logo
Discover Placerville CA luxury farmhouse designed for ultimate entertainment

Discover Placerville CA luxury farmhouse designed for ultimate entertainment

Yahoo12-04-2025

Inside Look is a Sacramento Bee series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories.
Bill Roberts designed his Placerville home to be an entertainer's paradise.
Objective achieved.
Roberts, founder of Good Guys Heating and Cooling, and his wife Ashley purchased the five-acre property east of Sacramento in 2019 for $535,000, according to public property records. They significantly renovated and expanded the existing, smaller home and added substantial outdoor amenities and landscaping.
The original residence was built in the 1970s, but it's 'basically like new construction,' said listing agent Callie Mirsky of Cali Homes. She helped the couple purchase the property six years ago when 'it looked drastically different.'
The property at 4244 Boles Road recently hit the market for $2.2 million.
The architecture is a blend of ranch or country style and contemporary luxury design. High-end amenities throughout the residence add a modern, spacious and appealing aesthetic. The open-concept layout flows front to back.
A sweeping backyard deck and outdoor kitchen offering stunning views of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada is the icing on the cake.
Spectacular gathering spaces are found at every turn, starting at the front entry and running to the back of the property where a full, covered bar awaits. The charming venue-style cantina provides numerous tables, a large fire pit, two restrooms, speakers, space for dancing and heating.
The home spans 4,200 square feet with three bedrooms — including a primary suite and junior primary suite. The house 'lives like a single level,' Mirsky said, but up the stairs there's an incredible movie theater with an abundance of seats, as well as a concession area and a bathroom.
The expansive gourmet kitchen sits just above the large family room adjacent to a big dining area. The kitchen features an oversized island, dining bar and plenty of storage, including a butler's pantry.
The dining room opens out to a gorgeous rear veranda overlooking a park-like backyard, where meandering paths lead through large grassy areas and down to the rustic bar, fenced pastures and a sizeable chicken coop.
The outdoor kitchen on the deck is impressive. It features a pizza oven, flat-top and regular grills, surround sound, wine fridge, a heating and cooling system underneath and retractable shades. The space is large enough for a firepit and a Jacuzzi-style spa, too.
'I don't know what more you could want,' Mirsky said.
The property is a hobbyist's and recreation enthusiast's fantasy. A 2,500-square-foot detached shop with heating and air conditioning provides enough space for a car collector to store up to 12 vehicles. The workshop comes with a well-equipped insulated loft that provides a fun place to hang out. The hideaway has a half bathroom, television, refrigerators and pool table.
Additional covered RV and boat storage is accessed from the other side of the home.
'There's room for all the toys,' MIrsky said.
The primary bedroom, which overlooks the backyard, comes with a standalone luxurious bathtub, large walk-in closet with organizers and an oversized shower.
The house contains practically everything a homeowner would want inside, but the design allows for versatility. For example, a big utility room includes office space with a built-in desk, a fitted dog crate, a washer and dryer and a large island for folding clothes or doing crafts or work projects.
With the movie theater and bathroom up the stairs from the utility room, the wing could be transformed into separate living quarters for guests or family members. It has private access.
Roberts and his wife planned to add a pool or pond to the property — there's plenty of space — but hadn't gotten around to it yet, Mirsky said.
The couple are selling the Boles Road property after purchasing 160 acres nearby for their next endeavor, raising cattle, Mirsky said.
'Magical' estate offers 360-degree mountain, river and vineyard views east of Sacramento
See $8M NorCal home built to resist fires — and to dazzle with its modern design

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump could help feed hungry people. Instead he's throwing a vanity parade
Trump could help feed hungry people. Instead he's throwing a vanity parade

Los Angeles Times

time6 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Trump could help feed hungry people. Instead he's throwing a vanity parade

