Folsom Lake Estate | Granite Bay California
Escape to the Extraordinary.
A timeless classic tucked away in the tranquil beauty of The Boulders at Los Lagos, this 9,330 sq.ft. estate embodies a harmonious blend of luxury, comfort, and privacy. Thoughtfully designed on the largest and most secluded lot in this prestigious subdivision, the residence sits high above Folsom Lake, surrounded by rugged granite outcrops and framed by expansive views of the Sierra foothills.
When I first arrived on site, the property was raw land — an untouched hillside accessed only by a quarter-mile dirt road. From that blank canvas, I designed every inch of this project: site planning, architectural form, building systems, interior detailing, and the sculpting of the landscape itself. The result is not just a home, but an environment carefully orchestrated to merge architecture, nature, and lifestyle.
The husband dreamed of something modern — open, glass-filled, and forward-looking. His wife longed for something of yesterday — timeless, rooted, and classic. My role was to reconcile these visions into a singular work of architecture. Clean lines, dramatic roof planes, and expansive clerestory windows embrace the contemporary, while hand-laid stone, timber elements, and traditionally proportioned forms recall the permanence of historic estates.
The home unfolds across six bedrooms and seven and a half bathrooms, organized to maximize privacy while opening outward to the land. Every room is oriented to capture the views — whether of Folsom Lake glistening in the distance or the granite boulders that rise naturally from the ground.
Outdoors, the residence becomes a resort. A sweeping pool terrace cascades into the hillside, anchored by a curved mosaic-tiled spa wall. An elevated lounge, carved into stone and encircled by a fire terrace, offers panoramic views and evening retreat. Carefully composed rock gardens weave between structures, binding the architecture to its site in a way that feels inevitable, as though the home had always belonged here.
Designing this estate was as much about patience as it was vision. Every line, every junction, every transition from house to landscape was considered, refined, and realized. It is an estate of presence and permanence, built to endure, yet soft enough to feel like a family home.
For me, the Folsom Lake Estate represents what I believe architecture should be: a synthesis of client dreams, site realities, and design ambition. An escape to the extraordinary, born from a dirt road and two contrasting visions, resolved into a timeless place of living.
Spire Architecture Inc. is a boutique architectural design-build firm based in northern California.
