A 1915 Willis Polk House in Berkeley Gets Its Soul Back—and Finds a Buyer

For most of her life, Dr. Maria Raven lived in starkly modern houses—the white-walled, glass-heavy kind that defines a certain kind of California design. Then a century-old Berkeley residence showed up where she least expected it."This home was at the bottom of an email my real estate agent sent me for a midcentury modern home, and as soon as I saw it, I fell in love with its 1915 style," says Raven.Now, after a renovation that pushed the house in the opposite direction of a white box, 20 Oak Ridge Road is pending sale after hitting the market for $2,995,000.Loading...The property comes with a large heated pool, a rarity in this part of BerkeleyRealtor.comLoading...The living room serves as a design-forward gallery for displaying Raven's art collectionRealtor.comLoading...A sunlit extension of the living room overlooking the grounds belowRealtor.comLoading...Hermès wallpaper adorns the dining roomRealtor.comThe home's pedigree is considerable. Architect Willis Polk, who helped define early Bay Area design and was behind San Francisco’s 1914 Hobart Building and the Hallidie Building, which UC Berkeley credits as the first glass curtain-wall building. He designed this house for his c...