Modern Mill Valley oasis surrounded by nature
200
GP/Night
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House
Primary residence
sleeps 6
3 Bedrooms
3 Bathrooms
2400 ft²
3 big double beds
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Cheri & Andrew has described his/her home in English.
What you will love about this home
Our house is a peaceful light-filled getaway. High ceilings, an open floor plan, and plenty of windows make it feel like a glass treehouse in our quiet leafy hillside neighborhood. We have views of Mt Tamalpais (2579', the highest point in Marin County) from the living room, large upper deck, and even the lower level decks.
The main/upper level has 2 bedrooms, each with a full bath. One has a soaking tub + adjustable shower, and the other has a walk-in rainshower. The master bedroom is a bit larger and has direct access to our large upper deck - look at Mt Tam from bed! The 3rd bedroom is on the lower level with 8' ceilings, an exterior entrance & a private deck. The lower bedroom is largest in size with a fridge, countertop, microwave & electric kettle, as we sometimes host family/friends for extended stay and an en suite bathroom w/shower over tub.
The chef's kitchen is ready for you to cook, eat, and enjoy with a 6-burner range, double wall ovens, a deep stainless-steel sink, solid surface countertops with LED under-cabinet lighting, and a quiet/efficient dishwasher to ease cleanup. The island has plenty of space for prep and the pantry is well-stocked, feel free to use our pantry staples. Our garden overflows with rosemary & Meyer lemons available to pick year-round for your culinary needs and you are welcome to harvest anything else in season. Non-cooks will enjoy the vibe of garden views from comfy barstools at a long bar crafted from a slab of CA walnut by a local artisan, surrounded by tiled walls by local/handmade Heath Ceramics with hand-blown glass pendants and a skylight overhead. We have a microwave & large fridge if takeout is your vacation food language.
With our open floor plan, the upper level has a central dining area that flows into the living room, an office, and the kitchen. Outdoor access is from the kitchen to the patio, and from the living room to our large upper deck. Both our dining room and the upper deck have space for 8 to comfortably dine. A gas fireplace in the living room is easy on/off via wall switch and we often enjoy its ambiance/warmth for morning coffee or a foggy afternoon snuggle. We have a large-screen TV with Roku & Google TV/Chromecast, feel free to log in to any streaming service of your choosing to watch content. No cable/satellite channels.
We enjoy comfort so each queen bed has a high-end mattress, top-quality sheets & pillows, and a down comforter with optional additional blankets available. Nightstands and reading lights are on each side of all 3 beds. All bedrooms & the office have USB/USB-c outlets for charging. Each bathroom has plenty of towels and a heated floor. Bedrooms and the main living area have independent temperature controls via ceiling fans and high-efficiency heaters controlled by thermostats for each space. No AC, as our climate rarely would require it for comfort.
The terraced yard is fully landscaped with lush greenery and has several areas for relaxing. There's a hanging sky chair on the shady lower level deck, a hammock in the flower garden (during dry months), a gas firepit & couch on the patio perfect for cool evenings, and a large umbrella over the dining table on the upper deck for sunny afternoons. Our weather-sensing irrigation system means you have no yard duties during your visit.
We have fast WiFi for all of your devices and a dedicated office with a desk & chair if you have to work while you're away from home. Sliding mahogany doors close off the office from the rest of the living areas when you need a little privacy for your work. If you need a larger, 2nd, or more soundproof space to WFH, the lower level ceramics studio is well away from the main living area with a large standing desk, good light, peaceful garden views, and French doors to a private lower deck.
Our high-efficiency washer & dryer (full-sized/large capacity) are on the lower level and we have drying racks you can set up on the deck or patio if you prefer to air-dry your clothes. Iron & ironing board are near the W/D if you need them.
The main/upper level has 2 bedrooms, each with a full bath. One has a soaking tub + adjustable shower, and the other has a walk-in rainshower. The master bedroom is a bit larger and has direct access to our large upper deck - look at Mt Tam from bed! The 3rd bedroom is on the lower level with 8' ceilings, an exterior entrance & a private deck. The lower bedroom is largest in size with a fridge, countertop, microwave & electric kettle, as we sometimes host family/friends for extended stay and an en suite bathroom w/shower over tub.
The chef's kitchen is ready for you to cook, eat, and enjoy with a 6-burner range, double wall ovens, a deep stainless-steel sink, solid surface countertops with LED under-cabinet lighting, and a quiet/efficient dishwasher to ease cleanup. The island has plenty of space for prep and the pantry is well-stocked, feel free to use our pantry staples. Our garden overflows with rosemary & Meyer lemons available to pick year-round for your culinary needs and you are welcome to harvest anything else in season. Non-cooks will enjoy the vibe of garden views from comfy barstools at a long bar crafted from a slab of CA walnut by a local artisan, surrounded by tiled walls by local/handmade Heath Ceramics with hand-blown glass pendants and a skylight overhead. We have a microwave & large fridge if takeout is your vacation food language.
