Private lake, pool, ‘epic’ outdoor parties define Granite Bay estate

A Granite Bay lakefront estate where generations of one family celebrated holidays, weddings and epic Fourth of July parties is on the Sacramento market for the first time in four decades.

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Located in the gated Shelborne luxury community, the property is listed for $2.8 million by Darcie Stratton of eXp Realty. A five-bedroom, six-bathroom main residence anchors the expansive 1.6-acre estate, offering 5,316 square feet of living space.

The grounds feature an approximately 800-square-foot guesthouse, deep swimming pool and spa, tennis and pickleball court, mature landscaping, a private dock and a collection of childhood attractions built for the family’s children and grandchildren.

For Dick and Bunny Brening, who are selling the estate, the property is more than a large home behind dual gates. It is where their family grew, gathered and returned for 44 years.

“It all evolved one day at a time,” Bunny said. “When I wake up in this house every day, I say, ‘Another day in paradise. I’m going to rejoice and be glad in it.’ And we did for 44 years.”

Shaping the property

Dick Brening spent 42 years as a Burger King franchisee, at one point operating 17 stores in the Sacramento region. Over the decades, the couple shaped the property around family life, adding spaces and features as they were needed.

The home’s character is especially evident in its craftsmanship. In the family room, a pressed-tin ceiling reflects the glow of one of the home’s three wood-burning fireplaces. The ceiling was made using an original 1920s mold after the family saw a similar design in an architectural magazine.

“When we have our Christmases and our family here and build a fire, the light from the fire flickers up,” Bunny said. “It just adds this magical touch.”

Her son, Greg Brening, remembers watching two craftsmen install the ceiling when he was young.

“They had little hammers, and they couldn’t hit too hard because they would dent the tin,” Greg said. “There were two guys, and they just took forever. The attention to detail — you don’t see this anymore.”

Expensive wood craftsmanship

Oak woodwork throughout the residence was preserved during a later restoration rather than replaced. Stratton said reproducing that level of craftsmanship today would be prohibitively expensive.

“Imagine how much this wood would cost if somebody came in and tried to do this (work) now,” she said. “This would be astronomical to replicate.”

The formal dining room and adjoining game room show how the Brenings used the house for large gatherings that were “lively,” Bunny said. The game room once held a pool table and a restored 1921 player piano. During the holidays, the family covered the pool table with plywood and set up an LGB train set. As the children grew older, the room was rearranged to accommodate 14 additional guests.

“This is where all our family came through every Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday, wedding, so many celebrations in this room,” Bunny said. “I’m amazed it’s still standing.”

The kitchen, which retains its original Sub-Zero refrigerator and had a brass cappuccino machine from Milan in a dedicated alcove, was the center of what the family called “Grandma Bunny days.” Bunny said her grandchildren often requested grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes. She cooked the food on the built-in griddle.

The home’s whole-house speaker system sends music clear out to the tennis court, front yard and pool. Whenever the household experienced a milestone — a reunion, for example — Dick and Bunny would put out banners to mark the occasion. Greg said neighbors eventually began referring to the property as “the music house,” “the banner house” or “the balloon house.”

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Upstairs, the primary suite faces the lake. From its balcony, Bunny said she could watch white egrets and Canadian geese in the morning.

A lake is built

The lake began as a marshy pond before Granite Bay developer Tony Musolino expanded and shaped it. His property sat across the lake from the Brenings’ place. Today, mature oaks and decades-old landscaping frame the slope from the home to the water and dock.

The grounds were designed for both quiet mornings and large celebrations. The pool includes a diving board, a feature that has become less uncommon in recent years. The spa can accommodate about a dozen grandchildren, Bunny said, even on rainy days when the children gathered with umbrellas and popsicles.

The Brenings’ Fourth of July parties became a neighborhood tradition.

“Our Fourth of July parties were epic,” Dick said. “This backyard was filled with kids and ice chests — 350 people.”

Neighboring families joined in water-balloon battles across the lake, sometimes using giant slingshots. Bands played patriotic music, fireworks were launched from the water’s edge and the family once built a temporary Statue of Liberty for the celebration.

“We were raised very patriotic,” Greg said. “It was just really good times, great parties.”

The family also built features specifically for its youngest members. In one corner of the yard is a fully realized dollhouse with stucco walls, high ceilings, a doorbell and a heater. Bunny said it was built in the early 1990s for the couple’s first granddaughter, who spent her first year under their care.

“I just figured that’s what you do when you love your grandkids — you build them a dollhouse,” she said. “And do you know, to this day, they bring now their children back, their great-grandkids.”

Dollhouse and treehouse

A treehouse was added after one of the boys in the family was told the dollhouse was for girls. The adjacent zip line provided some heart-quickening entertainment.

On a second lot, purchased to provide more lake frontage and boat storage, the guesthouse mirrors the main residence in style and materials, such as the same wood parquet floor design. It has a full kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, living area and a spacious upstairs loft. An extra-deep three-car garage provides space for boats, vehicles, recreational equipment or a workshop.

“So nowadays everybody calls these ADUs, which doesn’t do it justice,” Greg said. “This is a guest house.”

Family members have used the residence while building or remodeling their own homes.

Greg, who grew up on the property, described the estate’s significance in more personal terms.

“I dated here, went to high school, got married here, had four kids here,” he said. “I mean, that’s the legacy of 44 years, right?”

Now, after four decades of family milestones, the Brenings are passing on the estate. They’ve settled into their new home, but carried the memories with them.

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An offer is pending on the property.