Video: What inspired the man who created Sacramento’s most unique home interior
The unique Sacramento property that grabbed headlines across the world earlier this month has also fascinated the owner’s niece since she was a small child.
Just steps from Curtis Park, the interior of the four-bedroom, two-bathroom residence at 2510 Coleman Way was inspired by the renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, according to Janet Carlson of Lyon Real Estate, the agent holding the listing and a friend of the late owner, Lou Kraft.
The vibe of the home could be described as Lord of the Rings, European architecture and Disneyland mixed together. Kraft was a fan of Gaudi, who’s best known for his work on the incredible church of Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
“He was a man of fantasy,” Kraft’s niece, Ayla Kraft of Roseville, said in a new video by The Sacramento Bee. “And throughout my whole life, just growing up with him as a child, was amazing. Being able to go into that house — it was its own fantasy world. And he just loved us so much. And we were his children to him, because he didn’t have kids of his own. So he would always have us come over to his house and show us his new artwork that he was working on. And just always let us have a fun time.”
Replete with art and paintings reflecting the four elements, Zodiac signs and hidden hidey holes, the 2,320-square-foot home features a living room with a bay window, leaded pane glass, a fireplace, built-in seating, a full basement with exterior access, a two-story garage and a pool. Newly refinished hardwood floors run through much of the house. The colorful and whimsical artwork throughout the interior was created by Kraft, a local psychiatrist, over 25 years. He used a caulking compound, styrofoam, wood and paint.
“He would always be working on a new section of the house,” Kraft said. “And he’d be so excited to show us what he had been doing and we’d just be mesmerized. We didn’t know the house was not normal growing up. It wasn’t until we had a Christmas party at his house, and some of our family, friends and neighbors came in. And they were just mind-blown walking into the house. And I was confused because I was like, ‘What do you mean, this is so crazy. This is my uncle’s house.’”
Kraft explains more about the home, including calculus equations incorporated into the walls, in the video above.
Even with 1,000 people flowing through the home on its first open house weekend and worldwide media attention since it hit the market in early October, the price of the property has dropped by $100,000 — but real estate experts never were certain how to price the unique place.
“This property really is an outlier and it’s going to be challenging to value because there isn’t really a perfect comparison,” Sacramento appraiser and market analyst Ryan Lundquist told The Bee. “In truth, for something like this we can have ideas about what it might be worth, and then we’ll get to see how the market actually responds.”
The original asking price was $825,000, and is now $725,000.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 6:00 PM.
