Elegant Berkeley estate blends classic, contemporary

Old World design meets 21st Century sensibilities at 22 Roble Road, a nearly one-acre estate in Berkeley. “It’s a wonderful city estate in A+ condition. The previous owners addressed every bit of the house,” said Candice Economides of the Grubb Co., who is co-listing the property with David Hill for $10 million. “It’s very modern in its systems, but classical in its detail.”

The Spanish Mediterranean known as the McDuffie Estate dates back to the 1920s and was designed by iconic architect Willis Polk. The sellers commissioned the award-winning firm Fischer Architecture to revitalize the home, and turned to landscape architect David John Bigham to renovate the gardens on all four sides of the home.

The four-story estate includes a study, a library and an office. The entire second floor belongs to the owner’s suite, a resplendent oasis with a separate dressing room, laundry room and spa-caliber bathroom with a steam shower and soaking tub.

Originally the chauffeur’s quarters, the third floor now hosts an art studio with large windows, a full bathroom and infrastructure for a mini kitchen.

The sellers spared no expense retrofitting the home. Its foundation has been seismically upgraded, the onsite well has been redone and solar panels help power the residence. They added an elevator, a contemporary addition that lends convenience to the expansive abode. A series of high-tech components run through a sophisticated server, allowing the owner to control the property’s various systems from a mobile device from anywhere in the world.

Radiant heating is found throughout the home that’s illuminated by LED lights and sunlight pouring through its large windows.

Roaring ‘20s grandeur is on display throughout the home, starting in a handsome foyer adorned with ornate columns and a grand staircase. A sculpted ceiling shelters a living room graced by hardwood flooring and arched French doors opening to the southern garden. The chef’s kitchen, part of a reinvented great room, includes multiple islands and integrated appliances. A retractable NanaWall in the kitchen opens to the northern garden’s brick patios.

Beyond the kitchen rests an office with an adjoining powder room and loft space.

There’s a library with a wet bar and circular fireplace on the first floor, along with a study and full bathroom.

In addition to a bedroom suite with a media room and terrace overlooking the heated pool, the lower level includes a second laundry room and wet bar, along with a wine cellar. A pair of bedrooms with en suite bathrooms completes the ground floor.

The home’s vibrant gardens and outdoor spaces are equally impressive. The northern garden enjoys a recirculating waterfall and brick patios. Bountiful plantings lend serenity to a southern garden that includes a vine-covered pergola. A heated pool with an automatic cover awaits alongside a terrace on the west side of the estate. A soothing fountain serves as the centerpiece of a courtyard found off the formal dining room.

“All four sides are a different experience,” Economides said.

Hill agrees and underscores the elegance of the listing.

“It’s a wonderful, charming and romantic place.”

Take the virtual tour at www.twentytworobleroad.com.

Listing agent: Candice Economides, the Grubb Co., 510-914-2927, ceconomides@grubbco.com; David Hill, the Grubb Co., 510-847­2398, dhill@grubbco.com.