This Gorgeous Home Built for a Photographer Could Be Yours for $1 Million

Oct 02, 2026

A two-story glass-walled house stands on a wooden deck at dusk, featuring a dining area and living room visible through the windows with two chairs and a small table in the foreground. — The stunning house was built for a photographer in the early 1970s. | Photo by Matt Harper

A dreamy home built for a photographer has become the most viewed listing in the U.S. after it hit the market for just over $1 million.

141 Fairlawn Drive in the Berkeley Hills, California, was commissioned by architectural photographer Henry Bowles in the early 1970s.

The stunning home features a two-story wall of glass that’s oriented around natural light; the idea is that the view outside is unobstructed for the people inside.

“There is very little between you and the outdoors, and the room changes hour by hour as light and leaf-shadow move across it,” the listing on Redfin reads.

A modern two-story house with a glass-paneled facade stands on a hillside, featuring a wooden deck, a gravel garden, and a stepped dirt path leading to the entrance. — Matt Harper

A sunlit living room features floor-to-ceiling windows, a gray sofa, two armchairs, a wooden staircase, and light wood flooring. — Matt Harper

A bright, open-concept living room features high ceilings, a wooden staircase, a gray sofa, two armchairs, and large windows. — Matt Harper

A wooden deck features a tall outdoor dining table with four chairs, a small bistro set, and potted plants, all adjacent to a large glass-walled building under a clear blue sky. — Matt Harper

Bowles trained under Morley Baer, a photographer noted for his images of the American West, and he went on to become an established architectural photographer and shot for Condé Nast.

Bowles commissioned modernist architect Andrew Batey, who was just 28 years old at the time. Batey would go on to found Batey and Mack, and the Berkeley Hills house, dubbed “the photographer’s house,” was one of his very first projects.

According to SFGate, Bowles wanted an architect who would reflect his own aesthetic. “Together they made a photographer’s idea of how to live: everything oriented to the light, the trees pulled indoors, nothing between you and the view,” says listing agent Elizabeth Lee of EXP Realty.

A modern house with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooks a wooden deck featuring a fire pit, outdoor seating, and string lights at dusk. — Matt Harper

A spacious, open-plan bedroom with high ceilings, exposed trusses, and a skylight, featuring a bed, a leather bench, wooden furniture, and an adjacent sunroom with large windows. — Matt Harper

A wooden deck at dusk features a large L-shaped outdoor sofa with a fire pit, a small bistro table with two chairs, and a high-top table, all illuminated by string lights along the railing. — Matt Harper

A dining area with a round wooden table and three black woven chairs sits on a patterned rug under a skylight with exposed wooden beams. — Matt Harper

The kitchen and living area are downstairs while a staircase climbs to the loft-like second level that features two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

As you might expect from a photographer who commissioned a home in the 1970s, there was a darkroom bolted onto a single-vehicle garage. The garage is still there, complete with an EV-charging station. The 300-square-foot former darkroom has a skylight and could be utilized as a studio or home office.

A high-angle view of a modern living and dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows, a wooden dining table, and a gray sofa set. — Matt Harper

A home office features a wooden desk with a wire basket and an open book, flanked by two chairs, a floor lamp, and two framed artworks on white walls under a wood-paneled ceiling. — Matt Harper

A modern kitchen features white cabinets, marble countertops, a hexagonal tile backsplash, and exposed wooden ceiling beams. — Matt Harper

A bright, open-plan living and dining area features a wooden dining table in the foreground, a staircase leading to a loft, a modern kitchen, and a living room with a grey sofa under high ceilings. — Matt Harper

While the $1,088,000 asking price is no small sum, the photographer’s house might go for even higher given all the attention it’s getting and the demand for homes in the area.

Appointments are still available, and it appears there’s an open house viewing tomorrow (Saturday) from midday to 3 pm.

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