Latest news with #W.HowardLester
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Williams-Sonoma founder's retreat for sale — longtime hideaway for home-goods powerhouse has a secret wine cellar
A storied estate once owned by the executive who built Williams-Sonoma into a household name is up for sale in Glen Ellen, California, asking $9.25 million. The 9-acre property served for decades as the personal retreat of the late W. Howard Lester, the Oklahoma entrepreneur who transformed a single-store French cookware shop into a national, and luxe, retail powerhouse. Lester acquired Williams-Sonoma in the 1970s for just $100,000, later adding Pottery Barn to his portfolio in 1986, according to a press release. Advertisement 13 The longtime Sonoma County estate of the late W. Howard Lester, the businessman who transformed Williams-Sonoma into a household name, is on the market for $9.25 million. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 W. Howard Lester at the Post Street store in San Francisco in the 1970s. Business Wire He led the company until his death in 2010, during which time it became synonymous with upscale kitchen and home goods. Advertisement Following Lester's passing, his family sold the estate in 2017 for $6 million in an all-cash deal, according to public records. Daniel Casabonne of Sotheby's International Realty, who holds the current listing along with colleague Gina Clyde, told Mansion Global, that buyer was 'a young Bay Area tech executive' who subsequently took out a $4 million loan. 13 Located on 9 acres in Glen Ellen, the property includes a modern farmhouse, a guest cabin — and manicured grounds with a pond, pool and trails. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 Lester, who bought the brand for $100,000 in the 1970s and later acquired Pottery Barn, owned the home for nearly four decades before his family sold it in 2017 for $6 million to a young Bay Area tech executive. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty Advertisement 13 The current owner extensively renovated and nearly doubled the estate's size, adding contemporary touches while preserving its wine country charm — including a secret wine cellar, a sunroom and a skylit kitchen. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 The sunroom. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 One of three bedrooms. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 A second bedroom. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty Advertisement The new owner undertook a sweeping renovation, nearly doubling the size of the existing structure. It's 'a statement in casual & refined wine country living,' reads the listing, which showcases the reimagined residence now outfitted with a modern pool, expanded interiors and upgraded amenities. The main home, a sprawling modern farmhouse, features a dramatic great room with beamed ceilings and paneled wood walls, a dining area with a concealed wine cellar and a sunlit yellow kitchen anchored by a skylit island. The three-bedroom layout includes a primary suite with a central soaking tub flanked by dual walk-in closets, and a children's wing fitted with custom bunk beds and rustic sliding doors. 13 An ensuite bathroom. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 A pool that can light up at night. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 The home offers plenty of room for al fresco dining. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty 13 The pond. Zillow Media Experts for Sothebyâs International Realty Advertisement 13 The listing, held by Daniel Casabonne and Gina Clyde of Sotheby's International Realty, notes its proximity to the original Williams-Sonoma store and Jack London State Park. SRP – Beyond the interiors, the grounds offer rolling lawns, a pond, walking trails and a separate guest cabin tucked beside a creek. The property sits minutes from Jack London State Park and a short drive from the original Williams-Sonoma store in downtown Sonoma, a detail Casabonne noted as a fitting full-circle connection to the brand's roots.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos: $9.25 million Wine Country estate of Williams Sonoma visionary hits the market
The former Wine Country estate of retail magnate W. Howard Lester, credited with transforming Williams Sonoma into a household name, has come to market for $9.25 million. Known as 'The Williams-Sonoma House,' the Glen Ellen property was featured in Architectural Digest and served as the longtime residence of Lester, who helmed the gourmet kitchenware chain from a four-store operation in 1978 to a $3.4 billion empire by the time of his retirement. Lester died in 2010. Tucked into the hills adjacent to Jack London State Park, the nearly 9-acre estate at 1500 Morningside Mountain Road offers a serene, park-like setting with a year-round pond, private trails, and mature landscaping. The 6,018-square-foot home features three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a bonus room. With walls of French doors and floor-to-ceiling glass, the single-level residence is designed to bring the outdoors in. 'This estate is a statement in casual and refined Wine Country living,' according to the listing by Daniel Casabonne and Gina Clyde of Sotheby's International Realty. Lester's legacy extends beyond retail. He established the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley, and was lauded for pioneering data-driven marketing in the home furnishings industry. 'I just thought the company could do better,' he once said. 'I felt like I could run it better.'
