A storybook sanctuary
Pulitzer Prize winner remodeled Berkeley home
Author Alice Walker wanted three things out of the next home she would buy. It had to be near an airport, have a need for a remodel, and provide a sanctuary for the award-winning writer. A friend pointed her to the Berkeley hills, and she quickly discovered a listing that checked each of those boxes.
“I’m a sucker for finding old properties and reworking them, but this one needed so much work I wasn’t convinced,” said Walker, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “The Color Purple.” “Then I saw this wonderful park down below with a pool and tennis court and a space to walk the dogs. That was it. I said, ‘I can write down here. Sold.’ ”
That was 20 years ago. Since then, the trilevel on San Luis Road experienced a full-scale remodel that added windows, increased room dimensions, installed a fireplace in the master suite and reimagined the rear garden. Modernizing the electrical and plumbing systems shored up the infrastructure in the home, which frames views of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges.
Though the home required significant updates, its original finishes were well-preserved.
“Much of the detail is original, it just needed to be cleaned and polished and allowed to shine,” Walker said.
The backyard, however, proved to be a complete redo.
“There was no real garden to speak of when I took over. The seller had put in a fake lawn. I could take an edge and pull and have the whole lawn come out. It’s a shocking thing to see,” she said.
Now it’s an oasis of fruit trees, flowers and entertainment spaces. A porch connects the backyard to the kitchen and a zen garden stands across from a trellised al-fresco dining area.
Nearby, double doors lead to a ground-floor bedroom with an adobe fireplace and direct access to the indoor pool room.
Any writer needs a proper works pace, and the listing on San Luis Road definitely qualifies. Floor-to-ceiling shelving and drawers served as Walker’s archive, and planks of driftwood hang horizontally on three sides of the office. The U-shaped configuration of waist-height timber effectively creates a continuous desk facing the garden.
Incoming owners will join an association offering exclusive use of the private park, as well as its swimming pool, tennis court and picnic area. Contact Anne Politeo or Tim Cannon of Marvin Gardens Real Estate to schedule a private showing.
Listing agent:
Anne Politeo, Marvin Gardens Real Estate, (510) 872-9294, apoliteo23@gmail.com; Tim Cannon, Marvin Gardens Real Estate, (510) 872-9294, tim@berkeleyhome.com.