No Piedmont residence – for that matter, few if any homes anywhere – catches one’s eye from the street like this one. This 11,630-square-foot French chateau commands views past mature redwood trees to the homes below, San Francisco Bay, and the city in the distance. Proceed through an ornate gate, up a winding drive to the brick parking courtyard. Enter the home into a grand, marble-floored reception hall, under elevated 11-foot ceilings. Ahead lies the formal living room, served by an elegant wood-burning fireplace, a room that alone could accommodate gatherings of more than 100. Invite even more guests in the summer months, as the living room leads outside, through French doors, onto a 70’x13’ deck surveying the grounds and views to the south and west. The immense dining room, which could be configured to host three dozen guests or more, adjoins the living room. The entertainment areas are served by the well-appointed kitchen (under a 22-foot vaulted ceiling, with dormer windows), spacious butler’s pantry, and exceptional appliances. Casual family meals are comfortable in the adjacent dining nook, which offers exceptional west-facing views. If work must balance socializing and play, this home makes the work as pleasant as can be. Four separate office areas provide exceptional spaces for work and study. The most formal of these lies adjacent to the living room, on the south end of the home. The 242-square foot room, with hardwood floors, offers views to the south and west, with ample room for a desk, separate work table, and seating for team consultations. Three other offices/work spaces, each less formal, lie elsewhere in the home. Two stairways rise from the entertainment floor to the four bedrooms above. The formal circular stairway, with marble flooring and elegant railing, ascends from the entry hall. A modern hardwood staircase ascends from the kitchen area. All four of the upstairs bedrooms offer spacious closet space and easy access to bathrooms, and three of the bedrooms command Bay views. The principal suite is particularly noteworthy. The bedroom, equipped with a wood-burning fireplace, offers views of the city and the Bay and has a spectacular remodeled bathroom with a spacious open shower and separate bathroom. The immense walk-in closet features built-in cabinetry, storage space, and a separate room with vanity. The laundry room, with LG appliances, is conveniently adjacent to the bedrooms. Continue up another flight of stairs for amazing entertainment with family and friends. The professional-quality movie theater is equipped with a popcorn maker and eight deeply upholstered chairs as comfortable as any in a Hollywood studio. The fun continues on the bottom floor of the home, beneath the principal entertainment area. The huge room here can be configured any way the owner would like it: as an immense, grand ballroom (the chandeliers already are in place, evoking images of dukes, duchesses and minuets), or as a place for casual play with family and friends, with ample space for pool, ping-pong, more movie-watching (on the oversized screen), or riotous karaoke on the built-in stage. Ample storage areas adjoin, and so does the home’s fifth bedroom, with a full bathroom and an area that could be fitted as a full kitchenette. An exercise room, accompanying full bathroom, and ample storage rooms sit alongside. If indoor exercise does not suffice, the home offers an outside sport court (now equipped as a half-court basketball play area), adjacent to the three-car garage (and adjoining storage rooms). Beyond the backboard, the sport court commands views of mature trees and elegant homes in the distance. This estate exemplifies Piedmont excellence.
