32 Vicente Road

Architectural Excellence in the Berkeley Hills

This stunning home, on a rare ½+ acre lot in Berkeley’s Lower Claremont hills, was conceived and built by a noted landscape architect/urban planner and his wife. It was their personal residence for 30 years. The home, 8,500 square feet in all, commands stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay and is where Berkeley charm meets old world elegance.

Enter the hub of the home’s main entertainment level into a two-story grand foyer. Upon entering enjoy the Venetian plaster walls, custom iron railings sweeping up to the second floor, and sunlight pouring through windows and skylights. To the left is the large living room, with a 20-foot peaked ceiling and distinctive red oak hardwoods with inlay. The room is certain to be the center of social gatherings large and small. A fireplace wards off any winter chill, and French doors lead to a balcony with Bridge and Bay views. More French doors lead outside, with views of climbing roses and other curated flowers in every direction. After enjoying an aperitif in the living room with guests, adjourn to the other side of the foyer for a relaxing meal in the formal dining room. The well-appointed kitchen lies between, featuring a double oven and range offering eight burners, an indoor grill, an expansive island with a second sink, and top appliances. Families or friends may dine casually in the open-floorplan kitchen overlooking the pool, alongside another fireplace. The first of the home’s two family rooms adjoins the kitchen, and an elite speaker system provides one’s selection of music throughout the home. French doors everywhere provide garden and pool access, ensuring indoor-outdoor living opportunities at every turn. A shaft, now used as a spacious pantry, is fully wired and built with reinforced steel, ready to accommodate an elevator if residents desire.

Bedrooms are found on each of the home’s three levels. The primary suite, under a 16-foot peaked ceiling, occupies the eastern wing of the main floor surrounded by sweeping garden vistas. Awaken to cheery morning sun, and French doors invite one outside to relax in the spa or exercise in the lap pool (with child-proof cover). Dual walk-in closets adjoin the bedroom, each under a skylight drawing in natural light in any weather. The adjacent bathroom, under additional skylights, features marble flooring, dual sinks, extensive custom cabinetry, and an oversized marble shower-tub with dual showerheads.

Ascend stairs in the front foyer to two other bedrooms, each with a well-appointed en-suite bath. The bedrooms lie on either side of the floor, connected by a wide walkway/balcony that overlooks the kitchen and family room below. Continuous windows on either side of the walkway offer stunning Golden Gate and Bay Bridge views to the west and pool and garden views to the east. The walkway terminates in a spacious open area that could serve as an office, play area or sitting room, and features an alcove with a built-in desk and safe for securing valuables. One of the upstairs bedrooms offers a skylight; the other, an exterior balcony that basks in morning sun and oversees the back yard gardens and swimming pool and adjoining spa.

The fourth bedroom, almost as large as the primary, is found on the lower level with its own courtyard. It adjoins a full bathroom with a steam shower and the home’s second family room. This grand room offers 16-foot beamed pine ceiling and still another cozy fireplace. French doors lead to the back patio, garden and pool. The home’s lower level also features a 350-square-foot home office with garden views, an outdoor courtyard, and a separate entrance. Other features of the lower level include a spacious wine room, gym, sitting area, drop room, and large entryway from the two-car garage (which has ample storage space and access to the elevator shaft).

The home features distinct architectural features, high-end fixtures, and custom cabinetry everywhere.

Convenience and energy efficiency mark the home’s design. There is radiant heating throughout, and every room has its own thermostat. Cleaning is easy with a powerful central vacuum system. The home also was built with safety in mind: Extensive French drains on the hillside to the east divert runoff water to the street, and a slate roof (with copper gutters) guards against fire.

Graceful curvature is the recurring theme of the architecture. Just as Vicente Road curves northward from Tunnel Road, so too does the home’s driveway curve gently from Vicente toward the garage; the interior ceiling on the upper floor curves down to each side over the interior walkway and balcony; and the wine room’s curving walls emulate a wine cave and invite residents and guests for a glass of pinot noir and conversation.

The surrounding gardens, designed by the primary owner, are every bit as distinctive as the home’s interior. He brought together his love of trees and plants and his knowledge of environmental and urban design to create spaces that bring people together. The many patios, terraces and garden spaces invite one outside in every season. Over the past 20 years, it continued to be curated by top landscape architects, creating gardens as distinctive as the home: a botanical garden with mature trees and seasonal displays of color. Home to fruiting trees such as persimmon, loquat, olive, plum, pineapple guava, lemon and lime, as well as flowering pear, cherry, apple, bay laurel, birch, Japanese maple and heritage redwoods. The trees have been professionally tended by arborists to ensure the trees’ health.   The property is abundant with flowers and colorful shrubs: roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, calla lilies, flowering vines, sages and more, creating a well-planned colorscape that changes with the seasons.  A great horned owl and two red-tailed hawks make the trees their home. The terraced garden features carefully designed and constructed rock walls, a hallmark of old-world horticulture. All irrigation is controlled via Bluetooth on one’s mobile device, set on a zone-based seasonal schedule using both drip and head-sprayer irrigation. Because the grounds span two lots (32 and 32A Vicente Road), two water meters cover the property and ensure adequate water, even in drought years. The grounds have been tended for years by the same landscaping crew; its members would be pleased to continue to render services to the grounds they love.

Toward the rear of the property is the two-bedroom, two-bath guest house (with full kitchen and living room/dining room), offering an additional 1035 square feet of living space. The peaked-roof master bedroom enjoys a wide view of San Francisco to Marin, allowing you to enjoy the sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge.  The many skylights and windows in this house bring the outside in, giving a feel of cabin in the trees.   Adjoining the guest house is a free-standing timber-frame bonus room (280 square feet), under a peaked pine ceiling, which could be used as another office, a yoga studio, or a sitting/reading room.

The home offers all manner of opportunities for multigenerational living. The fourth bedroom on the lower level and the guest cottage each are ideal for parents, in-laws, or other relatives.

This exquisite home is well removed from noise and congestion, yet it enjoys convenient access to favorite Berkeley destinations. The famous Claremont Hotel & Spa, Berkeley Tennis Club, and Domingo Avenue shops are within walking distance.  The Rockridge and Elmwood shopping districts, the UC Berkeley campus, BART, and access to highways 13 and 24 are all within a five-minute drive. 

The home is an urban retreat amidst nature.