See inside this timeless mid-century modern home in Sacramento: ‘It’s got the ‘it’ factor’
In the late 1950s, Richard and Barbara Cohn were looking for a home in Sacramento to raise their growing family and initially considered settling down in the “Fab 40s,” one of the city’s most prestigious communities.
The young Bay Area couple had a specific vision for their new home, so they bought a vacant lot in a new subdivision called River Park on Caleb Avenue. They hired a Swedish architect to design the mid-century modern home, based on residences they had admired in Berkeley.
The four-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot home is now for sale for $899,000, with an offer already pending. The Cohns are the only family to live in the architecturally significant house, which hit the market a week ago.
Like many mid-century modern homes for sale in Sacramento, the listing quickly garnered interest.
“This one will not last long,” listing agent Jamie Rich of House Real Estate said before a pending offer was accepted. “I know every Realtor says that, but I promise you, this one will not last. It’s got the ‘it’ factor.”
The house sits on a desirable street in River Park (5405 Caleb Ave.), near Sacramento State and popular Paradise Beach on the American River. The architecture showcases clean lines, original wood materials and seamless indoor-outdoor living that defines mid-century modern homes. The iconic design sets the residence apart from others in River Park.
True MCM standout
“True mid-century modern homes are rare in River Park, making this property a true standout,” Gaby Moreira, a Realtor with Mid Mod Sacramento who is not affiliated with the listing, said. “With so many original design features beautifully preserved, this home is truly one of a kind. It’s a perfect example of how timeless and livable mid-century modern architecture can be.”
The house is appealing from the curb to the large double front doors. Large concrete block walls highlight the front porch. The Cohns wanted a large carport instead of a garage, which allowed for a tool room and garden shed to be built behind the parking space. Perhaps more importantly, the carport let the driveway be used as a makeshift outdoor roller skating rink for the three Cohn children and their friends when they were young.
Filled with natural light, the entryway has mahogany accents and a large glass wall that looks through to an outdoor sitting area.
“You just need to get two steps into the living room and you start to capture what this home is really all about,” Rich said. “You walk in and you just get excited about seeing the rest of it.”
The interior of the house features mahogany walls, built-in shelves and cabinets throughout. The house exterior is comprised of redwood with modern block walls. The living room, with vaulted ceilings and an original fireplace, is designed for entertaining, seamlessly connecting to a courtyard.
The foyer flows into the expansive living room, which offers access to a private, shady front patio area. The living room’s high ceilings create an ideal setting for families to showcase their Christmas trees, Rich said.
“Every year, (the Cohns) went and picked out a 12-foot silvertip Christmas tree, and it sat right in this corner,” Rich said. “You just imagine all the kids running around and all the presents on the floor.”
California lifestyle embraced
A formal dining room offers a built-in bar and hutch next to a spacious kitchen and cozy breakfast area.
The backyard oasis boasts a sparkling in-ground pool and expansive patio, perfect for embracing the California lifestyle. The pool was designed for people to lounge around the edge of the water.
“This was very thoughtfully designed to have these long stairs all the way around, because they wanted a lot of people to be able to sit and have their toes in the water while they sipped on a glass of wine during one of their many large Fourth of July parties, or other fabulous events,” Rich said.
There’s a lawn next to the pool area. A flag pole stands in the corner of the grassy area.
“The flag pole is very important to this home because it came from Mrs. Cohn’s family house on the water in Belvedere and was moved here when they bought the house,” Rich said. “They also were known for housing exchange students who were attending Sac State or UC Davis. She was always very excited about collecting flags from all over the world, and she wanted everyone to feel comfortable when they came to visit, so she would raise their flag when they were visiting, which I think is really special.”
A whimsical wall at the back of the pool area displays ceramic fish.
“Once Barbara started having grandchildren, she would have each one of them or a guest make a fish and they would add their fish to that wall. So that’s a very special wall to the family,” Rich added.
“Everything you see has been here since 1958,” Rich said. “There’s been a few updates in the kitchen and the bathrooms to obviously make it more comfortable and have some modern amenities. But for the most part, the integrity of the mid-century design has been preserved, which is really what makes this so so special.”
The Cohn children Lisa Watson, Joshua Cohn and Tracy Bowman are the sellers. Barbara Cohn died in 2023.
