1812 Wood St, Alameda, CA 94501

Built in 1920, this classic California bungalow has wonderful vintage character combined with modern updates throughout. Dramatically renovated in 2011, this cozy home features a remodeled kitchen, open living room/dining room, original hardwood floors, and a large, private rear yard with lush landscaping and a redwood deck. The exterior of this single-story house has classic bungalow lines. An appealing front porch with square supporting posts leads to the original Arts and Crafts wood door. A canopy shelters the front porch entrance, and the porch and house have traditional clapboard siding. Beds of French lavender line the geometrically laid slate front walkway, and a stamped concrete driveway provides off-street parking. Enter through the beautiful front door into the living room, with views into the dining room and kitchen of this open floor plan. The original door and window casements remain, as do the lovely hand-plastered walls and ceilings and the refinished oak floors. The striking wood-burning fireplace in the living room has the original Arts and Crafts ceramic tile surround and hearth, and is bookended by the original built-in, glass-fronted bookshelves. A simple period white mantel extends over the fireplace and bookshelves, and there are two fixed, decorative windows over the mantel. Three windows overlook Wood Street in the traditional bungalow style of one large, fixed picture window with double-hung windows on either side. A similar but smaller trio of windows is in the dining area, all providing abundant natural light for this open living space. The living room and dining room flow seamlessly into the large open kitchen that has been thoughtfully renovated yet remains in keeping with the vintage nature of the rest of the house. The kitchen features travertine tile floors, granite counters, and a breakfast bar with three pendant lights. The kitchen is filled with light from a large double window that sits over the divided porcelain sink, and French doors that open to a redwood deck and backyard. Newer appliances include an LG gas five-burner range/oven, a stainless steel ventilation hood, and a Maytag stainless steel side-by-side refrigerator and dishwasher. The freshly painted cabinets feature soft-close, pull-out drawers increasing the kitchen’s functionality. A renovated bathroom is located off of the kitchen between the bedrooms and includes a pedestal sink, a shower/tub with white subway tiles and decorative accent tiles, a linen closet that is original to the house, and a dual-flush toilet. The room also has recessed lighting on a dimmer switch and lovely sconces over the original built-in medicine cabinet. The master bedroom has the original douglas fir floor and a pair of double-hung windows that overlook the landscaped side garden and a large, leafy tree. The room has a large closet with organizers and a shuttered, bi-fold door, recessed lighting and traditional crown moulding. The second bedroom is located up several stairs on the other side of the bathroom and features wainscoting high on the wall that surrounds the room. This room is nearly identical to the master bedroom in most ways, but overlooks the fully landscaped rear garden. The fabulous garden begins when you walk through the decorative fenced gate from the drive. The stamped cement walkway continues from the driveway and leads to a sweet, one-room structure that has a similar look to the main house and is perfect for a home office. The structure has a gable roof, clapboard siding and a functional double-hung window. There is a finished floor, gable ventilation, and beadboard interior walls.