With our open floor plan, the upper level has a central dining area that flows into the living room, an office, and the kitchen. Outdoor access is from the kitchen to the patio, and from the living room to our large upper deck. Both our dining room and the upper deck have space for 8 to comfortably dine. A gas fireplace in the living room is easy on/off via wall switch and we often enjoy its ambiance/warmth for morning coffee or a foggy afternoon snuggle. We have a large-screen TV with Roku & Google TV/Chromecast, feel free to log in to any streaming service of your choosing to watch content. No cable/satellite channels.
We enjoy comfort so each queen bed has a high-end mattress, top-quality sheets & pillows, and a down comforter with optional additional blankets available. Nightstands and reading lights are on each side of all 3 beds. All bedrooms & the office have USB/USB-c outlets for charging. Each bathroom has plenty of towels and a heated floor. Bedrooms and the main living area have independent temperature controls via ceiling fans and high-efficiency heaters controlled by thermostats for each space. No AC, as our climate rarely would require it for comfort.
The terraced yard is fully landscaped with lush greenery and has several areas for relaxing. There's a hanging sky chair on the shady lower level deck, a hammock in the flower garden (during dry months), a gas firepit & couch on the patio perfect for cool evenings, and a large umbrella over the dining table on the upper deck for sunny afternoons. Our weather-sensing irrigation system means you have no yard duties during your visit.
We have fast WiFi for all of your devices and a dedicated office with a desk & chair if you have to work while you're away from home. Sliding mahogany doors close off the office from the rest of the living areas when you need a little privacy for your work. If you need a larger, 2nd, or more soundproof space to WFH, the lower level ceramics studio is well away from the main living area with a large standing desk, good light, peaceful garden views, and French doors to a private lower deck.
Our high-efficiency washer & dryer (full-sized/large capacity) are on the lower level and we have drying racks you can set up on the deck or patio if you prefer to air-dry your clothes. Iron & ironing board are near the W/D if you need them.
What you will love about this neighborhood
Mill Valley is 2 towns north of the Golden Gate Bridge which crosses from San Francisco into beautiful Marin County. This is the least populated of all 9 "Bay Area" counties and is predominantly made of up public lands (near us) and farmland (further north & west). Our home is in a hillside residential neighborhood. It's a ~2-mile hilly walk or a short drive to downtown Mill Valley's bustling plaza surrounded by shops with several options for coffee & pastries and plenty of benches for people-watching. A few blocks past downtown is Old Mill Park with our renowned public library nestled in a redwood grove at the foot of the famous Dipsea Trail. It's a short (but also hilly) walk from our place to the nearest commercial corner with coffee shops, a surf/skate/lifestyle shop, and a few fantastic casual eateries (beer garden/wood-fired pizza, fresh fish tacos, vegetarian/vegan cafe, local outpost of a famous family-run SF donut shop). While there is some public transit in SF & Marin and rideshare is very available, most travelers will prefer to have a car for the most flexibility while staying here.
If you are a trail runner or mountain biker it is less than 1.5mi from our door to access an endless network of trails that will take you to the scenic Marin Headlands, into Muir Woods, up Mt. Tam, down to Stinson Beach, or into the watershed. If you are headed into SF you can take the ferry from Sausalito (closer) or Larkspur (easier parking), or we are only ~5 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge if you are driving. Easy access to Highway 1 (CA's scenic Pacific Coast Highway) and Highway 101 (access to SF to the south, or Napa/Sonoma wine country to the north).
Mill Valley is a small suburb known for great outdoor access & temperate climate. We get overnight fog many months of the year and unlike SF we nearly always have sunny days unless it's raining. Like all of the SF Bay Area, we rarely get rain from April through October. Situated at the narrow part of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the SF Bay, the geography tempers our weather - it's never too hot, and rarely too cold. Our darkest/rainiest month is January, and June typically has the most fog. We have miles and miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, and cycling. Mountain biking was invented here on Mt. Tamalpais! Restaurants in town don't stay open late, but we have easy access to SF if you are here for some night life. We have several healthy grocery stores and all of the standard amenities of a town.
