948 Hilldale Ave, Berkeley, CA 94708

Hidden behind classic villa walls, an unexpected, expansive experience awaits: an iconic, panoramic 3-bridge view that stretches from the south bay and up over the Marin headlands to Mt. Tam. With the first step into the sun-drenched courtyard, you arrive somewhere else entirely. A sliver of light between the main house and the detached 2-story garage offers a narrow glimpse of blue water and city skyline. The kind of peek-through view you might catch between villas on a Mediterranean hillside. Inside, the foyer opens to the main staircase, and leads into the large sunken living room, where the house really begins to reveal itself. Nearly an entire wall of glass opens seamlessly onto a large viewing deck, an extraordinary setting where the term indoor-outdoor living doesn’t quite capture the moment. As dramatic as the sky tends to be on a tangerine sunset evening, the feeling of the home is relaxed, lived-in, inviting. Doors left open, something cooking in the kitchen, deciding...