But the home’s true charm shines brightly once inside! The open living/dining room is a treat for both the eye and the senses with different styles and textures that work as beautifully together today as when the home was built 80 years ago. Beadboard wall and ceiling paneling in the entryway, huge corner picture windows with garden views and a barrel ceiling in the living room, a fabulous Art Deco fireplace, arched openings, a tray ceiling in the dining room and a handsome vintage wide plank oak floor all blend seamlessly into a sophisticated, welcoming space.
The pretty, sunlit kitchen off the dining room is reminiscent of a modern kitchen in the south of France! French provincial blue and white ceramic tiles, accented here and there with cheerful red flower tiles, combine to form a backsplash perfectly complemented by marine blue cabinets below and brilliant white cabinets above. Add loads of natural light, a vintage oak floor and high-end Miele, Dynasty and KitchenAid appliances, and you have a kitchen that will delight everyone in the family.
Two of the home’s generously-sized bedrooms are upstairs, separated by a full bathroom with a soaking tub/shower combination. The primary bedroom is on the right and has a coved ceiling, a sitting alcove, a cedar-lined closet and the original matchstick oak floor. Down the hall, the second bedroom has many of the same features as the primary bedroom and views of the lush backyard. Fabulous door handles on this level are the original wrought iron, and two additional cedar-lined hallway closets provide convenient storage.
A split-level stairway next to the kitchen leads down to a large family room and an ensuite bedroom, both level-in to the backyard patio. The family room sits next to a finished storage/laundry room (once the original garage), and opens to a sheltered patio and the backyard beyond. The adjacent bedroom, complete with an ensuite bathroom, has French doors that open to the beautifully landscaped garden. This literal oasis feels like a refuge from the modern world, and is filled with citrus trees, roses, Japanese maples, and plenty of colorful native plantings.
2937 Fernside Blvd has it all: an exceptional turnkey home, a fantastic private backyard sanctuary, and a sought-after Alameda location close to top schools, shopping and easy freeway access to Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. It simply doesn’t get any better than this!