Set among other stately homes on a leafy street, this gracious home mixes natural light, lavish gardens, and richly textured details in one of Piedmont’s great estates. Now, for the first time in decades, it is available.
A shady, romantic drive lined with stately redwoods fades deep into the property. In the deep front porch, a huge door of intricate ironwork and glass opens to a formal entry leading into two magnificent spaces. In the living room, light from an array of tall leaded-glass windows illuminates an exquisite coffered ceiling and limestone fireplace.
Nearby, the dining room shows off a gold-leafed and delicately hand-painted ceiling, wall coverings, and a marble fireplace. Just beyond is a spectacular solarium with tiled fountain and wall insets, stenciled ceiling, leaded glass skylights, checkerboard stone tile flooring, and French doors to the expansive gardens. The vast kitchen with butler’s pantry, huge island and adjoining family room also opens to the rear patio and gardens beyond. Back across the entry, leaded glass windows in the firelit library overlook the front gardens.
On the second floor, the paneled master suite features two walk-in closets, a fireplace with marble surround, and a private sitting room overlooking the gardens. This level also features four additional bedrooms and three more bathrooms, plus a spacious laundry and a bright study/office with a garden-view deck.
The third floor provides a huge family room with pitched ceiling, along with a kitchenette, two more bedrooms, and two baths. The approx. 1700 sq ft basement holds many more rooms and storage galore.
The home is enhanced inside and out by magnificent gardens front and rear. The tiered back garden rises from brick patios past a waterlily-covered koi pond to a sweeping green field big enough for soccer, badminton, corn-toss—whatever your imagination allows. While roses clearly take center stage in these gardens, they’re accompanied by everything from spiky birds of paradise and soft wisteria vines to a huge, highly productive vegetable garden. Three more structures share the grounds: a charming carriage house with a 1 bedroom apartment above and two-car garage below, a garden guest house with kitchenette and full bath, and a children’s playhouse and playground.
Set in the center of Piedmont, the home is just a few short blocks from the elementary, middle and high schools, the local market, express bus to San Francisco, the casual carpool and the central park. It’s also close to the shops, restaurants, and boutiques of Grand, Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenues.
320 El Cerrito Avenue is offered at $6,680,000 by Debi Fitzgerrell & Anna Bahnson.