Reno, Nev. – When world-renowned architect Mark Mack made his journey from his home in Los Angeles to Reno, Nev. to first meet Peter and Turkey Stremmel in 1993, he was presented with a nine-acre canvas of surreal, scaleless landscape of sagebrush and wildflowers with the cityscapes of Reno Nev. in the distance. The Stremmels, who own an art gallery in Reno, Nev., soon watched Mack take the blank canvas and design an architectural phenomenon in what would become known as the “Stremmel House.” After a year in the design process and 18 months of construction, the Stremmel House was completed.
Considered Nevada’s most published home, being featured in numerous architectural, design and home magazines, including Architectural Digest, and Architectural Record’s “House of the Year,” the Stremmel House served at Peter and Turkey’s home from 1995 until the present. It was once ranked by Architectural Digest as one of the top 10 buildings in the world. With Kathie Bartlett of Dickson Realty, this architectural gem is now for sale. “I’ve listed many beautiful properties over the years, but this one is extraordinary. It’s one of those rare homes that makes you feel good the moment you walk in the door,” said Bartlett.
The Stremmel House is 6,515 square feet and features four ensuite bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two one-half bathrooms. Sitting 1,000 feet above Reno, Nev. with 360-degree views that include a mountain range and city lights to the east and the Sierra Mountains to the west, the house is situated on more than nine acres of the region’s most architecturally significant street. The Stremmel House also features an open loft style library overlooking the main living areas and expansive vistas of the mountains and valley lights below, protected terrace with outdoor fireplace, indoor/outdoor dog kennel, indoor aviary, heated lap pool, drought resistant landscaping with mature trees and indigenous plantings.
“They wanted a large, yet comfortable house; one that complemented their lifestyle,” said Mack in the book he wrote regarding the Stremmel House. “…architecture is not a piece of art; it is more or less an artful arrangement of many concerns – a compromise of ideas that uses construction as a vessel for beautiful spatial and practical possibilities.”
The main living area of the home features vaulted ceilings in smooth finish plaster and cadmium plated steel, exposed steel beams, gallery style recessed track lighting and walls of glass and Venetian plaster. These expansive spaces provide for gracious entertaining with separate bar and cozy conversation areas, and a wood-burning fireplace all in warm, neutral tones.
“The character of the spaces (of the home) changes dramatically depending on the season,” said Peter Stremmel. “In the late spring, summer and early fall, the house and its various patios and enclosures become an extension of the exterior, whereas, in winter, the dramatic interior spaces are the primary focus. We have also found that the light changes constantly, creating fascinating patterns on the exterior walls from the vertical supports and horizontal slats of the trellis. ”
“I have never conceived houses as objects by themselves, and the Stremmel House is no exception,” said Mack. “It avoids the temptation to be placed in the landscape as an objet d’art. ‘Easy living’ is the virtue and openness is the strategy.”
The interior furnishings were designed by noted Seattle designer Terry Hunziker, and include dramatic lacewood and oak dining room tables that accommodate as few as six or as many as 22 guests. The kitchen includes poured concrete counters, double convection ovens, dual warming drawers and dishwashers, and well-designed prep and cooking spaces. The adjacent great room features a breakfast area with patio and pool access, comfortable sitting areas with skylights, random block ceiling and an aviary.
The Stremmel House also includes a large master suite with its own patio, dual vanities, steam shower and walk-in closet, adjacent study and exercise area, 360-degree peak and valley views, as well as a private guest suite with its own sitting area and views of the hills and city lights below.
“The overall plan (of the home) is deceptively simple, but every wall, window and door relate to some other wall, line or plane in the house,” said Peter Stremmel. “This design organization is not immediately apparent, but gives a subconscious sense of harmony throughout. The exterior shapes, forms, textures and colors create a dramatic morphology. Ironically, however, these forms are not particularly complex, nor does the house feel radical within the vernacular of contemporary architecture. Rather, it is an exhilarating and dynamic structure.”
Information about select artworks, furniture and furnishings included in the sale is available upon request.
For more information about the Stremmel House, contact Dickson Realty listing agent Kathie Bartlett, or visit www.StremmelHouse.com
About Dickson Realty
Dickson Realty has offices in Caughlin Ranch, Downtown Reno, Sparks, Somersett, Damonte Ranch and Montrêux in Reno/Sparks, Nev., as well as Graeagle, Donner Lake and Truckee, Calif. Dickson Realty is the market leader and has been in business since 1973. For more information, visit www.dicksonrealty.com