A one-of-a-kind mid-century modern home in Danville, California that served as the longtime home of Ken Behring — the former owner of the Seattle Seahawks and a prolific real estate developer — was recently up for auction. And it didn’t go down quietly.
The unique estate, a gated hilltop property with a mid-century modern aesthetic inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s legendary Fallingwater house, sold at auction for just over $12 million.
The price point set a new record for the highest-priced residential sale in Danville, a notoriously expensive town in California known as one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San Francisco.
So what does the most expensive house in Danville look like? Well, get ready for a wild ride, as this particular estate is impressive by all accounts — and its high-profile past owner adds to the appeal.
A one-of-a-kind estate
The sprawling Behring estate at 81 Eagle Ridge Place in Blackhawk, California sits on 4.5 acres overlooking the prestigious Blackhawk Country Club (that Behring himself, a prolific real estate developer, had built), Mt. Diablo, and surrounding hillsides.
Known as the crown jewel of Blackhawk, the estate consists of a striking architectural home that was custom built for its famous former owner, two detached apartments, a massive 7,000-square-foot events venue/ballroom, a tennis court cantilevered over the hillside, and more. But we’re going to have to take them one by one, as there’s a lot to unpack.
Sold at auction for a record-breaking $12.1M
The Blackhawk house was first listed on Concierge Auctions’ online marketplace starting June 28, culminating with a live auction held at the Pendry Manhattan West on July 18, part of the luxury auction house’s ‘Summer Showcase’ event.
The Behring Estate was the highlight of the auction event, drawing an impressive eight bidders before a deciding bid of $12.096 million took it off the market. The price also set a local record, making the estate the most expensive home ever sold in Danville, California.
Built for former Seattle Seahawks owner, Ken Behring
The 2024 sale marks the first time this unique property changed owners.
The larger-than-life home was custom-built in 1988 for Ken Behring, a self-made billionaire who made his fortune as a real estate developer.
Outside of California, Behring is best known for his other endeavors: the real estate developer famously owned the Seattle Seahawks back in the 1990s. His ownership of the Seahawks was fairly short-lived and marred by controversy, as Behring wanted to move the team out of Seattle, to California. His plans didn’t play out, and he ended up selling the Seahawks to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1997 for a whopping $200 million.
Ken Behring developed the entire surrounding community
The developer’s real estate beginnings were in Florida, where he founded the Behring Construction Company in Fort Lauderdale — a company which would later became the largest builder of single-family homes in the state.
After moving to California in the 1970s, he set his eyes on the rolling hills and beautiful valleys of Mount Diablo. After battling environmentalists who wanted to preserve the area, he won the right to develop 5,000 acres of land at the foot of Mt. Diablo, local publication The Stampede reports.
Here, he not only established the Blackhawk Country Club, but cemented Blackhawk as his private reserve.
Architecture inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Fallingwater
With a keen eye for fine homes and years of building experience under his belt, Ken Behring wouldn’t settle for anything less than extraordinary for his own Blackhawk home.
He commissioned Doug Dahlin, now one of California’s premier residential architects, to build him a mid-century modern marvel inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA. The end result was so striking that the house was prominently featured in the 1989 issue of Designer’s West Magazine.
The interiors are nothing short of spectacular
Stepping inside the famed estate, we find over 26,600 square feet of living space on multiple levels connected by staircases and an elevator, with each room more impressive than the next.
Designed by the late Steve Chase
Credit for the stunning interiors goes to famed interior designer Steve Chase, best known for his work in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, where he designed countless midcentury modern homes — some for celebrities like Gene Hackman, Farrah Fawcett, and singer Johnny Mathis.
There are several living areas
There’s no shortage of living areas throughout the 26,600-square-foot mansion. To highlight just a few:
- an open-concept living area with a spacious formal dining room designed to accommodate grand gatherings
- a formal living room with panoramic views
- and a sitting room with full walk-around bar, views, nearby game room, and media niche
The interiors radiate warmth despite the oversized rooms
The combination of earthy colors, warm wood, and natural elements like stone paired with the greenery of the indoor plants make the large-scale spaces feel warm and inviting, despite their size.
