A Spanish Mediterranean in Crocker Highlands Echoes Santorini

A Spanish Mediterranean in Crocker Highlands Echoes Santorini

PHOTOS BY RICHARD ANDERSON

Homebuyers can enjoy what feels like a permanent vacation home full of windows and arches in this Holman Road gem.

The charming, leafy, rolling streets of Oakland’s desirable Crocker Highlands neighborhood, lined with original 1920s street lamps, lead through a virtual catalog of architectural design, from Tudor and Beaux Arts to Art Deco and Spanish styles — even classic all-American homes with white picket fences.

One such architectural gem is the two-bedroom, two-bath at 1427 Holman Road, a ’20s Spanish Mediterranean astride a gentle slope. It is compact in terms of square footage at just 1,275, but the split-level floor plan, frameless arched passageways and walls of windows — so many windows — make it feel like a spacious vacation home.

“I love the arched walls and windows, cobblestone walkways, and the beautiful semicircular courtyard with bougainvillea and birds of paradise,” said listing agent Pier Porrino of Caldecott Properties. “Buyers have commented that they feel transported to Santorini or the south of Spain.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, beginning at curb view, you’re taken by the classic arched windows and contrast of red-tiled roofing with the building’s white exterior, bright and fresh like just-bleached sheets. The white continues inside, this time juxtaposed against warm hardwood floors throughout. In the entryway, you’re greeted by an original stained-glass window with fleur-de-lis pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oversized floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room overlook the neighborhood and treetops on the hillside below. White wall sconces blend into the white walls, almost invisibly illuminating the ceiling. The arches continue over wide doorways leading from room to room. First, to the dining area, where a fitting Spanish-style, wrought-iron chandelier hangs over a rustic table. Original cupboards are built in under a smaller archway in the foyer. More walls of windows and cove ceilings add to the feeling of light and flow.

A few steps away is the kitchen with red-tile floor and original features — cabinetry, painted fresh white, and a circular hood over the stove. Upgrades include a cheery window box over the sink, new double oven and dishwasher. The kitchen opens onto the rear patio, dotted with large planter boxes.

From the dining room, six steps and a wrought-iron railing lead up to the large master bedroom suite with sitting area and a built-in vanity. A tryptic of arched windows are mimicked by a triple-arched wall separating the areas. The second bedroom is on the main level with the living room, as is the second bath. The two tiled bathrooms are not large and could use an update, but they’re a good size for this compact home.

Downstairs on the bottom level is a bonus room, perfect for a home office, and cozy with box beam ceilings, wide ledges, and a day bed nook or lounging area. And the main courtyard with peach-colored concrete set off by handsome wrought iron railing sports and calming greenery, colorful flower plants, and native grasses and succulents. It offers a real retreat from a busy day.

Crocker Highlands, named for railroad baron Charles Crocker, is a walkable neighborhood bounded by the city of Piedmont to the north and nestled in between Oakland’s Trestle Glen, Glenview, and Grand Lake/Lakeshore districts. It’s considered part of Oakland’s “lower hills.” Cafes and shopping areas line nearby Park Boulevard in Glenview, and the Grand Lake/Lakeshore area.

The Particulars

$899,000

1427 Holman Road, Oakland

2 Bedrooms

2 Baths

Expansive Spanish Mediterranean windows, bonus room, courtyard patio

1,275 square feet

Agent: Pier Porrino, Caldecott Properties

www.1427holman.com

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