Laurene Powell Jobs’ most recent investment real estate purchase is this mansion in San Francisco. Ms. Jobs paid $16.5 million for the property, which is situated in the Russian Hill community, one of the more upscale neighborhoods in the city, and one that offers very fine views of the city, the bay, and the bridge.
Views from this particular residence are stunning, and the home is located near the Russian Hill Park. Many of the homes on the street in question are historic, and this one is no exception: it dates to 1888. An extensive interior renovation and a wholesale revision of its exterior architecture have left it a fairly contemporary statement with a foot in the past; its original neoclassical details are now relegated to period flourishes which hint at its era.
The house contains six bedrooms and seven baths across 6,180 square feet. The interior spaces are wide-open, bright, and thoroughly modern, with pale, matte-finished hardwood floors, recessed lighting, accent walls, a floating staircase, and a fair amount of partition glass. They are also exceptionally warm, with window seats and built-ins bringing an unabashedly comforting feel to the overall living style.
The home’s balcony and terrace give the home one heck of a larger context. The streetside, second-floor balcony is voiced with a neoclassical balustrade, and offers views of San Francisco bay which thoroughly intoxicate. Up above, the master suite opens via a sliding glass wall to a rooftop terrace that is nothing short of spectacular.
Ms. Jobs—the widow of tech wunderkind Steve—may be dabbling in real estate for philanthropic reasons; her interests in education reform and ecological preservation culminated in the launching of her XQ Project for progressive education. If you’re interested in education in America, and how it can be practically modified to alter our society for the better, you may want to check it out.