At first glance, you can tell something is different about this distinctly curved house in Woodside, CA.

“As you drive up to it, you’re just mesmerized,” says listing agent Chris Anderson, with Compass. “It has circular walls, and all you see is the outside wood structure, which is redwood.”

Located in a pricey but low-key area about an hour south of San Francisco, the 2,660-square-foot “Barrel House” is listed for $5,295,000.

It’s so named because the three-bedroom, two-bath abode was actually built with four enormous, redwood water barrels as its cornerstones.

The interior walls are the actual insides of the barrels, while the exterior has an extra layer of redwood for better insulation.

“Each bedroom has its own barrel, so the beds are against a circular wall, which is kind of interesting but it works,” Anderson says. “The primary bedroom has a little patio, where you can sit and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.”

Architect Sidney Hoover designed the round residence in 1973 and lived in it for about two years before he sold it to the current owners.

“They made just a couple changes and basically it is as built,” Anderson says, noting that the owners did add an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, to the garage. It has the same exterior look of the main house, though.

Anderson says the first features people notice about the house are its many skylights and windows, which allow for lots of natural light.

And the retro kitchen also attracts some attention. The appliances there are older, but the owner rarely used them, Anderson notes.

“The kitchen is kind of tucked away,” he says. “We’re very much into the big, open spaces and grand rooms now, but this is kind of off in its own little area.”

He acknowledges that a buyer might want to tear down a wall between the kitchen and dining areas to achieve a roomier layout.

For a green thumb, the acre lot is a blank canvas.

“There isn’t much landscaping at the moment, so somebody could landscape more around the house—but maybe do nothing,” Anderson suggests.

‘Not a cookie cutter house’

The home sits at the end of the street and is surrounded by trees.

“It’s very quiet and very private but in walking distance to the town center, which is a very desirable location,” Anderson says. “Standing back about 50 yards away from the house and just looking at it, each angle brings up something new. Each side has its own story to tell with little patios, windows, and the four water barrels. It’s just amazing.”

The home is in good working order, and a buyer could roll right in and enjoy it as is.

“I think somebody will walk in and appreciate what’s there,” Anderson predicts. “It’s not a cookie cutter house. It’s unique to its own elements. The buyer is somebody that walks in and says, ‘Wow, this is this is really special. This is unique. I want to call this my home.’”

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