See interior design legend’s home overlooking ocean in exclusive S.F. enclave: $32M
Built on the bluffs of the exclusive Sea Cliff enclave in San Francisco, a home developed by famous interior designer Michael Taylor has hit the market for the first time in nearly 30 years with a price tag of $32 million.
Taylor—known for creating the contemporary “California look” and pioneering housing trends such as light and airy open spaces, the blending of indoors with the outdoors, using neutral palettes and utilizing stone, wicker, slate and other natural materials—lived and worked at the 9 25th Ave. residence.
The home sits above the Pacific Ocean with sweeping views stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. The home also has private access to Baker’s Beach.
The Sea Cliff community is home to only 700 residents and contains only 25 residences. Its mansions were designed by notable architects beginning in the early 1900s. Among them: Julia Morgan, who designed Hearst Castle. Famous residents of the highly desirable seaside neighborhood include Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Comedian Robin Williams and photographer Ansel Adams also lived there.
Taylor, who died in 1986 at age 59, bought the house in 1970. In the home’s 81-year history, there have been only three owners.
Built in 1941, the three-level estate spans 7,540 square feet with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The mansion sits on two contiguous lots at the end of cul-de-sac.
Taylor put his stamp on the home with a stately south-facing courtyard that features a lavish pool with fountains, oversized planters, shell-themed wall sconces and large-stone slate floors at the lower level, according to the official property listing.
The entry to the mansion is dramatic. Through a gate, the front courtyard is protected by mature, meticulously manicured cypress trees. The front portico then opens through large French doors to present a terrace and the ocean beyond.
The sellers have owned the home for the past 28 years. The late Arthur Ciocca, and his philanthropist wife, Carlyse, bought the property in 1987 for $2.35 million, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing records with PropertyShark. Arthur Ciocca was founder of The Wine Group in 1981. He died in December 2021.
“We bought it in 10 minutes after seeing it with no contingencies,” Carlyse said in a news release. “That is how special it is. Where else in San Francisco can you live with the Pacific Ocean as your backyard and be anywhere you want to go in 10 minutes? The feeling of privacy and peace surround our home.”
When the couple purchased the home, they chose to “take it down to the studs,” while retaining the integrity of the original architecture and Taylor’s iconic look, according to the news release.
The remodel and modernization took three years. They collaborated with architects Porter and Steinwedell, which Taylor had also employed.
In a statement, Carlyse Ciocca described the nightly views from the estate:
“We really wanted a California feel with an Italian influence to frame the view as it comes into the house. At night, the view becomes like black glass, and you see the running lights on the ships coming into the Bay and the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. That lighting is so special.”
Neal Ward of Compass is the listing agent.
