1920s Ross mansion back on market for $8.85 million

Once listed for $16.8 million

By Adam Brinklow Apr 6, 2017, 8:32am PDT

The two-acre, six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bath estate at 11 Circle Drive in Ross (Marin County, population 2,400 or so) celebrates its 90th birthday this year. We should all look so good when the time comes.

This circa 1927 (some old listings say 1926) French Norman beauty listed for the imperial sum of $16.8 million in 2012. No points off for the grand ambition, but after nearly four years that price eventually tumbled to less than half, and it sold in early 2016 for just over $8 million.

And now all of a sudden it’s back, this time with a comparably even-keeled price of $8.85 million.

Even the gates at the front of the estate are Beaux-Arts, beyond which a garden full of redwoods and Japanese maples waits by the guest house (which adds a couple of additional bedrooms and bath to the count) and a circular brick driveway and fountain.

(As far as status symbols go, circular brick driveways remain highly underrated.)

The 2012-2016 listings opted for a distinctly Versailles-esque look to the place, with lots of imperial reds and golds and highly polished woodwork that made the space look elegant but also a bit dark and closed off.

The new photos and interior design angle for a more contemporary look. That is to say, an extremely white look all around. Note the much smaller furniture used to stage the place and play up the scale of all of its nearly 8,000 square feet.