It’s very rare that a home of this stature hits the market. It’s beautiful and grand and unique, but not overwhelming. It really is perfection. Welcome to 271 Crocker Avenue in Piedmont.
A thorough renovation preserved period grandeur while bringing this 1924 home glamorously up to date. Completed in 2014, a garden transformation integrating an elaborate outdoor kitchen and fireplace-furnished lounge elevated the exterior on par with the interior. Three levels of lavish living space comprise luxuriously proportioned, architecturally embellished public rooms, including an uber-equipped connoisseur’s kitchen, library, family room, study, and more. Five bedrooms include a master suite enveloping a pair of elegant bathrooms and dressing rooms.
The neighborhood’s stately serenity combines with ideal proximity to everyday destinations. It’s an enjoyable walk or quick drive to picturesque parks, Piedmont’s hub with its Recreation Center, Mulberry’s gourmet market, and Piedmont’s acclaimed K-12 schools. The location grants convenient access to a great array of shopping, dining, and recreation in the Lakeshore-Grand Avenue and Montclair districts. Highways and commuting options also exist nearby.
Gracing a level corner, the home’s v-shaped formation creates an entry set back, amid the manicured front garden. Its two-winged structure affords windows on multiple sides of most rooms plus an ideal separation of the master suite. In a framework that flows, main-floor rooms connect fluidly and open directly to the trellised deck, level lawn and garden. In the midst of this private greenscaped setting, the elements for leisurely outdoor cooking and dining include an integrated grill with burners, pizza oven, and refrigerator adjacent to a gathering-place stone terrace with gas fireplace. A hot tub fit for a crowd forms another gathering place.
The interior, reimagined in 2003 with opulent style befitting the home’s provenance, promotes grand-scale entertaining and everyday enjoyment. Extravagant dimensions and architectural artistry combine with up-to-the-moment components. Ceilings soar, trimmed with classic moldings, and windows stretch to meet them. Fireplaces add warm ambiance to the living room, library, family room and master suite. The showpiece kitchen features an epic chandelier-topped island, beverage bar with Miele espresso maker, Thermador six-burner range with grill, Dacor ovens, Sub-Zero refrigerator, multiple dishwashers, and wine refrigerator augmenting the home’s substantial wine cellar. Timeless gray-veined marble counters harmonize with abundant cabinetry and harlequin stone backsplashes. The island offers casual seating while the breakfast room adjoins and unfolds into the library. Spacious yet snug, the downstairs family room offers a relaxed environment set apart from formal public spaces.
Four second-floor bedrooms are served by four full baths. The fifth en-suite bedroom occupies the main floor, making it ideal as guest or au pair quarters. Within the master suite, a dressing room-closet with rich wood appointments corresponds aesthetically to a bathroom featuring Carrara marble and dark wood. Elongated and airy, the second dressing room amounts to an alluring sitting room and personal office as well. It connects to an oversized bathroom featuring sand-hued natural stone and a jet tub in addition to its glass shower. Alongside these chambers, a sky-lighted atrium with recirculating fountain cultivates exquisite Zen.
