HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Conor and Lindsey Irvine grew up together in the leafy enclave of Woodside. As adults, they migrated to San Francisco’s Marina district and spent a decade enjoying the area’s cafes, shops and nightlife. But after they added a dog and a baby to the family, apartment living was beginning to feel tight. “We’d discussed the idea of moving to Marin and called a realtor,” Lindsey says. But the busy family never seemed to have time for house hunting. “So, eventually, we stopped looking and decided we’d figure it out when the time was right.”
Then, last October, Lindsey spent the night at a friend’s house in Tiburon. Up early and in the mood for coffee, the girls bundled their babies in strollers and went for a walk to Peet’s Coffee.
Along the way they noticed a “home for sale” sign. Intrigued by the property and encouraged by her friend, Lindsey took one of the brochures and later checked out the house online. “I took one look at the pictures and knew this could be our home. It was done exactly to our taste, which is incredibly hard to find,” Lindsey says. She called her realtor and said, “I found a house and we love it! We’d like to see it as soon as possible.”
The following day, Lindsey and Conor returned to Marin for a viewing. The sleek, open-concept kitchen with abundant light and a wall of glass doors opening onto a sunny flagstone patio exceeded expectations, as did the private yard with an outdoor kitchen, glistening pool, spa and hardscape fire pit.
The couple could easily envision the next chapter of their lives unfolding in this home. So, five days after stumbling on the property, these first-time home buyers made an offer and bid city life adieu.
The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home was in near turnkey condition. So the Irvines had little to do before moving. They refinished the red oak floors on the main level and added matching hardwood to the lowerlevel guest room and media room. They also changed a few light fixtures and repainted the walls. “Other than that, we didn’t have to do much. We loved it,” Lindsey says.
Instead, they focused their efforts on shopping for new home furnishings — not an easy task with a one-year-old in tow. “A lot of our stuff came from Room and Board, Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware,” Lindsey says.
The former city slickers took no time at all immersing themselves in all the county has to offer. “We love hiking Ring Mountain on weekends and running on the Tiburon trail, and we even joined the Corinthian Club,” Lindsey says. “We wake up every day and pinch ourselves. We love our new home and life in Tiburon, and we look forward to all the adventures to come.”
WHERE THEY PURCHASED Reedlands neighborhood in Tiburon
WHAT THEY BOUGHT 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom contemporary
LISTING AGENT Kenton Wolfers, Decker Bullock, Sotheby’s International
SELLING AGENT Carey Hagglund Condy, Luxury Marin Homes
THE STATS Price per square foot for homes in the neighborhood: $900
This article originally appeared in Marin Magazine’s print edition under the headline: “The Next Chapter“.
Dawn Margolis Denberg has worked as a professional journalist for 20 years. Her work has appeared in top publications, including Wired, Shape and Parenting. She has also written several books for children including, The Men in Black Agent’s Manual The Official Godzilla Movie Fact Book. And, most recently, an episodic audio series for Tales Untold.