CONCORD, Calif. — On Saturday, on the streets of Washington, Donald Trump will throw himself a costly and ostentatious military parade, a gaudy display of waste and vainglory staged solely to inflate the president's dirigible-sized ego. The estimated price tag: As much as $45 million. That same day, the volunteers and staff of White Pony Express will do what they've done for nearly a dozen years, taking perfectly good food that would otherwise be tossed out and using it to feed hungry and needy people living in one of the most comfortable and affluent regions of California. Since its founding, White Pony has processed and passed along more than 26 million pounds of food — the equivalent of about 22 million meals — thanks to such Bay Area benefactors as Whole Foods, Starbucks and Trader Joe's. That's 13,000 tons of food that would have otherwise gone to landfills, rotting and emitting 31,000 tons of CO2 emissions into our overheated atmosphere. It's such a righteous thing, you can practically hear the angels sing. 'Our mission is to connect abundance and need,' said Eve Birge, White Pony's chief executive officer, who said the nonprofit's guiding principle is the notion 'we are one human family and when one of us moves up, we all move up.' That mission has become more difficult of late as the Trump administration takes a scythe to the nation's social safety net. White Pony receives most of its support from corporations, foundations, community organizations and individual donors. But a sizable chunk comes from the federal government; the nonprofit could lose up to a third of its $3-million annual budget due to cuts by the Trump administration. 'We serve 130,000 people each year,' Birge said. 'That puts in jeopardy one-third of the people we're serving, because if I don't find another way to raise that money, then we'll have to scale back programs. I'll have to consider letting go staff.' (White Pony has 17 employees and about 1,200 active volunteers.) 'We're a seven-day-a-week operation, because people are hungry seven days a week,' Birge said. 'We've talked about having to pull back to five or six days.' She had no comment on Trump's big, braggadocious celebration of self, a Soviet-style display of military hardware — tanks, horses, mules, parachute jumpers, thousands of marching troops — celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary and, oh yes, the president's 79th birthday. Marivel Mendoza wasn't so reticent. 'All of the programs that are being gutted and we're using taxpayer dollars to pay for a parade?' she asked after a White Pony delivery truck pulled up with several pallets of fruit, veggies and other groceries. Mendoza's organization, which operates from a small office center in Brentwood, serves more than 500 migrant farmworkers and their families in the far eastern reaches of the Bay Area. 'We're going to see people starving at some point,' Mendoza said. 'It's unethical and immoral. I don't know how [Trump] sleeps at night.' Certainly not lightheaded, or with his empty belly growling from hunger. Those who work at White Pony speak of it with a spiritual reverence. Paula Keeler, 74, took a break from her recent shift inspecting produce to discuss the organization's beneficence. (Every bit of food that comes through the door is checked for quality and freshness before being trucked from White Pony's Concord warehouse and headquarters to one of more than 100 community nonprofits.) Keeler retired about a decade ago from a number-crunching job with a Bay Area school district. She's volunteered at White Pony for the last nine years, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 'It's become my church, my gym and my therapist,' she said, as pulsing rhythm and blues played from a portable speaker inside the large sorting room. 'Tuesdays, I deliver to two senior homes. They're mostly little women and they can go to bed at night knowing their refrigerator is full tomorrow, and that's what touches my heart.' Keeler hadn't heard about Trump's parade. 'I don't watch the news because it makes me want to throw up,' she said. Told of the spectacle and its cost, she responded with equanimity. 'It's kind of like the Serenity Prayer,' Keeler said. 'What can you do and what can't you do? I try to stick with what I can do.' It's not much in vogue these days to quote Joe Biden, but the former president used to say something worth recollecting. 'Don't tell me what you value,' he often stated. 'Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.' Trump's priorities — I, me, mine — are the same as they've ever been. But there's something particularly stomach-turning about squandering tens of millions of dollars on a vanity parade while slashing funds that could help feed those in need. Michael Bagby, 66, works part time at White Pony. He retired after a career piloting big rigs and started making deliveries and training White Pony drivers about three years ago. His passion is fishing — Bagby dreams of reeling in a deep-sea marlin — but no hobby can nourish his soul as much as helping others. He was aware of Trump's pretentious pageant and its heedless price tag. 'Nothing I say is going to make a difference whether the parade goes on or not,' Bagby said, settling into the cab of a 26-foot refrigerated box truck. 'But it would be better to show an interest in the true needs of the country rather than a parade.' His route that day called for stops at a middle school and a church in working-class Antioch, then Mendoza's nonprofit in neighboring Brentwood. As Bagby pulled up to the church, the pastor and several volunteers were waiting outside. The modest white stucco building was fringed with dead grass. Traffic from nearby Highway 4 produced an insistent, thrumming soundtrack. 'There are a lot of people in need. A lot,' said Tania Hernandez, 45, who runs the church's food pantry. Eighty percent of the food it provides comes from White Pony, helping feed around 100 families a week. 'If it wasn't for them,' Hernandez said, 'we wouldn't be able to do it.' With help, Bagby dropped off several pallets. He raised the tailgate, battened down the latches and headed for the cab. A church member walked up and stuck out his hand. 'God bless you,' he said. Then it was off to the next stop.

Al Pastor Papi's downtown San Francisco location is now open
Al Pastor Papi's downtown San Francisco location is now open

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Al Pastor Papi's downtown San Francisco location is now open

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Vacant to Vibrant program welcomed three new businesses to the downtown area. What we know The new pop-ups include a Mexico-City-style taqueria, an interactive art studio and a clothing retailer. The Vacant to Vibrant program transforms empty storefronts into vibrant community spaces. Back in April, we reported on founder and head chef Miguel Escobedo's plans to turn his food truck, Al Pastor Papi, into a brick and mortar store. Now that location at 232 O'Farrell Street is open and serving his sumptuous, award-winning al pastor cooked on a spit roast, or 'El Trompo' for those who are in the know. Escobedo's bold Mexican flavors will be accessible in what the program calls one of the city's most high-traffic corridors. In a news release on Wednesday, Ecobedo said he's honored to bring a taste of Mexico City's street food to downtown. "This is about sharing our culture, feeding both locals and visitors, and proving that community, culture, and our signature tacos can help spark San Francisco's transformation," Escobedo said. Following Al Pastor Papi's Wednesday grand opening is Craftivity, the interactive art studio offers hands-on maker experiences and team-building workshops. Crafitvity opens Friday, June 13 at 215 Fremont Street. Both of these businesses will celebrate soft openings for the month of June. Patrons are asked to follow along on social media to see upcoming events and announcements. Perhaps Nooworks, a local apparel brand, is putting the 'vibrant' in this program's name. Their colors and artist-designed prints are bold and so is that fact that they offer inclusive sizing. Nooworks Union Square location at 236 Powell is now open. "Bringing back Downtown San Francisco means creating spaces to make this area into a thriving 24/7 neighborhood," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "We're just getting started - and we'll keep investing in small businesses to power our city's comeback." The ongoing Vacant to Vibrant project has been revitalizing underused spaces in San Francisco that were vacated, especially during the pandemic.

