Mid Century California Rarity: A 1961 Benjamin Fishstein Home

Tucked away in the hills of Oakland, California, this masterfully created home is iconic for more reasons than one.

While the origins surrounding this gorgeous California home border on legend, its iconic design continues to attract attention. Built and designed in 1961 by architect Benjamin Fishstein, it is believed he intended the home to be his own. From an aerial perspective, the house is shaped like an “M.” As the story goes, it was an ode to Fishstein’s wife’s name. “The house is literally a love-letter to his wife,” says Herman Chan, the home’s former realtor.

With 2,500 square feet, four bedrooms and three bathrooms, today it shines as an example of pure Mid Century design. Nestled in the hills of northern California’s Bay Area, its natural surroundings make it an absolute dream home. While Fishstein died before the home was completed, the original owners resided there for 56 years and made only minor updates. “The home was a ship in a bottle,” says Garrett Chow, who purchased the house in 2018.

Untouched Beauty

This home is without any of the major remodels that many other half-century homes have undergone. Entering the stunning space feels a little like stepping back in time. “In preparation for the home’s sale, the previous owner really only did cosmetic improvements,” Garrett says. While the home is old, it has almost effortlessly managed to maintain both its beauty and sense of modernity with grace. “It does not feel antiquated at all,” Herman says.

Bright orange front door on the ground level of Mid Century California home — The entrance to the multilevel house is at the ground floor, which conceals the fantastic views surrounding the home until the stairs have been climbed.

Accordion doors between a deck and living room — An early version of accordion doors between the deck and main living space creates a seamless connection between the two spaces.

Shot between dining room and stairway — The home’s luscious surroundings barely allude to the bustling city nearby. “You have serenity and you have proximity,” says Herman Chan, the home’s former realtor.

This wide lens photo highlights the California home's distinct lines and shape. — Here, the home’s unique shape and distinct lines are on full display. The thinly paneled ceiling contributes to the effect.

Open living room with paneled ceiling and sleek leather seating. — “It was my aim to give the home the breathing space it deserves,” Garrett says. To do so, he intentionally chose furnishings that were low and wouldn’t interrupt the lines of the architecture.

Beautiful wooden spiral staircase in Mid Century California home — The spiral staircase is architecturally stunning and, as Garrett says, “is the most salient feature and focus of the home.”

With a View

Built into a hillside, the entry is at the ground level, and a spiral staircase, itself the main focus of the home, leads up into the main living space. “Fishstein’s compression and restriction of the view as one enters through the garage-level entry and finally enters into the open, bright expanse of the main living space is masterful,” Garrett says. The structure itself is a nod to the parallelogram and, within that concept, boasts all the well-known and loved features of a mid century home. Exposed beams blur the distinction between the indoors and out, as do the glass walls. “The whole of the west elevation is in essence a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, capitalizing on the views across to San Francisco,” Garrett says. Accordion doors open onto the deck, where surrounding flora and fauna create an idyllic setting.

One of a Kind

While this home has received press attention and become something of a legend, not much is known about the architect, who passed away before it was completed. “This house may be a literal and figurative one-of-a-kind,” says Garrett. Constructed at a time when building homes was about cheap mass production, the song of this house plays differently. It was built to last.

Wide lens photo of the parallelogram shape of this California home, highlighting the spiral staircase in the middle. — The main floor reveals even further the home’s focus on the parallelogram and the stunning indoor-outdoor connection.

Kitchen and dining area with sage green cabinets and chairs — Over the years, some small changes were made to keep the kitchen up to date.

Dining table with a view into the living room, highlighting colorful Zio Zeigler painting — “The piece in the dining area is an untitled painting on linen by Zio Zeigler,” Garrett says. Some molded fiberglass dowel-base side chairs complete the space.

The robust ceiling beams are a staple from the architecture at the time. The beams were recycled from an old wooden bay bridge that was torn down. “Ben Fishstein had the foresight to collect and preserve some of the original, old-growth redwood timbers,” Garrett says. “Fishstein’s post-and-beam construction is comprised of some of the 600 original redwood piles.” When it was built, the home was featured in the Italian design magazine, Abitare, which still publishes today.

The Finished Product

At some point, the ground-floor workshop and storage area became its own in-law quarters with a private entrance. The main floor consists of the main living areas and two bedrooms, as well as the deck. Perched above it all is the master bedroom. “When you’re in the house, you see all these beautiful geometric lines. Then when you step out to the outdoor space, you’re under this huge panorama of blue sky surrounded by a carousel of greenery and foliage,” Herman says.

Master bedroom in Mid Century California home with floor to ceiling windows and antique walnut folding church pew — “The master bedroom has an old, folding church pew in walnut that I found on the street in San Francisco and bought home on BART, alongside an original, 4-star Eames Soft Pad Recliner,” Garrett says of the space. With its loft-like aura, the master bedroom encompasses the third floor.

This guest bedroom is simplistic and minimal, embracing light wood tones and white — In the guest bedroom, a minimalist approach to the design allows the lines of the house to speak for themselves. With a Danish credenza, an early example of Hvidt’s Ax chair and an art piece that Garrett created from bicycle road-racing signage, the space is both straightforward and stunning.

This bathroom features a blue tiled shower, yellow tiled countertops, and a hexagon tiled floor. — This tiled bathroom remains almost exactly as Fishstein designed it in 1961, right down to the louvered, jalousie windows.

Prized Pieces

When furnishing the home, Garrett sought to fill each room with pieces that would enhance the space. “It was my aim to give the home the breathing space it deserves,” he says. “There is a mix of old and new, and stuff I’ve found off the street and in my travels alongside classics of the home’s era scoured at bargain sales,” Garrett says. Some prized pieces include a pair of vintage Hans Wegner chairs he purchased from Craigslist after 20 years of searching; an Ax chair by Peter Hvidt; and some vintage soft-pad recliners by the Eames Office. Artwork from friends and even a bike frame he painted himself complete the space. With a truly unique design, stunning location, impeccable detail and fascinating history, Fishstein’s “M” house is truly a marvel.

Want to see more MCM California homes? Check out Hexagon Haus: A Colorful Condo in Mammoth Lakes, California or Eichler Orange: Designer Lin He Updates an Eichler in Orange, California!

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