a luxury property presented by laura dubinett
228 lake drive, kensington sold for $1,850,000

Details

DETAILS
Beds: 3+
Baths: 2.5
Year Built: 1948
Square Feet: 2302 sf
 

Unlatch the gate, meander down the gently curving path through the lush garden of flowering natives and succulents, continue along the covered walkway past the flagstone courtyard, to the one-step entrance to this elegant, 3+ bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home.

Built in 1948, it’s been lovingly updated over the years, to include a remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, dual paned windows, solar panels, air conditioning, a central vacuum system, two water heaters, and newly refinished hardwood floors. Once inside, you’ll find yourself in an oasis of plentiful space and light, from the curved window bank of the foyer to the wall of windows gracing the living room, with a marble fireplace, and the dining area. Open the sliding doors from there, step out onto the deck and take in the beauty of the two-bridge view of the bay.

The eat-in kitchen - with custom Douglas fir cabinets, granite counters, tile floor pavers and high-end appliances - is large enough to prepare the grandest of meals, and to enjoy your morning coffee from your bay view table by the window. Two sunny bedrooms are on the main floor: the principal bedroom with a skylight, ensuite half-bath with granite counter, and a second bedroom. There is a full bath with a shower over a soaker tub, and a striking curved granite counter over storage cabinets.

Descend the beautifully crafted, curved stairway (notice the presence of curves throughout the property) to the lower level, with a large living/dining area, a full bath with a tile counter, a paver floor, and a third bedroom with a separate entrance through the private lower deck. The interior and exterior access to the lower level allows it to function as either additional space for the main home or as a possible ADU. The garage has been partially converted to a permitted studio with a built-in desk, hardwood floor, high ceiling with a skylight and French doors to a charming courtyard between the garage and the main house. The remainder of the garage contains a washer and dryer, one car parking, and an electric vehicle charger.

Situated on a cul-de-sac ending in a wooded path to top-rated Kensington Hilltop School, it is also a short distance to magical Tilden Park - home to the Steam Train, the Little Farm, the Carousel, picnic and camping areas, a golf course and an abundance of hiking trails. It’s the best of both worlds: to experience the quiet and serenity of the natural milieu, while being only minutes away from the Arlington Avenue and Colusa Circle shops, buses, BART and the freeway.
 

Tour

Main House

Guest House

Floor Plan

Neighborhood

The community of Kensington is an unincorporated part of Contra Costa County in the Berkeley Hills. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1923 Berkeley Fire resulted in people looking to Kensington for housing alternatives. Streetcar #7, which connected Kensington with Berkeley, and the network of pedestrian paths made it easier to commute from here. By 1930, the population grew from 226 to 1500. Today, the population of about 5,300 cozily squeeze into 1 square mile.

Although unincorporated, Kensington does have its own police and fire departments, park services and trash collection. Tilden Park and Blake Garden are two beautiful green spaces located in and around Kensington. There is also just about anything you could need in one of its two business districts: Colusa Circle and the Arlington. It even has its own town newsletter, the Kensington Outlook. 

A few other interesting facts:

  • Claims the most number of nobel laureates per capita (2/5000)

  • Was the home of Robert Oppenheimer when he was working on the Manhattan Project

  • Kensington Hilltop Elementary is rated in the top 4% of all elementary schools in California 

Useful Links:
Kensington Police Protection and Community Services District
Kensington Hilltop Elementary

Colusa Circle Merchants Association
Kensington Outlook