1531 Morton St, Alameda, CA 94501

Built in 1901 near Alameda’s Gold Coast, this extraordinary Victorian Pitched Gable-Colonial Revival beauty is exceptional in every way. With four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half bath, a formal living room and formal dining room, fully renovated kitchen and large finished basement, this wonderful home features many original architectural details that are steeped in history and have been lovingly restored. The front of the house is an architectural gem with a classic high gable roof that is a prominent feature of the house. A trio of arched, decorative attic vents mirror the three windows directly beneath that are accented by ornate decorative brackets. The house exterior features both the original wood siding and decorative, scalloped wood shingles. The perfectly proportioned front stairs, with wonderful mosaic stone risers, lead to a partial front porch that is accentuated with elegant arches and columns, beadboard paneling and a period balustrade. The original screen and front doors, with beveled glass and original hardware, give the house a regal look while the bay windows to the left of the stairs on the main level complete the Victorian look. The entrance includes a grand formal foyer that introduces us to the rest of the house, yet can be closed off from the parlor to the left by an original, magnificent glazed and partitioned pocket door. The architecturally significant staircase to the right still retains the original newel posts and balusters, and curves to a half landing with a decorative leaded glass window. The hallway ahead has a soaring ceiling with a lovely archway above the glazed door that opens to the formal dining room. The original sturdy, quarter sawn oak floors begin here, at the entrance to the house, and continue through the formal rooms on the main level. The large living room is a Victorian showplace that was designed for entertaining over one hundred years ago. The lavish room features an eleven-foot, coved plaster ceiling, an oak floor with wood inlay around the perimeter and a gas fireplace in the original hearth. Original built-in display cabinets and bookshelves fill an entire wall, and chair rails and a set of double-hung windows in the bay seating area add elegance to the room. The formal dining room across the hall from the parlor has several wonderful, original built-ins including a large mirrored sideboard that was originally used for storing china, silver, serving pieces and table linens, a glass-fronted bookcase, and a pull-down writing desk with drawers beneath. The room has the same beautiful, hand-plastered coved ceiling as in the parlor, as well as a decorative fireplace, inlay-accented floors, and original window and door casings. Tall, double-hung windows and a lovely fixed clerestory window bring in plenty of natural light, and the room is spacious enough for a large gathering around the dining table. The chef’s kitchen off of the dining room has been thoughtfully renovated to include expansive, full-height cabinetry and wine storage, a center island with a solid bamboo butcher block top and a prep sink, a cork tile floor and a wall-mounted retractable pot filler faucet over the range top. Professional grade stainless steel appliances include a Thermador six-burner gas range top, Bosch double wall convection ovens, a Viking Professional side-by-side refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher. The renovation is complete with granite countertops and a soft, translucent tile backsplash, and indoor/outdoor entertaining is a breeze on the spacious and sunny Trex deck off of the kitchen.