Designed by renowned Bay Area architect Donald Olsen and constructed in 1967, the Bauhaus-style home hidden behind a custom gate at 256 The Uplands in Claremont hit the market in September listed for $2.5 million.
Reduced to $2.235 million in early October, the sale of the four-bedroom modern masterpiece closed escrow yesterday with a reported contract price of $2.4 million, officially “over asking” according to industry stats and $857 per square foot.
I’m a big fan of Don Olsen’s work (he did the remodel on my home). Regardless, I commented on the original posting in September that this house would look much cozier with window coverings. I still believe that.
Nice house
As expensive as some areas of the Bay Area are, I think it is eye opening to spend some time working on residential projects (as I have) in the Westside of Los Angeles which make this home look like a bargain by comparison. If one were to compare apples for apples neighborhoods in both regions, I think the Bay Area offers more for less money.
It seems that modern architecture in the East Bay is not as expensive as that on the Peninsula or in SF so I wouldn’t use this deal as a metric. It’s a deal in the Bay for its square footage. Obviously something about the house or location was not attractive to many buyers.
The home doesn’t need complete remodel, but definitely major upgrades to the kitchen and dining space alone. The large windows provide tons of light, however overall the spot and track lighting need a complete overhaul as well. These few alone probably pushed a few buyers away
The Uplands is a desirable block in the Berkeley Hills close to the Rockridge commercial/dining strip. However, this house is right at the corner with busy Tunnel Road (essentially the highway 13 onramp) so I wouldn’t be surprised if traffic noise detracted from the value here. I would imagine most houses on The Uplands are in the $1.5m – $3m range but this one certainly stands out architecturally among the Tudors and Craftsmans in that area.
Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Los Altos seem like better comparisons to West LA
Just beautiful.
This is a stunning and thoughtful example of how architecture and nature can harmonize. I am captivated by the way the exterior walls become a canvas upon which the shadows of the tree wash over them like watercolor.
The tree is fantastic.
I wonder if one can get insurance on a tree. It certainly boosts the price of the house.
1515 westview way better