A Certain Composure

Set amid the enclave of Marin Terrace with eastern and southwest-facing outlooks that stretch over the green ridgelines of Tam Valley beyond, 916 Alturas Way holds itself with a certain composure, the kind that only comes from thirty years in one family's care. 

High ceilings and massive windows allow light to pour in throughout the day, filling the rooms with contours that shift by the hour, and an ease that makes every room feel even bigger than it is.

The layout sets the home apart, where every level has its own sense of privacy and place. Walk in from the front door to a generously scaled first bedroom and full bath, flexible enough to serve as a guest suite, home office, or den. The main living level flows easily from a vaulted-ceiling living room with fireplace and soaring windows, into the dining room and a kitchen that keeps pace, with warm wood cabinetry, a garden window over the sink, a gas range, and a small breakfast bar with a built-in wine fridge. A few steps away, the well-proportioned second bedroom claims its own en-suite bath, catching both morning and afternoon light. The primary bedroom suite gets an entire floor to itself, with peaked ceilings, walk-in closet, en-suite bath, and separate laundry room. 

Outside, a back patio and a planted hillside garden offer a place to grill, enjoy a meal, or let the evening wind down, low-maintenance enough to enjoy rather than manage. A garage, wine cellar, and no shortage of interior storage and closet space round out the practical side of the home. This is a house that was built to actually live in, with an owned solar system keeping it running efficiently.

The location offers a rare kind of proximity: minutes to both the Miller Ave corridor and Tam Junction with  Equator Coffee, live music at the Junction, and Proof Lab's surf-shop energy, and an easy stretch to the Tennessee Valley trailhead and Muir Woods when the hills are calling. More often than not though, this is the kind of home that makes you want to curl up in the window seat, watch the light shift through the afternoon, and call friends over to stay for dinner.

It reminds you exactly why people move to Marin in the first place.