See also: 13 of our all-time favorite Midcentury Modern houses (and their famous past owners)
Lighting plays a big role in that
Even the lighting was professionally chosen — by one of the industry’s best. The lighting design was done by Craig Roberts, who served as lighting architect for some of the most luxurious private properties and restaurants around the globe, including a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico, the Four Seasons Hotel in Dubai, the Adagio Hotel in Saudi Arabia, and Ceasar’s Palace in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Elevated mid-century modern design defines the interiors
The Fallingwater resemblance doesn’t stop with the exterior design.
The design skillfully integrates indoor and outdoor spaces with gardens and waterfalls, using the best materials from soaring Brazilian teakwood ceilings and stunning Idaho quartz to a quarry worth of Utah flagstone. The end result is an elevated form of mid-century modern interiors that are truly breathtaking.
The primary bedroom suite is a luxury home in itself
There are 7 bedrooms throughout the house, each with an en suite bath, including two detached 1 bed/1 bath apartments with full kitchens and view decks. That’s in addition to 8 full plus 6 half bathrooms — each decorated with custom finishes and fixtures.
But the primary suite is a luxury home in itself, consisting of a private sitting room with a dual-sided fireplace, the actual bedroom, a discretely located full kitchen for late-night snacks, a Bali-inspired en suite, and a spa room.
The suite has a hot tub room with a retractable roof
Right off the primary suite, the spa room is lined with lush ferns and rock walls and features a dual-sided fireplace, a soaking tub, a steam shower, a sauna, and a room for quiet meditation and yoga.
The ceiling retracts for ultimate stargazing while enjoying a soak in the hot tub. A hidden door allows access to the swimming pool.
The kitchen comes with a scullery
The chef’s kitchen and casual dining area have sliding glass doors that access a kitchen garden and outdoor dining patios.
Granite slab counters with three sinks and a large island offer several cooking stations, while a scullery kitchen — a dedicated space traditionally used for washing up dishes — also has additional counter space and appliances.
The wine cellar holds 10,000 bottles
The 10,000-bottle temperature-controlled wine cellar has floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a nearby tasting room area, and its beauty has not gone unnoticed. It was previously featured in the Wine Spectator.
The 7,000-square-foot ballroom
An approximately 7,000-square-foot ballroom illuminated by nine crystal chandeliers provides the perfect space for large-scale entertaining.
This unique space has multiple lounge areas and a walk-around bar “of nightclub proportions”, per the listing. It also has a hidden door that reveals access to a potential car collection.
A car collector’s dream
And this space has seen its fair share of legendary vehicles: Ken Behring was known for his extensive car collection, and it was rumored that he’d even accept classic cars as down payments on homes in his Blackhawk developments. His car collection was said to be worth north of 100 million.
Among the flashy rides that graced this space over the years was a 1935 Duesenberg once owned by Clark Gable, a ‘31 Bentley formerly owned by William Vanderbilt Jr., and a ‘26 Isotta Fraschini that was previously Rudolph Valentino’s.
Landscaping unlike anything you’ve seen before
The Behring Estate has multiple terraces and several landscaped gardens, including terraced Japanese landscaping designed by legendary landscape architect Kimio Kimura.
Outdoor amenities include a tennis court, dining pavilion with a kitchen, and koi ponds
Making the most of its generous 4.54 acres of land, the Blackhawk mansion has:
- Multi-level koi ponds
- A large plaster pool and spa with a nearby waterfall
- An outdoor dining pavilion with a full kitchen
- A tennis court cantilevered over the hillside
- 7 parking spaces, including a 4-car garage, a 3-car carport, and a golf cart garage
It comes with country club perks
The property is located in the prestigious Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, California, enjoying all the benefits this upscale club has to offer. That includes access to private club amenities and championship golf courses.
The location also places the house just a short drive away from San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
The property was listed for nearly $25 million
Before hitting the auction block this year, Ken Behring’s longtime home was previously listed for sale at $25 million — more than twice the estimated price of the actual Fallingwater, per Patch.com.
Auctioned off as part of Concierge Auctions’ inaugural ‘Summer Showcase’
It may have failed to bank a $25 million sale, but the estate’s auction was the highlight of Concierge Auctions’ ‘Summer Showcase’ in New York City. Held as part of the firm’s 2024 sales series spanning Los Angeles, New York City, Hong Kong, London, and Dubai, the evening auction streamed live to the world from the Pendry Manhattan West.
The sale achieved an impressive white-glove result, with 100% of lots sold and over $170 million in aggregate bids placed.
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