Novato home with dramatic ceilings asks $849K

Last time 32 Balra Drive in Novato came on the market the sales pitch was that it was a “cabin in the woods,” but its new listing frames it as a “cool and contemporary” home.

Neither is quite right, as this place dates to the 1960s. And at three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and over 1,600 feet, it’s not quite rustic or spare enough to quite qualify for cabin status, even with the “oasis and waterfall” advertised in the yard.

Said waterfall is more of a picturesque trickle than a roaring river, of course, but it does add a little something extra. The main attraction by rights really ought to be the interior, where the classic mid-century open floor plan spreads out underneath a truly spectacular open ceiling.

It’s a thing of beauty the way the plaster overhead suddenly blows away to form a climbing lattice of beams and skylights over the centerpiece living room. The vertical light well adds, pardon the pun, an entirely new dimension to the space.

Back in 2014 this place sold for an entirely respectable $751,000, but now it’s setting its sights on even more impressive bearings by asking $849,000.

• 32 Balra Drive [Compass]
• 32 Balra, 2014 [Coldwell Banker]