OPEN Thursday 10/16, 9:30-12, Friday 10/17, 4-6, Sat and Sun 10/18, 10/19. 10/25 & 10/26, 2-4
The first home built on Vistamont Avenue
Built in 1926, for Albert and Mary Helen Dermont, a teacher and a stenographer, in a neighborhood referred to as Berkeley Woods, 541 Vistamont Avenue was actually the first home built on Vistamont Avenue. The home was designed to be a “country home” and was clad in unpainted redwood board and batten siding. In the early 2000’s a shingled addition was built, adding a primary bedroom suite, a stunning breakfast room with walls of windows, two plus rooms, and an office. In 2007, the lower level was further developed. At that time, a bedroom and bath, a second office, and a laundry room were created from unfinished basement space. The home beautifully blends a classic and rustic ambiance, and evokes the feeling of being in a country inn, with its broad front porch, gracious public rooms, and verdant, natural surroundings. The addition, though contemporary in feel, echoes the style and character of the original home.As you approach the home, you are struck by how private it is, screened from the street by a gate, a fence, and greenery. When you step inside the gate, the broad front porch and sprawling yard, with a greenhouse, a playhouse, an arbor with a seating area, raised beds, apple trees, maples, and oak trees welcome you. Views of Tilden Park in the distance provide a lovely backdrop. This is truly a paradise for everyone. For those wishing to enjoy urban amenities without sacrificing land, privacy, and space, 541 Vistamont is an exceptional property.
Main level:
Gracious living room with inlaid, parquet floors, a stately fireplace, wainscoting and crown molding, and French doors to the deck
Large formal dining room with French doors, parquet floors, and a storage closet
Stunning kitchen with professional-grade Viking range, soapstone countertops, island with pot rack overhead, two pantries, and adjacent breakfast room with floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding doors, and rustic redwood siding. The breakfast room overlooks the yard and opens to a deck.
Powder room
Primary bedroom suite with vaulted ceiling, beadboard paneling, two-story windows, a built-in bench, and two closets
Primary en-suite bath with walk-in shower, free-standing soaking tub, and French door
Built-in storage chest and coat closet in the hallway, offering generous storage
Upper level:
Bedroom 2 with two closets and a view of the front yard
Bedroom 3 with views of the front and side yard
Both bedrooms are spacious and charming
Large linen closet
Full bath with vintage clawfoot tub
Lower level:
This level is accessible from the main level as well as from the outside, allowing it to be fully integrated into the upper levels or used separately, or a blend of the two.
Bedroom 4 – This bedroom, with a spacious double-door closet, could serve as a lovely guest space, an in-law, an au pair, or a teen retreat
Bathroom 3 – This full bath has a large walk-in shower, elegantly appointed with Ann Sacks tile and classic fixtures throughout.
Two offices, one with a built-in copper desk, walls of windows, and a concrete floor, and the second with a wall of built-in custom cabinetry and bookshelves, and an adjacent storage closet. Each office provides a different aesthetic.
Family room with views of the backyard
Plus room, used as an exercise room by the owners, with beautiful natural light
Laundry room
Huge basement with a workbench, shelving, numerous storage areas
Additional amenities:
Sewer lateral compliance
An expansive front porch, with room for several rocking chairs, reminiscent of a country inn and
Remote-controlled driveway gate and electric car charger
Fresh interior paint throughout the interior (September 2025)
Fresh exterior trim paint (August 2025)
Refinished hardwood floors throughout (October 2025)
New carpeting in the primary bedroom, the family room, and the plus room (October 2025)
1.1 miles to the shopping district on Arlington Ave in Upper Kensington
Featured on the Berkeley Architectural Heritage (BAHA) house tour in 2018
Close to Tilden Park, with the infamous Carousel, Lake Anza, The Little Farm, and many camp sites
Close to two public transit stops, one on Spruce St and a second on Grizzly Peak Blvd
This home belongs to the Woodmont Neighborhood Swim Club, a private swim club with 38 members. There is a fee of $11.500 to join the club and a $1680 fee paid annually. The pool is open mid-March to early November. Membership can be sold to those on a waiting list.
*Information about the history of the home was provided by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
