This week, two unusual, high-value residential SoCal properties resurfaced on the market, and we had a look at both of them. One is Rob Lowe’s estate, called Oakview, which went up for sale with an asking price of $47 million; that property, located in Montecito, is crowned with a distinguished Georgian manor.

And then there’s Scott McNealy’s estate in Palo Alto, priced at a stout $97 million. McNealy’s version of extravagance was designed by hotshot architect Thomas Jakway, so it’s a little more adventurous in design; you could call it quietly avant-garde and you wouldn’t be far from the mark. Jakway’s architectural sensibility uses design to give a sense of collapsed history, and his buildings typically offer up a smorgasbord of cues that reference the ancient world, the modern world, and the world yet to come.

The stone house is built into its landscape, and incorporates a hillock, as well as a series of mature trees, in its design vision; in that way, it helps the 32,000 square-foot residence blend in, and look a little less imposing. The interiors offer a unique and effective tension between modern design and raw-timber rustic farmhouse. There are just five bedrooms in the home, indicating that the master suite and entertainment potential were of paramount interest to the client.

Property amenities are numerous, and include a full home spa, a nightclub with dance floor, separate poker and billiards rooms, a lounge with wood-fired pizza oven, and sundry sports diversions: a driving green and pair of putting greens, an indoor sports court, and a hockey rink. All on nearly 13.5 acres of rolling green Palo Alto land just a few miles from Foothills Park.

McNealy is a co-founder of Sun Microsytems.