{"id":359384,"date":"2026-06-13T15:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359384\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:24:16","slug":"sacramento-fab-40s-1925-brick-colonial-for-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359384\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacramento Fab 40s 1925 brick Colonial for sale"},"content":{"rendered":"

A bottle of champagne in the refrigerator was the first clue something unusual had happened.<\/p>\n

Kamal Khaira and her husband Dr. Ravi Khaira had just finished remodeling the kitchen at the family\u2019s Carmichael home when she walked inside one day and sensed a celebration was under way. Then she opened the fridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just walking in, and there\u2019s a nice bottle of champagne,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018why is there a bottle of champagne? What\u2019s going on.\u2019 Ravi goes \u2018I bought the house on 40th street.\u2019 I said, \u2018What? We own this house. Wow. OK, just let me take this in.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The decision to make a surprise purchase in 2016 brought her family into one of Sacramento\u2019s most storied addresses \u2014 and into a home whose own history is as layered as its four floors. They knew little about the past at their new residence. They were in for another big surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be in the front doing the lawn or greeting someone, and they\u2019d say, \u2018Oh, you\u2019re the new owners. I remember being on the top on the fourth floor looking out, and this part (of the house),\u2019\u201d Kamal said. \u201cEverybody in their 50s or 60s has a story, if they grew up here, about being in this home, knowing the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A home for sale in East Sacramento\u2019s Fabulous 40s neighborhood on Tuesday. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com The \u2018duke\u2019 and the nanny<\/p>\n

The stately house hints at a story far richer than its facade, one starring a \u201cduke and duchess,\u201d a long-serving nanny, and generations of family life.<\/p>\n

Built in 1925, the brick Colonial in Sacramento\u2019s prestigious Fabulous 40s<\/a> spans about 6,300 square feet. It has five to six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a full walkout basement and a top floor known as the ballroom. From the balcony off the ballroom, a set of outside stairs takes you to a rooftop deck that looks over the neighborhood\u2019s tree-lined streets, and may be the highest vantage point of any residence in East Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Set on 0.42 acres, the historic property is for sale for $4.2 million. Christine Dariotis<\/a> of Nick Sadek Sotheby\u2019s International Realty is the listing agent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beauty,\u201d Dariotis said of the home.<\/p>\n

Kamal, a director for the UC CalFresh Program, and Ravi, a pediatrician, are well known in the region for their work in health and education, including their $1 million gift to UC Davis\u2019 College of Biological Sciences<\/a>. The college renamed Sciences Lecture Hall to Khaira Lecture Hall to honor the two Aggie alumni.<\/p>\n

The Khairas and their two daughters are only the second family to live in the Fab 40 mansion at 1441 40th St. They spent nearly three years meticulously restoring it, preserving period details while updating nearly every system. But to understand the house, it helps to know its first family.<\/p>\n

\"The The backyard of a home for sale in East Sacramento\u2019s Fabulous 40 neighborhood on Tuesday. The 1920s era estate sits on 4.2 acres. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com The original owners<\/p>\n

The original owners were socialite Beatrice \u201cPinkie\u201d Thys and her Belgian husband, Edouard Thys, who came from a prominent Antwerp family with ties to nobility, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting. Pinkie\u2019s German immigrant father Emil Clemens Horst built an empire around hops cultivation, including owning vast fields around Campus Commons and other Sacramento areas.<\/p>\n

Olivia Barrett, a former owner who extensively renovated the home before the Khairas, called Edouard\u2019s background somewhat of a mystery.<\/p>\n

\u201cRumors of being a duke, being a spy, being a diplomat \u2026 I\u2019ve heard a number of them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently he was a count, a Belgian count,\u201d she said, adding that it \u201cseems to check\u201d after she discovered a castle in Belgium was tied to his family.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s certain is their European background gave the home an air of old-world grandeur. The Thyses, known to some in the neighborhood as the \u201cduke and duchess,\u201d raised their children and often entertained there, turning the house into both a family refuge and a social gathering place.<\/p>\n

Across the street, neighbor Debra Sherman, who has watched the house for more than three decades, remembers the Thys family vividly. She recalled that Edouard Thys was believed to be a count, and that Beatrice, who died in 1997 was a woman of refinement.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeatrice was just a lovely, lovely, genteel type of lady,\u201d Sherman said.<\/p>\n

Sherman said Beatrice Thys, who died in 1997, studied harp in Belgium and carried herself with the elegance that matched the home\u2019s formal architecture. Even in old age, Pinkie remained a gracious host.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember distinctly when she turned 88 that her children gave her 88 bottles of champagne,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cEvery time we would go over, whether it was just to deliver mail that had been misdelivered (or something else), it was, \u2018Won\u2019t you come in and have a glass of champagne.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

\"The The back of a home for sale in East Sacramento\u2019s Fabulous 40 neighborhood on Tuesday. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com Amusement park backyard<\/p>\n

The hospitality extended to the Pinkie\u2019s youngest visitors as well. Sherman said Pinkie loved children and turned the backyard into something close to a private amusement park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a carousel in the back, and it was motorized,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cThere was a doll house that had lights inside that worked \u2026 and then she had a really nice train set out there and around some of the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the Khairas were moving into their new brick colonial, which already felt steeped in another era, workers began dismantling the old backyard carousel and other remnants of a private fairy-tale landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started getting involved, and we wanted to do improvements before we were moving in, we saw them taking out a carousel, a merry-go-round, that was here,\u201d Kamal Khaira said.<\/p>\n