Muir Woods with its ancient redwoods is a beautiful trail run or short drive from our house (advance reservations essential if you plan to park a car). It's a 20-minute drive (or a long but equally beautiful trail run) to Stinson Beach. Other classic visitor destinations on this side of the Golden Gate Bridge include the town of Sausalito, the top of Mt Tam (you can drive, run, or bike), oysters along Tomales Bay, Pt. Reyes national seashore & lighthouse, Napa/Sonoma for wine tasting or cooking classes, and Calistoga for thermal pools & mudbaths. If you're a road cyclist the back roads of north & west Marin and southern Sonoma counties are a dream, and you can easily put together an epic ride of 20-100 miles. If you are into watersports there are opportunities for paddling & surfing of all kinds in the SF Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and nearby Tomales Bay.
Food is a major point of pride in this part of CA and you'll find endless options for delicious local fare. There are numerous farmers' markets, local cheesemakers, ice cream made from local dairies, and oyster farms where you can shuck your own and stay all afternoon. Every menu is bound to have something fresh & local listed.
If you're spending most of your time in the city, you'd probably prefer to just get a place in SF. But our house is close enough that you can easily make a day trip (or two) while you are here. Check out the sea lions at Pier 39, the CA Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park with its aquarium & rainforest dome, and the Exploratorium interactive science museum (especially on "after dark" nights for adults only!). We also love the De Young Art Museum & MOMA, and for iconic outdoor spaces, the coastline at Sutro Baths/Lands End is a fave. A boat-ride to Alcatraz makes for a fun afternoon and the audio tour is surprisingly good.
If you are a trail runner or mountain biker it is less than 1.5mi from our door to access an endless network of trails that will take you to the scenic Marin Headlands, into Muir Woods, up Mt. Tam, down to Stinson Beach, or into the watershed. If you are headed into SF you can take the ferry from Sausalito (closer) or Larkspur (easier parking), or we are only ~5 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge if you are driving. Easy access to Highway 1 (CA's scenic Pacific Coast Highway) and Highway 101 (access to SF to the south, or Napa/Sonoma wine country to the north).
Mill Valley is a small suburb known for great outdoor access & temperate climate. We get overnight fog many months of the year and unlike SF we nearly always have sunny days unless it's raining. Like all of the SF Bay Area, we rarely get rain from April through October. Situated at the narrow part of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the SF Bay, the geography tempers our weather - it's never too hot, and rarely too cold. Our darkest/rainiest month is January, and June typically has the most fog. We have miles and miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, and cycling. Mountain biking was invented here on Mt. Tamalpais! Restaurants in town don't stay open late, but we have easy access to SF if you are here for some night life. We have several healthy grocery stores and all of the standard amenities of a town.
Muir Woods with its ancient redwoods is a beautiful trail run or short drive from our house (advance reservations essential if you plan to park a car). It's a 20-minute drive (or a long but equally beautiful trail run) to Stinson Beach. Other classic visitor destinations on this side of the Golden Gate Bridge include the town of Sausalito, the top of Mt Tam (you can drive, run, or bike), oysters along Tomales Bay, Pt. Reyes national seashore & lighthouse, Napa/Sonoma for wine tasting or cooking classes, and Calistoga for thermal pools & mudbaths. If you're a road cyclist the back roads of north & west Marin and southern Sonoma counties are a dream, and you can easily put together an epic ride of 20-100 miles. If you are into watersports there are opportunities for paddling & surfing of all kinds in the SF Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and nearby Tomales Bay.
Food is a major point of pride in this part of CA and you'll find endless options for delicious local fare. There are numerous farmers' markets, local cheesemakers, ice cream made from local dairies, and oyster farms where you can shuck your own and stay all afternoon. Every menu is bound to have something fresh & local listed.
If you're spending most of your time in the city, you'd probably prefer to just get a place in SF. But our house is close enough that you can easily make a day trip (or two) while you are here. Check out the sea lions at Pier 39, the CA Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park with its aquarium & rainforest dome, and the Exploratorium interactive science museum (especially on "after dark" nights for adults only!). We also love the De Young Art Museum & MOMA, and for iconic outdoor spaces, the coastline at Sutro Baths/Lands End is a fave. A boat-ride to Alcatraz makes for a fun afternoon and the audio tour is surprisingly good.
Additional information
This is our primary (& only!) home so reciprocal exchanges will work only if your schedule is very flexible or perfectly aligned with ours, or we can sort out a non-simultaneous exchange. But we are also happy to share our home when we are away in exchange for GPs that we can use at another time/place. Many of our travels are adventures that take us deep into the backcountry where we may be off-the-grid for days at a time, and for those dates we prefer sharing with generally self-sufficient travelers who could manage minor problem-solving on their own if the need arose (we do carry a text communication device for big issues/emergencies). While we are new to Home Exchange, we have shared parts of our home for years (Airbnb). We hope to host/stay with people who value having authentic experiences when traveling and appreciate the HomeExchange concept of borrowing strangers' houses while spending less on lodging. We are clean, quiet, and respectful of others' spaces and love to experience new places. We also love where we live and look forward to sharing our home & a beautiful part of the world with you.
