Walking up to this Berkeley, California home, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that it was once a garage.
The stunning property once belonged to Bernard Maybeck, a key figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, but sadly, the main home burned down in a fire. Luckily, the garage and carriage house still remained. Now – it’s been renovated to become a dream vacation rental.
The unique cottage is comprised of two floors – each with their own details and character.
The bottom level is the original carriage house and consists of the living room, kitchen, and a half bathroom. The top floor houses the bedroom and full bathroom, while each one has a deck or patio. Let’s take a look inside the rustic California retreat.
Walk through the bottom floor’s French doors to enter the fully-upgraded kitchen.
The open, welcoming kitchen is a wonderful place to entertain friends and family. Large, homecooked meals aren’t a problem when you have such a gourmet-quality kitchen. There is a full-size gas stove with oven, dishwasher, and a compact washer and dryer. Where’s the fridge, you ask? There are stacked refrigeration doors underneath the exposed shelving.
At the far end of the bottom floor, you’ll find the cozy lounge and seating area.
From this angle, you have a wonderful view of the gorgeous wood beams of the original carriage house. Guests can socialize on the comfortable sofa and lounge chairs while a fire crackles in the central fireplace. There is also a small nook with a dining table can be pulled out when needed.
Past the seating area, you’ll find the staircase that leads you up to the second floor – hope you like the color yellow!
The large bedroom upstairs boasts tall vaulted ceilings and lots of square footage.
The spacious bedroom offers a queen-size bed, a small desk if you absolutely have to work while on vacation, and not one, but two decks – one is private, the other is for friends and family to gather (more pictures below).
From another angle, you can see the door to the walk-in closet, a dresser, and a small flat screen television. If you like to binge watch your favorite shows while on vacation, don’t worry – there’s WiFi.
The bright yellow wallpaper that was used on the second floor is a stark contrast to the dark wood on the bottom, although the wood beams on the ceiling tie both of the floors together perfectly.
Also upstairs, you’ll find the cottage’s quirky and eclectic bathroom.
Although you wouldn’t describe this bathroom is ‘modern,’ it has every amenity you could need. There is a vintage tub with rain shower and a subway tile wall, toilet, and deep-basin sink. Notice the small built-in shelf in the rear corner for knick-knacks and toiletries.
The door closest to the bed leads out to a secluded, private patio.
Grab a book and a cup of tea (or wine!) and relish in the peace and quiet of this stunning property. There is a lounge chair, small table, and all of the privacy you could ever want in a vacation home.
The second patio upstairs is wonderful for grilling up lunch and dining al fresco.
On this upper deck, you can find a wicker sofa, three wicker chairs, and matching tables. Of course, there needs to be a more relaxing lounge chair for afternoon naps in the sunshine.
Planning a vacation to the Bay Area? Forget the hotel and stay at this one-of-a-kind property.
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