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 Series and the upscale Wildwood Series, 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.
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| January 1971 newspaper 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 Quietwood homes were built
Quietwood homes were not confined to a single neighborhood. Instead, they were strategically dispersed across three Sunset neighborhoods: Three Fountains, Whispering Pines, and Sunset East.
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.
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| December 1971 Daily Review newspaper clipping—described as the queen of the Quietwood Series, the Magnolia model featured a signature round kitchen. |
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| April 1972 newspaper clipping—for the little cowboy, inside the Gardenia. |
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 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.
Exploring the original Quietwood Series today
Although the sales office is long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original Quietwood Series model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Sunset's vision for suburban living in 1971.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to Quietwood's earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complex, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original prices
- 1971: $27,850 - $31,850
- 1972: $28,850 - $33,700
- 1973: $31,250 - $36,450
Original model home complex
Quietwood's four original model homes were arranged on Alden Lane around a temporary sales complex that welcomed prospective buyers during the neighborhood's grand opening on November 21, 1971. While the sales office disappeared long ago, the model homes remain, allowing visitors to trace the neighborhood's beginnings more than fifty years later.
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| Annotated aerial map of the original Quietwood Series model home complex on Alden Lane. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Original sales materials
The following newspaper advertisements document the original Quietwood homes as they were presented to prospective buyers. Together they preserve the exterior renderings, floor plans, pricing, and marketing language used during the neighborhood's first years.
The Gardenia
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| November 1973 newspaper ad—floor plan of the Gardenia. |
The Magnolia
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| March 1973 newspaper ad for the Magnolia model at Quietwood in Livermore, featuring the floor plan and the tagline “Sunset’s Famous Kitchen in the Round.” |
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| December 1972 newspaper ad—close up of the floor plan of the Magnolia. |
The original model homes
1. The Escalonia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,324 sq. ft.
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| Original Escalonia model today via Google Street View. |
2. The Gardenia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,466 sq. ft.
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| Original Gardenia model today via Google Street View. |
3. The Magnolia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,664 sq. ft.
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| Original Magnolia model today via Google Street View. |
4. The Nandina - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,674 sq. ft.
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| Original Nandina model home today via Google Street View. |
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