On a Grand Scale OLD-WORLD TUDOR HAS HISTORIC BEGINNINGS
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ine-covered arches and vintage brickwork. Quaint gabled dormers. Hand-blown antique glass windows. Storybook
turrets. The English-style Tudor, built in 1938, is the creation of famed architect and builder Frank “Squeaky” Williams—and was once home to Sacramento native and renowned author Joan Didion and her family. “When we first moved in, we had a garage sale,” says Annie Kaplon, who purchased the home with her husband, Dr. Richard Kaplon, in 2009. “Joan Didion’s cousin came. She said they used to have great parties here. It was going back in time for her.”
CR By Cathryn Rakich OPEN HOUSE
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Situated on 1.35 acres in the Sierra Oaks Vista neighborhood off Fair Oaks Boulevard, the main house is 4,210 square feet with four bedrooms and four and a half baths. An additional 2,000 square feet comprise a basement that opens to the backyard and a separate studio/guest quarters. When the Kaplons bought the historic home, the grand dwelling had gone through several renovations. “The previous owner did a nice job doing stuff, but it was very dated,” Richard says. “Through the years, we’ve opened up every wall and updated all the electrical and all the plumbing, including the sewer,” he adds. The couple added smart app-based technology not typically found in older homes. “Even though it’s a 1938 home, there is no aspect that we cannot control from our cell phone,” Richard says. “Every light switch, the front gate, the alarm. We can log in and adjust our thermostats. When I leave work in the evening, I can turn on the hot tub so it’s warm when I get home.” The Kaplons created a family/game room in the unfinished basement, along with a half bath and laundry room. For a special touch, they repurposed old
