Quietwood — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1971)

Part of Sunset Homes’ “Sunsetown” collection

In the early 1970s, as Livermore continued its transformation from an agrarian town into a fully suburban city, Sunset Homes introduced a distinctive residential series that would quietly redefine middle-tier housing in the Tri-Valley. Dubbed the Quietwood Series, this collection of four floor plans was introduced in late 1971 and represented Sunset’s major design refresh for the 1970s.

Positioned between their budget-friendly Ripplebrook homes and the upscale Wildwood line, Quietwood offered modern amenities, spatial efficiency, and a flair for entertaining—all while maintaining the affordability that helped Sunset Homes establish dominance across Livermore's south side.

Black-and-white newspaper ad from January 1971 promoting the Quietwood series by Sunset Homes in Livermore, California. The ad highlights a new “Kitchen-in-the-Round” feature, with bold typography and illustrations showcasing the home’s layout and modern design elements.
Vintage January 1971 ad for Sunset Homes' Quietwood series in Livermore, announcing the debut of the innovative “Kitchen-in-the-Round” — a unique circular kitchen layout designed to enhance space and flow in modern suburban homes.

Where is Quietwood in Livermore?

Quietwood homes were not confined to a single neighborhood. Instead, they were strategically dispersed across three Sunset neigborhoods (dubbed Sunsetown):

  • Three Fountains – The flagship neighborhood for Quietwood, including the model complex

  • Whispering Pines – Where Quietwood mixed with Ripplebrook and Wildwood plans

  • Sunset East – Where Quietwood offered modern alternatives to earlier builds

Annotated aerial map showing the boundaries of the Sunset East, Three Fountains, and Whispering Pines neighborhoods in Livermore.
Annotated aerial map of the Sunset East, Three Fountains, and Whispering Pines neighborhoods in Livermore, California, where Quietwood homes were built. Base imagery from Google Maps.

Sunset in the suburbs

By 1971, Sunset Homes had already built out large portions of Sunset West, Sunset East, and the Whispering Pines neighborhoods. These developments catered to the wave of new families arriving in Livermore—many of them tied to Lawrence Livermore Lab, local industry, or East Bay commutes.

Quietwood arrived just as the demand for modern layouts and lifestyle-oriented spaces began to replace the utilitarian ranches of the 1950s and early '60s. Sunset adapted with a series that offered design-forward homes without crossing into luxury pricing—a rare sweet spot in postwar suburban development.

Selling the series

For historians of mid-century design, the Quietwood kitchens deserve special mention.

  • The Magnolia introduced a “kitchen-in-the-round”—a circular cooking core surrounded by cabinetry and appliances. This was not just functional but theatrical: a space meant to be seen as much as used.

  • Other plans, like the Escalonia and Gardenia, featured entertainment islands—precursors to today’s open-concept kitchens—ideal for casual dining, socializing, or hosting.

  • All kitchens featured durable vinyl flooring, accessible counter heights, and open plans that blurred the line between living and cooking spaces.

While Sunset Homes had experimented with round kitchens before, it was Quietwood that perfected the concept and tied it to suburban lifestyle trends—particularly the rise of in-home entertaining.

March 1973 advertisement for the Magnolia model home at Quietwood in Livermore, showcasing the floor plan with a prominent focus on the “Sunset’s Famous Kitchen in the Round” feature. The layout highlights the circular kitchen design, a distinctive architectural element of the home.
Vintage March 1973 ad for the Magnolia model at Quietwood in Livermore, featuring the floor plan and the tagline “Sunset’s Famous Kitchen in the Round.”

Black-and-white 1971 newspaper photo of the Magnolia model from Sunset’s Quietwood series, showcasing its distinctive round kitchen layout and mid-century ranch exterior.
From a December 1971 Daily Review photo—the queen of the Quietwood series, the Magnolia model, featuring its signature round kitchen and bold architectural styling.

Floor plan of the Quietwood Magnolia model, featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a distinctive round kitchen design.
Close up of the floor plan of The Magnolia from December 1972.

Vintage 1972 photo of the Gardenia model kitchen featuring vinyl floors, a central island, and a young boy dressed as a cowboy sitting at the counter—capturing mid-century family charm.
For the little cowboy, inside the Gardenia from April 1972.

Floor plan of the Quietwood Gardenia model, showing a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom layout with an open kitchen and entertainment island.
Floor plan of The Gardenia from November 1973.

Pricing history of Quietwood homes

  • 1971: $27,850 - $31,850
  • 1972: $28,850 - $33,700
  • 1973: $31,250 - $36,450

The homes of Quietwood

When Quietwood opened, buyers toured a carefully staged collection of Sunset model homes showcasing the neighborhood’s mix of architecture, indoor-outdoor living, and family-oriented floor plans. Though individual elevations varied, these original models helped define much of the neighborhood’s visual identity.

The four original models opened on November 21, 1971 on Alden Lane.

Map showing the site of the Quietwood model home complex on Alden Lane in the Three Fountains neighborhood of Livermore.
Annotated aerial map of the Quietwood model home complex on Alden Lane. Base imagery from Google Maps.

Model homes of Quietwood

1. The Escalonia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,324 sq. ft.

2. The Gardenia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,466 sq. ft.

3. The Magnolia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,664 sq. ft.

4. The Nandina - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,674 sq. ft.

Current appearance of the original Escalonia home in Livermore's Quietwood.
Original Escalonia model today via Google Street View.

Current appearance of the original Gardenia home in Livermore's Quietwood.
Original Gardenia model today via Google Street View.

Current appearance of the original Magnolia home in Livermore's Quietwood.
Original Magnolia model today via Google Street View.

Current appearance of the original Nandina home in Livermore's Quietwood.
Original Nandina model home today via Google Street View.

Legacy of Quietwood

Sunset Homes sold the final Quietwood models in October 1973, signaling the close of the series. However, the most popular design—the Magnolia—lived on. It was reintroduced in modified forms in later developments, including The Meadows, the Wildwood Series, and Shadowbrook.

Quietwood stands as a transitional product line: bridging the modest ranches of the 1960s with the lifestyle-driven suburban homes of the later 1970s. Quietwood also provides a valuable window into developer flexibility, marketing strategies, and mid-tier market segmentation in postwar suburban Livermore.

While Quietwood may have been “middle-tier” in Sunset’s portfolio, for many Livermore families, it was a first home, a forever home, or both. It was a place where shag carpet met circular kitchens, and where 1970s optimism was built right into the floor plan.

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