust this place yourself, so don't start with upkeep. The back yard lawns can be xeriscaped and the dead-end of Palo Alto is a great place for kids to play. Maybe there's no where to go for a pint of milk or some late-night artisanal gelato. But hey, if you're looking for a house up here you already knew that.
· Clarendon Heights Designer House With Tree Stump and Peep Deck [Curbed SF Archives]
· 206 Palo Alto Avenue [Jon Taylor/Sothebys]
· Michael Taylor, Designer [Wikipedia]