After 50 years in one family, a preserved mid-century home perched atop one of Berkeley’s most historic streets is for sale, asking $3.5 million.
It’s hard to know where to look first with 14 Maybeck Twin Drive. Should we focus on the home itself: an ode to Heian period architecture and modeled after the Katsura Imperial Villa (a 17th-century summer palace) in Kyoto? Should we stop to drink in the postcard-ready views of the Golden Gate Bridge? Should we stroll the neighborhood, a private street established by Bernard Maybeck upon which the famed architect’s own personal studio still stands?
West-facing views make for stunning sunsets.
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Built-in cabinets and warm wood paneling frame both a fireplace and gorgeous view.
Open Homes Photography“The location is incredibly special — built atop a street known for its Bernard Maybeck homes — where the well-known architect and his family members lived at one point in time. The street itself is recognized for its history and its homes,” said listing agent Tamir Mansour.
The generous use of wood on floors, walls, and peaked ceiling create this warm glow.
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Mansour’s father, Alaa Mansour, was a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and head of the naval architecture and offshore engineering department that eventually became part of the engineering program at the university. Originally from Cairo, Mansour moved to the U.S. to attend school. He was the youngest of four children and a “completely self-made man,” his son said.
The Maybeck Twin Drive home was Mansour’s “pride and joy” throughout the more than four decades he resided there. Designed by noted local mid-century architect Robert Klemmedson in 1959, its 3,449 square feet are composed largely of wood paneling and glass, with soaring ceilings and huge windows that frame breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay.
The indoor/outdoor flow is seamless, allowing the setting to become part of the home’s interior.
Open Homes Photography“The main living room has a picture-perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge, as do multiple rooms throughout the home and the exterior wraparound deck. The sunsets are unbelievable,” Mansour noted.
The kitchen is one of very few rooms that has been modernized.
Open Homes PhotographyThe clean, angular lines and warm earth tones of this traditional Japanese design are at once both classical and timeless, exhibiting the very best of the mid-century aesthetic.
This bedrooms also enjoys iconic Berkeley vistas.
Open Homes PhotographyThe exterior is equally compelling: a two-parcel lot of more than 15,000 square feet, featuring a patio and deck, trees and zen gardens.
Anna Marie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Follow Anna on Twitter: @AnnaMarieErwert.
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