‘Ooh La La’ Gem in Orinda

Some of the most fascinating California mid-century modern architecture anticipated for 2025 is at last finding its way to market.

That includes one sweet home we discovered this week, in the East Bay town of Orinda. There, our roving eye for fine design zeroed in on a custom mid-century modern by Bay Area architect Paul Hammarberg.

What's this home's biggest plus? Perhaps the pristine appearance today of Hammarberg's original 1958 design. Ooh la la!

"No one has destroyed it, painted one piece of wall," says listing agent Laura Abrams of Coldwell Banker. "The beams were never touched, and the brick on the fireplace remains original and unpainted. The house breathes relaxation because of all the wood."

The secluded Orinda estate, listed at $3.395 million, is located at 5 Brookbank Road, just minutes away from a BART station, and in close proximity to Orinda's exclusive Village District and Theater District (with its California Shakespeare Theater). The relaxed, semi-rural atmosphere also offers easy access to hiking trails, parks, and outdoor activities.

"The real beauty of living in Orinda is its Mediterranean climate," Abrams says. "Most of the time you can be outside—and this house glows both in and out from almost every room in the house."

With three patios—outside the front door, the kitchen, and family room—"You can really see and feel the outdoors," she adds. "The architect did a wonderful job of designing this house to go with the environment, and the California culture of indoor-outdoor living."

Featuring four bedrooms and three baths, the home feels unspoiled by time, highlighting many original design elements structured within an open floor plan of 2830 square feet, with exposed beams and paneled walls.

"Style-wise, it's a single story, and not a single story where you're out of breath, walking a long distance from one end of the house to the other," says Abrams. "It's beautifully designed, so it flows well. And it's an effective floor plan."