Exterior

On an oak-dotted bench of land below pine-covered hills, 5-bedroom/5-bath Panorama House looks out on a stunning Napa Valley vista from 1,000 feet up. Located between Calistoga and St. Helena, it is one of the best views from any home in the valley. Starting at majestic 4,300-foot Mt. St. Helena on the north and sweeping miles and miles south to the high ridges west of the city of Napa. Below lies a collage of roads, vineyards, wineries and woods that extends far into the distance.

Planned by architect Stanley Saitowitiz and designer Sally Sirkin Lewis, this one-story, 8,500-square-foot house stands on 150 acres, surrounded by cabernet vines, olive trees, oaks, firs, willows and high ridges. The house’s simple profile has an absolute crispness and sureness of line. A wall of glass runs the entire length of its south side, taking full advantage of the superb location by providing views to almost anybody inside. Slender rectangular columns support the travertine-paved colonnade that also runs the house’s entire length. An especially inviting touch is two outdoor atria that extend into the house from the colonnade, both open to the sun and each furnished with tables and chairs.

A broad great lawn, laced by gravel paths, stretches away from the house, then drops down a hill in two terraces. The first terrace has a bocce court, while the second offers a grass-fringed swimming pool and hot tub, a children’s play area, and an outdoor kitchen and dining table. The entire vast front yard is wired for outdoor sound.

Over the years Panorama House’s owners have assembled an outstanding collection of sculptures, paintings and photographs. That is why they built a willow-shaded sculpture garden on the opposite side of the house, a design feature that allows occupants to see the art displayed there from several places in the house. The grassy area is fringed with small, smooth stones that have been painstakingly laid down beside one another in orderly rows – themselves a sculptural element. The sculptures here and out on the lawn include works by Viola Fry, Doug Own and Hanneke Beaumont.

Interior

Although there are paintings by Victor Rodriquez, Travis Lester, Larry Sultan and Joyce Peterson on the walls here, much of Panorama House’s art is in its very lines, as well as its white walls and light hardwood floors. Their interplay with southern light just bathes the interior in radiance.

The house follows a very long east-west axis, starting at its west end with a reading room separated from the living room by a double fireplace. Two steps up from the living room, a 14-person dining table is flanked by a glass-front wine room on one side and the house’s towering glass wall on the other.

A long corridor runs along the spine of the house, starting from the dining room and passing a walk-in pantry to reach a spacious great room that includes a kitchen that has a pizza oven built into a stone-clad wall. It also has professional-grade stainless steel appliances, a large work island and plenty of granite-topped counter space. It offers two fine views: one out to the lawn and its superb valley vista; the other into the sculpture garden.

Past the five-stool kitchen counter, a long wooden bench accommodates informal, family-style meals, then gives way to a conversation area and fireplace. Shelves beside the fireplace hold an eye-catching collection of baskets of different styles and weaves. The main corridor next passes a large home office, furnished with floor-to-ceiling dark wood shelving; corridors to other bedrooms and the house’s two media centers; and, finally, reaches the master suite on the house’s opposite end.

The suite, finished in fine fabrics and materials, has a simple, uncluttered look. With large windows on three sides, it has views south past an ancient oak to the valley, east out to an olive grove, and north past sapling fruit trees to the high ridge at the property’s far edge. Its adjoining master bath has a step-down spa, two vanities and two water closets, open to light but shielded for privacy by thick doors of frosted glass. An enormous double shower with 10 spray heads is the room’s visual focus.

Elsewhere in the house, the two-level main media room has several chairs and three couches, including one very long sectional. With plenty of places for placing popcorn and drinks, it can seat 14 people comfortably.

This is an unforgettable space, designed by virtue of its great interior space and light-catching glass walls to give pleasure to whomever is living in it.

Property Highlights

• 5 bedroom
• 5 bath
• Designer home
• Stunning Napa Valley panorama – the best in our program
• Sculptures by noted artists
• Terraced great lawn with bocce court, swimming pool, dining area and playground
• Vines, olive trees and mature oaks
• South-facing “wall of glass” invites sunlight in year-round
• Outdoor sound system
• Total privacy on 150 acres
• Spectacular views – every room has a mountain, valley or sculpture garden view