Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
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The eat-in kitchen offers an island with sitting area, breakfast nook and Viking appliances.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
A family room just off the kitchen includes a fireplace and yard access off both sides.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
The tiered island in the kitchen provides space for preparing meals and casual dining.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
Above: The five-bedroom 1238 Drury Road in Berkeley is designed by Phil Perkins. Below: The tiered island in the kitchen provides space for preparing meals and casual dining.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
Cityscapes and Bay Area landmarks are visible from the west-facing terrace.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
The Berkeley home enjoys a level lawn in its backyard that complements the bay views.
Photo: Liz Rusby/The Grubb Co
Hot Property: Hillside Claremont home offers bay views, luxurious courtyard and a level lawn
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Alex Siows timing couldnt have been better. During a fateful Saturday morning drive around Berkeleys Claremont neighborhood in 2007, he and his wife happened across the skeleton of a home under construction.
Within two months, the Siows would own the property and move in once the building phase wrapped up.
There was masking tape and paint rags everywhere when we first saw it. You could still tell it was going to be beautiful, Siow said of 1238 Drury Road, listed at $2.38 million. The tall windows stood out to us immediately.
Those expansive glass panels frame views of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges while simultaneously inviting sunlight to the elegant interior. The five-bedroom tri-level includes an elevator, view terrace and fireplaces in the living room and master suite. Viking appliances dominate an eat-in kitchen with a tiered island and breakfast nook. But bay views and a level lawn cemented the couples desire to buy the west-facing home.
Its a hillside home with a flat lawn ... that by itself makes it special, Siow said.
Siow lucked out that Saturday he first visited the lot. The person that day was both the lots owner the homes builder, John Coleman of JeColeman Consulting.
Coleman guided them around the site and informed them Marin architect Phillip Perkins designed the home. The revelation made the property all the more desirable, Siow said.
We had made offers on a few homes (designed by Perkins before) over the years but we kept getting outbid, he said.
The Siows bought the home months before its completion. They worked with an interior designer on a few specific finishes, but otherwise the couple simply needed to close out the transaction and grab the keys before moving in.
They already planned on putting in the highest quality brands and finishes, he said.
Views are obviously a prime element of this property, but Siow is quick to compliment Perkins on focusing on the design as a whole.
Perkins was not only concentrating on views, he also designed the space to be livable, Siow said.
The seller points to attic and basement storage, bedrooms on the same floor and elevator access to all levels as functional design elements. The elevator proves its worth every time Siow needed to lug a bulky item in or out of the home, he said.
Its convenient, especially when youre transporting something from garage to the deck, said Siow, recalling the time he moved a freestanding barbecue to a terrace off the family room.
Though technically a Berkeley mailing address, residents of 1238 Drury Road pay property taxes to the city of Oakland.
Visit www.1238Drury.com for more details.
Listing agent: Bebe McRae, Grubb Co., (510) 652-2133, ext. 415, bmcrae@grubbco.com
Details
Address: 1238 Drury Road, Berkeley
Price: $2.38 million
Features: A five-bedroom view home in Berkeleys Claremont neighborhood overlooking cityscapes, the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Viking appliances and a tiered island highlight the chefs kitchen. The hillside home offers a level lawn in the backyard before the landscape tapers downward.
Open home: 2 to 4: 30 p.m. Sunday
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