Trade tensions aren't stopping Chinese companies from pushing into the U.S.
Trade tensions aren't stopping Chinese companies from pushing into the U.S.

CNBC

time10 hours ago

  • CNBC

Trade tensions aren't stopping Chinese companies from pushing into the U.S.

BEIJING — Chinese companies are so intent on global expansion that even the biggest stock offering to date on Shanghai's tech-heavy STAR board counts the U.S. as one of its biggest markets, on par with China. Shenzhen-based camera company Insta360, a rival to GoPro, raised 1.938 billion yuan ($270 million) in a Shanghai listing Wednesday under the name Arashi Vision. Shares soared by 274%, giving the company a market value of 71 billion yuan ($9.88 billion). The United States, Europe and mainland China each accounted for just over 23% of revenue last year, according to Insta360, whose 360-degree cameras officially started Apple Store sales in 2018. The company sells a variety of cameras — priced at several hundred dollars — coupled with video-editing software. Co-founder Max Richter said in an interview Tuesday that he expects U.S. demand to remain strong and dismissed concerns about geopolitical risks. "We are staying ahead just by investing into user-centric research and development, and monitoring market trends that ultimately meet the consumer['s] needs," he told CNBC ahead of the STAR board listing. China launched the Shanghai STAR Market in July 2019 just months after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans for the board. The Nasdaq-style tech board was established to support high-growth tech companies while raising requirements for the investor base to limit speculative activity. In 2019, only 12% of companies on the STAR board said at least half of their revenue came from outside China, according to CNBC analysis of data accessed via Wind Information. In 2024, with hundreds more companies listed, that share had climbed to more than 14%, the data showed. "We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. More and more capable Chinese firms are going global," said King Leung, global head of financial services, fintech and sustainability at InvestHK. Leung pointed to the growing global business of Chinese companies such as battery giant CATL, which listed in Hong Kong last month. "There are a lot of more tier-two and tier-three companies that are equally capable," he said. InvestHK is a Hong Kong government department that promotes investment in the region. It has organized trips to help connect mainland Chinese businesses with overseas opportunities, including one to the Middle East last month. Roborock, a robotic vacuum cleaner company also listed on the STAR board, announced this month it plans to list in Hong Kong. More than half of the company's revenue last year came from overseas markets. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, Roborock showed off a vacuum with a robotic arm for automatically removing obstacles while cleaning floors. The device was subsequently launched in the U.S. for $2,600. Other consumer-focused Chinese companies also remain unfazed by heighted tensions between China and the U.S. In November, Chinese home appliance company Hisense said it aimed to become the top seller of television sets in the U.S. in two years. And last month, China-based Bc Babycare announced its official expansion into the U.S. and touted its global supply chain as a way to offset tariff risks. Chinese companies have been pushing overseas in the last several years, partly because growth at home has slowed. Consumer demand has remained lackluster since the Covid-19 pandemic. But the expansion trend is now evolving into a third stage in which the businesses look to build international brands on their own with offices in different regions hiring local employees, said Charlie Chen, managing director and head of Asia research at China Renaissance Securities. He said that's a change from the earliest years when Chinese companies primarily manufactured products for foreign brands to sell, and a subsequent phase in which Chinese companies had joint ventures with foreign companies. Insta360 primarily manufactures out of Shenzhen, but has offices in Berlin, Tokyo and Los Angeles, Richter said. He said the Los Angeles office focuses on services and marketing — the company held its first big offline product launch in New York's Grand Central Terminal in April. Chen also expects the next phase of Chinese companies going global will sell different kinds of products. He pointed out that those that had gone global primarily sold home appliances and electronics, but are now likely to expand significantly into toys. Already, Beijing-based Pop Mart has become a global toy player, with its Labubu figurine series gaining popularity worldwide. Pop Mart's total sales, primarily domestic, were 4.49 billion yuan in 2021. In 2024, overseas sales alone surpassed that to hit 5.1 billion yuan, up 373% from a year ago, while mainland China sales climbed to 7.97 billion yuan. "It established another Pop Mart versus domestic sales in 2021," said Chris Gao, head of China discretionary consumer at CLSA. The Hong Kong-listed retailer doesn't publicly share much about its global store expansion plans or existing locations, but an independent blogger compiled a list of at least 17 U.S. store locations as of mid-May, most of which opened in the last two years. The toy company has been "very good" at developing or acquiring the rights to characters, Gao said. She expects its global growth to continue as Pop Mart plans to open more stores worldwide, and as consumers turn more to such character-driven products during times of stress and macroeconomic uncertainty.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store