This five-bedroom home in the neighborhood of Berkeley's famed Claremont Resort has the makings of a lovely sanctuary in the East Bay.

With nearly 4,000 square feet over two stories, the house was designed by the English-born architect Ernest Coxhead, who built several Gothic-Revival cathedrals for the Episcopal Church in California before turning his focus to residences at the end of the 1800s. He lived and worked in Berkeley throughout the 1920s and died there in 1933.

While much of Coxhead's residential work drew from classical styles (Renaissance porticos and Roman columns) as well as from the cottages and Tudors of his native England (seen in the Cedar Gables Inn of Downtown Napa and San Mateo's Coxhead House), this home on Tanglewood Drive in Berkeley has more coastal Spanish flair. And though it's been updated over the years, Coxhead's vision is molded into the bones with a foyer that makes a real first impression, rich wood paneling, arching doorways, classical fireplaces, and coved ceilings.

Melding inspiration from his contemporaries in the Arts & Crafts movement with the rigor of his own religious designs, this Coxhead house seems to come together organically with formal spaces flowing easily into more casual rooms.

The spacious entryway opens into the main rooms through gentle archways. The grand living area balances drama and light with wood paneling on the walls, an intricately carved stone fireplace, and windows on all sides. The dining room is also formal with wood-beamed ceilings and a fireplace of its own, though there is a more casual breakfast room off the kitchen.

The cooking space is a sudden burst of contemporary style drawing the home's Mediterranean vibe. Cabinetry painted in robin's egg blue gets a lush accent of palm-print wallpaper. The floors are done in modern black-and-white tiles. Chefs will appreciate the antique nine-burner stove with three ovens and stove pot filler, the Viking fridge, and a central island. There is also a second sink tucked against a rustic brick wall. The kitchen opens through another arched doorway to the back patio for outdoor meals.

There are five bedrooms in all, all clean and classic with a few fun moments. In the master suite, the bed wall faces a clear view of a deep soaking tub in the bathroom, which also has a roomy open shower and separate wallpapered sink area. Many of the bedrooms have convenient built-ins, closet storage, and direct access to the outside.

The property is designed for maximizing time alfresco with raised herb and vegetable gardens, a grass lawn, mature redwood trees, and even a quaint treehouse.

  

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 4.5

Size: 3,830

Asking price: $3,750,000

// 28 Tanglewood Rd. (Berkeley); for more information visit 28tanglewood.com.