Gallery
Features
The first thing you will notice about this special place is the Craftsman-style entry arbor, draped by majestic old wisteria, shading a welcoming, whimsical patio inlaid with patterns of polished stones, rough rock and red brick. A long-time neighborhood treasure, the arbor attracts walking tours in the spring when the wisteria is in full glory.
Built circa 1916, this grand Brown Shingle home still retains the iconic architectural elements of its era. Some of the treasured and increasingly rare vintage details include unpainted hardwood wainscoting, hammered metal hardware and vintage fixtures, deep window benches, boxed-beam ceilings, enclosed sun porches, plate moldings, built-in leaded-glass cabinetry, wood sash windows, and even a real library.
What started as an already spacious home, became even larger and more flexible when an additional level of living space was created below the main level of the home, accessed by way of an interior stairway leading down from the library. A set of old drawings found in the attic include the notation “ballroom.”
Finally, a former owner also converted the basement/garden level to finished space, complete with full bath, high ceilings, and lovely arched windows overlooking the rear garden. This level also has an exterior entry, and may be easily integrated with the unit above by removing a partition wall at the existing interior stairwell.
Main House:
- 4 bedrooms, all on the upper level, including a master suite
- 3 bathrooms, including full remodeled bath on ground level
- Enlarged farmhouse-style kitchen with morning sunlight
- Formal dining room that opens to sheltered rear balcony
- Spacious living room with stone fireplace and window seat
- Library, breakfast room, enclosed sun room, over 500 sf attic
- Gorgeous views out to the bay with peeks of the City and bridges
- Approximately 3,270 sf (including finished attic and sun room)
Middle level:
- Enclosed sun porch running the whole width of the house
- Interior stairway still connects up to the main house library
- Secure laundry closet shared by this level and level below
- Bright and fresh; approximately 1,724 sf (including sun porch)
Lowest level:
- Pretty, updated bathroom with a shower over a tub
- Sunny central room with high ceilings, arched windows
- Approximately 904 sf, overlooking the rear garden
Neighborhood
The Claremont neighborhood straddles the Berkeley and Oakland borders and features lush landscaping, curving streets that hug the canyon hills, and open space. Homes on the leafy side streets provide old-fashioned Berkeley elegance, dotted with many architecturally significant homes. The landmark of this area is the majestic Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa, a vast Victorian edifice perched on 22 acres.
There are two easily walkable shopping hubs equidistant from 78 El Camino Real -- one centered around the much-beloved Star Market (Star Grocery and Star Meats) on Claremont at the Uplands, and another centered around Peet's Coffee, on Domingo at Ashby.
There is also an express Transbay bus that picks up at Domingo and Ashby, and a casual carpool on Claremont near Safeway. The Rockridge BART station is about a 20-minute walk.
The nearby Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve is 208 acres of open space managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, and even closer, about a 15-minute's walk brings you to Garber Park, a 13-acre oak-and-bay-tree woodland south of Claremont Avenue.
Contact
Holly Rose
RealtorDRE# 01010254