A 1908 railroad building turned architect's studio, reborn as one of the most compelling homes on the Tiburon Peninsula. Known locally as The Barn, 1865 Mar West Street pairs more than a century of Marin history with sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Belvedere Island. Mornings begin with coffee over Belvedere and Angel Island; evenings end on one of four decks as the fog rolls through the Gate. The home began as a Northwestern Pacific Railroad records building, a remnant of Tiburon's days as the southern terminus of the ferry line to San Francisco. Architect Charles Warren Callister later made it his studio, adding a post-and-beam wing in the 1960s. The current owner reimagined the property with architect Matt Bowles, AIA, of award-winning San Francisco studio TenBooks, and renowned builder Marshall White Construction. Their restomod approach preserved the original structure while rebuilding everything underneath to perform. The 117-year-old barn frame still stands, reinforced with custom Alaskan yellow cedar beams and wrapped in weathered-zinc corrugated aluminum, cedar siding, Arto cement brick, and Thermory decking. An elevated entry opens to the barn's double-height volume, where custom lighting and LED uplighting highlight the original trusses. A two-story Italian Marmorino plaster fireplace anchors the room, with a Stratus Blue quartzite hearth and a white oak and brass wire mesh guardrail. The kitchen features Explosion Blue quartzite countertops, rift-cut white oak cabinetry, unlacquered brass fixtures by Mi & Gei and House of Rohl, a Gaggenau cooktop, and a Fisher & Paykel column refrigerator and freezer. Oversized sliding glass doors meet at a zero-post corner, opening fully to views of Belvedere, Angel Island, and the Golden Gate. The Callister wing preserves the architect's original post-and-beam design. The primary suite features exposed cedar beams and a bath finished in blue Marmorino plaster, blue Zia tile, and a Stratus Blue quartzite vanity. A den with a custom walnut wet bar and a junior primary suite with reclaimed old-growth redwood walls complete the wing. A substantial storage area offers flexible potential as a wine cellar, home gym, or space for bikes and water sports gear. Outside, Thermory decking and drought-tolerant landscaping lead back to where every day here begins and ends: the Gate, the Bay, and the light.
