Spend Your Days Working From Home in This Handsomely Renovated Oakland Loft for $1.2M

Designed by pioneering live/work architect Tom Dolan, the open residence features a floating staircase and a street-level studio/workspace.

Text by

Kathryn M.

View 16 Photos

This recently listed loft in Oakland, California, is exceptionally well suited for working from home. Billed as a "loft duplex," the newly renovated property features a private, 900-square-foot studio on the lower level and a spacious, loft-style residence on the upper two floors. The condominium is also part of a larger artists’ complex commissioned by local resident and renowned abstract sculptor Bruce Beasley, whose work is featured in the permanent collections of museums worldwide.

Stairs lead up from the ground-floor entryway to the loft-style main residence. Bowstring trusses span the wood-clad cathedral ceiling, which  features numerous skylights. — Stairs lead up from the ground-floor entryway to the loft-style main residence. Bowstring trusses span the wood-clad cathedral ceiling, which features numerous skylights.

Another view of the living area, which occupies much of the home’s nearly 1,500-square-foot floor plan. A floating, fabricated steel staircase leads up to the single bedroom and bathroom.

In the late 1980s, Beasley tapped local architect Tom Dolan to design a total of 25 live/work rental units and four condominiums for a development known today as South Prescott Village. Dolan’s website describes the project as the "first live/work complex built from the ground up in the United States."

The one-bedroom loft currently up for sale was overhauled in 2015, and the owners spent close to $300K on details such as handcrafted light fixtures, a lavish master bathroom, and a top-of-the-line kitchen.

The dining area sits between the living area and kitchen. A custom light fixture from Berkeley Lighting Company hangs overhead. — The dining area sits between the living area and kitchen. A custom light fixture from Berkeley Lighting Company hangs overhead.

Another view of the dining area shows off the fabricated steel staircase.

Dolan, an advocate for urban infill construction practices, also worked with Beasley to write Oakland’s live/work building code in the mid-1990s, which regulates conversions of the city’s countless industrial warehouses into mixed-use residential and commercial properties.

"It’s a way to use these buildings in a way that incubates small businesses," said Dolan in a 2016 San Francisco Chronicle article. "It’s a great way to combine living and working in this expensive economy, and also not to have to commute and pollute."

A copper-colored matte finish granite slab drapes over a central island in the kitchen, contrasting with the surrounding white Caesarstone countertops.

Open cabinetry and Wolf, Miele, and Sub-Zero appliances round out the kitchen.

A wet bar sits underneath the staircase.

With an asking price of $1,199,000, the updated loft spans a total of 2,411 square feet, including the street-level workspace. The work area offers a separate entrance, a full bath, and a kitchen area as well. Rounding out the offering are two deeded parking spaces and a sunny common courtyard garden. Keep scrolling to see more.