Our garage may have a parking space open while we are away, but it's a tight fit for 2 cars and we prefer that you park in the driveway. We do have a 48A universal EV charger (NACS/J1772) that you are welcome to use (set to charge only off-peak 12am-3pm), it has a long cord and easily reaches a car parked just in front of the garage. If you're coming with bikes, kayaks, surfboards, or SUPs you are welcome to store them in the garage.
We have solar panels and a back-up battery, so the power stays on inside even if the grid is interrupted. With careful conservation and/or if the sun is shining during a power outage, the battery will provide power to lights/fridge/internet/outlets for a few days.
As we have no children of our own, the house is not set up/suitable for young families. We do welcome parents traveling with older and/or well-behaved kids (let's talk if you are unsure). We take good care of our nice things and expect all guests (of any age) to do the same. That said, our house is lived in, we are constantly in/out (sometimes with muddy running shoes), and we have a large dog. We don't wear shoes in the house but are fine if you prefer to do so. You will notice signs of wear & tear in places and should not expect the perfection of a 5-star hotel. We understand that accidents happen and try to be generous if something goes awry, but appreciate your being thoughtful, especially with our handmade wood furniture, local & often handmade dishware, and carefully selected kitchen implements.
For general upkeep during your visit, we have plenty of cleaning supplies. We prefer that guests pay for our cleaner to come after your stay, to complete the thorough cleaning that no one really wants to do at the end of their vacation! Our house cleaner's fee is $250. If you prefer to do the cleaning yourself for shorter (ie weekend) stays, we can definitely talk.
Our garage may have a parking space open while we are away, but it's a tight fit for 2 cars and we prefer that you park in the driveway. We do have a 48A universal EV charger (NACS/J1772) that you are welcome to use (set to charge only off-peak 12am-3pm), it has a long cord and easily reaches a car parked just in front of the garage. If you're coming with bikes, kayaks, surfboards, or SUPs you are welcome to store them in the garage.
We have solar panels and a back-up battery, so the power stays on inside even if the grid is interrupted. With careful conservation and/or if the sun is shining during a power outage, the battery will provide power to lights/fridge/internet/outlets for a few days.
As we have no children of our own, the house is not set up/suitable for young families. We do welcome parents traveling with older and/or well-behaved kids (let's talk if you are unsure). We take good care of our nice things and expect all guests (of any age) to do the same. That said, our house is lived in, we are constantly in/out (sometimes with muddy running shoes), and we have a large dog. We don't wear shoes in the house but are fine if you prefer to do so. You will notice signs of wear & tear in places and should not expect the perfection of a 5-star hotel. We understand that accidents happen and try to be generous if something goes awry, but appreciate your being thoughtful, especially with our handmade wood furniture, local & often handmade dishware, and carefully selected kitchen implements.
For general upkeep during your visit, we have plenty of cleaning supplies. We prefer that guests pay for our cleaner to come after your stay, to complete the thorough cleaning that no one really wants to do at the end of their vacation! Our house cleaner's fee is $250. If you prefer to do the cleaning yourself for shorter (ie weekend) stays, we can definitely talk.
Home ID
#2743793Copied URL!
Location
Mountain
Coastal
Amenities
Our basics
Fridge
Freezer
Oven
Microwave oven
Heating system
Dishwasher
Washing machine
Dryer
Bathtub
Electric car plug
TV
WiFi
Unique Facilities
Private parking space
Fireplace
Private backyard
Balcony / terrace
BBQ
Remote-friendly
Dedicated work space
High-speed connection
Eco-Friendly Amenities
Renewable energy provider
Low consumption machines
Vegetable Garden
Solar panels
Selective waste sorting
Allergies
This home has pets that can cause allergy symptoms!
Map
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Does this home have a garden?
Yes, this home has a garden. You can find more details about the garden and other facilities on this page.
Is this accommodation suitable for remote workers?
Yes, this accommodation has a wifi connection. We recommend that you discuss this with the host to ensure that the connection speed is sufficient for your needs.
Is there a parking space at this home?
Yes, this home has one or more parking spaces.
How many bedrooms are available in this home?
This accommodation has 3 bedrooms.
What is the surface area of this home?
The surface area of this home is 222m2.
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