A Contemporary Piedmont Manse Marries Eco-Friendly to Modern Materials

By Ramona d’Viola - Columnist – Oakland Magazine

Developer Ben O’Neill was looking to build a home for his own family when he found the “virgin” lot at 53 Cambrian Avenue in a posh Piedmont zip code renown for its schools. The quarter-acre of undeveloped land (almost unheard of in the 21st-Century world of East Bay luxury real estate) became the tableau for an eco-friendly, net-zero energy modern manse – with literal roots in the property.

Looking up from the street, the impressive 4,462 sq. ft. home (designed by Robin Pennell of Oakland’s Jarvis Architects) is a massive, energy-efficient structure with a three-story front elevation. At four bedrooms, three full baths, and two

Our Local Luminary this month is Interior Designer Lauren Lee, Principal of InSite Design. 

How long have you been in business? 
My business partner Audrey Tse and I created inSite in 2001.

Describe your design style? 
I like many looks from very contemporary to traditional to regional design styles.  No matter what the design look is, I always design towards creating a sensible functional layout and a comfortable living environment.

What was your favorite aspect of designing the Cambrian property? 
The property has great light and I wanted to capture and enhance that throughout the interior, so using a very natural, soothing palette was very fun to create. 

One of my favorite elements of the project is that we incorporated the actual cleared

Having JUST LISTED this absolutely adorable cottage off of Piedmont Ave., it inspired me to create a list of my favorite venues on one of Oakland's best shopping and dining neighborhoods. But first, let me tell you about this little gem with a 96 Walkscore. 4329 Howe is the perfect pied-à-terre, and a great condo alternative. This lovely little home boasts a fabulous floorplan and well-proportioned living and dining rooms with corner fireplace. The country kitchen with classic gas Wedgewood stove flows onto the level-out patio & gardens for evenings of relaxation and play. With a new furnace, updated plumbing, new water main and sewer lateral with compliance certificate, this home is now looking for its perfect mate, could it be you? Stop by one of my