One figure tied that past together: Lydia Payot, the Filipino nanny who came to the house when the Thys children were young and stayed for decades.<\/p>\n

\"The The formal living room where Sacramento dignitaries would gather, including then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, according to old photos found in the room. Glenn Rose Photography Walking the dog<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had a live-in caretaker, her name was Lydia,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cShe originally came to live with the family, kind of more as a caretaker for the children, but then after the children, she stayed on, and she was (treated like) a member of the family. She loved dogs, and you could always see Lydia walking the neighborhood with the dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

Payot ultimately returned to the Philippines after her time in the home, according to Kamal and Sherman.<\/p>\n

The Thyses\u2019 whimsical yard has since been reimagined for entertaining with multiple seating areas, a rebuilt pool, an outdoor kitchen, a covered retreat, a fire pit, new landscaping, stone pavers and lighting.<\/p>\n

It is overlooked by the home\u2019s third-floor ballroom, which Sherman said served as Pinkie\u2019s ballet room with mirrors and a barre. Pinkie also played harp up there, according to neighbors.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family and my daughters and I fell in love with this upstairs room,\u201d Kamal said.<\/p>\n

The space functioned as a bright great room and teen hangout, fitted with arcade games, a large television and a snack bar. That kind of flexibility is one reason the house worked so well for the Khairas, who moved there to be close to Christian Brothers High School. Their house quickly turned into a hub for their daughters and their friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ended up being the place for all of the CB kids (to hang out),\u201d Kamal said. \u201cThis was a place where anybody could come, because it was close enough to the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scale of the home matched its function. Over the years, the Khairas hosted fundraisers, school gatherings and civic events and fundraisers, often welcoming large groups into the expansive backyard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be on the regular where my daughters are like, \u2018Mom, you\u2019re always volunteering our house for everything,\u2019\u201c Kamal said.<\/p>\n

Scaled for family living \"A A shared space outside the Jack and Jill rooms is a great place for teens to hang out or do homework, according to the owner. Glenn Rose Photography <\/p>\n

For a family, the home\u2019s scale makes sense. The second floor offers bedrooms, a shared sitting room and private spaces that allow teenagers some independence. The layout, Kamal said, gave everyone room to spread out.<\/p>\n

On the main levels, the home highlights a remodeled gourmet kitchen with a walk-in pantry and a large laundry room, plus a primary suite with balcony access, an office behind French doors and a stunning, renovated primary bathroom.<\/p>\n

Two guest rooms \u2014 ideal for Kamal and Riva\u2019s twin daughters \u2014 connect through a former sleeping porch with a fireplace and built-ins, creating flexible space for an office, hobby room or hangout area. It\u2019s one of Kamal\u2019s favorite features.<\/p>\n

When the Thyses owned the East Sacramento home, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, whose nearby former house on 45th Street<\/a> sold off-market last year for $4.5 million, was a frequent guest. Thys, who died in 1976, was an important fund-raiser for Reagan, according to a previous Bee reporting.<\/p>\n

One renovation-era detail still sticks with Barrett: a heavy marble fireplace mantel that she found, but couldn\u2019t place anywhere in the house. It was stored in the garage. After the sale, she received a call from a museum that was housed in a castle in Belgium, with ties to the family name, whose staff believed the mantel belonged there but had once been shipped to Sacramento.<\/p>\n

\"The The former, fourth-floor ballroom was turned into a sky-lit great room with a balcony. Glenn Rose Photography \u2018Insane\u2019 quality<\/p>\n

Barrett, a Realtor who restores older properties, called the home her favorite project, praising the triple-bricked wall, Georgian colonial\u201d construction and saying the quality of the house is \u201cinsane.\u201d<\/p>\n

The renovation that followed the Khairas\u2019 surprise purchase was as ambitious as the house itself. Beneath the home, contractors found a maze of aging plumbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like twisting all over underneath the house \u2026 it was a MacGyver everywhere,\u201d Kamal said.<\/p>\n

The family replaced cast-iron plumbing, upgraded the electrical and other systems, and restored the brick exterior piece by piece. They kept original details such as built-ins, cedar closets and walnut floors, while improving the home for modern life. The pool was rebuilt but retained its kidney-bean shape, a nod to early 20th-century design.<\/p>\n

The home has two garages, newly poured driveways, and a full walkout basement that now includes gym space and storage.<\/p>\n

After buying the home, the sellers invested nearly $2.3 million in upgrades and restoration, building on earlier work by Barrett, according to meticulous records kept by Ravi Khaira.<\/p>\n

That long thread of care \u2014 from the original owners to Lydia to the Khairas \u2014 has defined the home\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful home, such a beautiful home,\u201d Kamal said. \u201cWe have such good memories. We love the home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Khairas now live in the Sacramento neighborhood of Sierra Oaks Vista.<\/p>\n

In the Fabulous 40s, where stately houses often carry the weight of neighborhood history, this one stands out for the lives it has held.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure all these houses have a history,\u201d Sherman said, \u201cbut I think that one\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A renovated 1925 brick colonial in East Sacramento\u2019s Fabulous 40s neighborhood spans 6,300 square feet with a ballroom, rooftop deck, pool and rich history. The property, listed for $4.2 million, is seen on Tuesday. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

David Caraccio<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A bottle of champagne in the refrigerator was the first clue something unusual had happened. Kamal Khaira and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359385,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-359384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359384\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}