The iconic Flintstone House on the hills of Hillsborough, California is the embodiment of 'Yabba Dabba Do' house featured in the cartoon, titled as 'The Flintstones', which is the first animated primetime American television series. The Flinstone House designed by Bay Area architect William Nicholson in 1976 and Hillsborough's bulbous landmark, seen from highway 280, come into the market for the first time in 19 years.

Apparently, this exceptional single family residence is comprised of multiple domes that were constructed by spraying shotcrete onto steel rebar and mesh frames over inflated aeronautical balloons. Wayne Da San Martino, San Francisco builder, managed the project from the beginning of the construction. The Flintstone House originally painted off-white and this bulb-shaped organic building was painted orange in 2007 and now sports a purple dome.

In its first hit in the marketplace, the house introduced its price in February at $4.2 million, but now, it goes down its price to $3,195,000, according to Curbed San Francisco. Undoubtedly, the Flintstone House is an attractive place and destination for many travellers due to its unusual form, colours and different aesthetic qualities, nestled into the hillside overlooking Crystal Springs Reservoir. 

The Flintstone House is an architectural experiment that has been mixed by its residents through the years. It is purported that one Hillsborough resident at the time founded an architectural review board specifically to keep out experimental architecture.

The house consists of three-bedroom and two-bath house, featuring a series of amorphous rooms and details inside-look like living in a decorated-cave. Judy Meuschke of Alain Pinel Realtors, said that "I think the price reduction may entice those buyers who would love this house," she says and adding that ''there will be no open houses or agent tours; and only serious buyers for the 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom dwelling need inquire.''

Looking through its style, the owner redesigned interior of the house to match her esthetic. She worked with Emeryville architect, Eugene Tsui, to design her kitchen. Tsui is famous for designing many unusual buildings and structures in the U.S. and Asia. 

Lighted niches and appliance enclosures, glass countertop encased with a diagonal metal spine, wood cutout swinging doors, drawers and cabinets were custom designed and “biologic.” Burning Man artist, Dan Das Mann, fabricated beautiful steel doors that have cut coils protruding from the surface. 

Oakland artist, John Lewis Glass Studio, created the custom glasswork in the kitchen and guest bath. Tim Weldon paintings grace many of the open curved walls. The owner chose unusually thick stone Jerusalem tiles to cover most of the house.

''Nicholson designed the basic form, then he pretty much gave us free reign. (We built) a huge conversation pit, with the window cut at a level to hide the freeway, but show the reservoir.  The owner enhanced the room with specially made orange colored plaster for the circular seating area that is embellished with a tangerine cushion and pillows. This intimate warm setting is enriched by the height of the dome, fireplace, amoeba shaped window showcasing Crystal Springs Reservoir, and an Italian Catellani and Smith medusa chandelier hanging from the high pitch of the dome,'' says Da San Martino describes his part in the interior design.

All images courtesy of the Flintstone House

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