In 1948, as part of the promotion for the movieMr. Blandings’ Builds a Dream Housestarring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, the studio built “dream houses” in cities across the United States. Oakland was chosen as one of the locations.
They initially planned to build 100 replicas of the home in the movie. In the end, only 73 dream houses were built. Some homes were sold by raffle, and some were auctioned off, with a percentage of the proceeds going to local charities. The charity in Oakland was Childrens’ Hospital.
Before the movie’s release, blueprints were sent to local builders by the studio, asking that they build the homes as close to the specifications as conditions would permit.
Children’s Hospital
They charged 50 cents to tour the house, with the proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital.
Funds from the sale of tickets to Mr. Blandings’ California Dream House were used to purchase a large Autoclave sterilizer for a new wing at Oakland’s Children’s Hospital.
Children’s Hospital branch members served as hostesses at the open house.
The Dream House
“This is very likely the most famous modern home in the world today”
Oakland Tribune September 18, 1948
The Oakland Dream Home was located in the Chabot Park area at 11000 Cameron Street. It was situated on three choice free from fog and only minutes from downtown Oakland. The lots overlooks the entire Bay Area (that might be a stretch) and five counties, adjoins Lake Chabot Golf Course and miles of bridle trails.
The had two large bedrooms, and a combination den or bedroom, a 36 foot living room with a 12 foot plate glass window overlooking the bay. There was a badminton court a double car garage, a rumpus room connected to a large outdoor area.
It was for sale in 1981 for $151,000, but sometime between then and 1994 it was demolished and a new house was built.
Oakland Tribune 1981
The house today – photographby author
More Info:
A Visit to Mr. Blandings’ Fictional Dream House – Blog
A bit more history of the display or model homes in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood. There seems to be a lot of information on these homes, and local architects (now famous) designed many.
Spanish View Home – Ascot Lane
“The Spanish View Home is completely equipped with the latest ideas in modern home construction”
Oakland Tribune 1932
The Spanish View Home and the one next to it were designed and built by Thomas Sharman.
Oakland Tribune June 26, 1932
“Spanish View Home” 31 Ascot Lane – Google Maps
Architectural Prize Home – 1933 – Unknown Location
I haven’t been able to locate the address of this house. If you recognize it, please let me know.
Oakland Tribune November 19, 1933
The Architectural Prize Display Home was designed by Miller & Warnecke. The design was chosen from among 19 individual plans submitted by 11 different architects during a competition in the spring of 1933.
Oakland Tribune December 10, 1933
It opened in December 1933. Thirty-nine hundred and eighty-five visitors walked through the home on its opening day, and by the end of the first two weeks, over Seventy-five hundred people had visited the house.
The home was created with these three principle points:
Moderate in price -well within the means of the average family.
It had to fit the site in Piedmont Pine and take full advantage of the contour of the lot, the size of the lot, the view, and the trees.
It had to set a standard for the future homes to be built in the area.
Miller & Warnecke had this in mind when they designed the home.
Oakland Tribune Dec 1933
There are seven large rooms, including the rumpus room or recreation hall, in the basement. The living room, dining room, and kitchen are on the patio level. The bedrooms are elevated a half story above the living room.
Oakland Tribune November 26, 1933
The home was furnished by Breuner’s of Oakland, and L’Hommedieu were the selling agents.
Claremont Pines was formally the P.E. Bowels estate “The Pines.”  It is bounded by Broadway Terrace, Country Club Drive, Acacia Drive, and Romany Road.
Oakland Tribune
Palatial Home to be Built
In July 1928, a palatial residence, the Tribune-Schlesinger Home, was to be built in the new subdivision Claremont Pines developed by York Company Inc.
Oakland Tribune 1928
The Spanish-Mediterranean-style home was sponsored by the Oakland Tribune and was furnished by B.F. Schlesinger and Sons.
The house was designed by Frederick H. Reimers, an Oakland architect, and was constructed by C. Dudley de Velbiss, a well-known builder.
Drive Out Today
The Oakland Tribune columns fully describe each phase of the construction. The site was open to the public during construction.
Great care was taken in selecting the residence, which occupies a prominent corner overlooking the Claremont golf course and facing the Golden Gate.
“The Mediterranean type of architecture was selected to conform to the contour of the site and to the general rolling nature of the terrain.”
Frederick Reimers July 29, 1928
The house has sixteen rooms, each with an individual style. It also has a ballroom, library, and smoking room.
The halls and library have floors of colored, hand-made tile and arched doorways.
Ground Floor – Oakland Tribune 1928
It is further enhanced by a series of walled-in courts and terraces.
The landscaping was done under the supervision of Johannes Reimers, a local landscaper and artist who was also Frederick’s father.
Tribune-Schlesinger Home Breaks Ground
On August 09, 1928, the official groundbreaking was held in the presence of a large group of Eastbay notables.
Oakland Tribune August 1928
Home Nearing Completion
“Plastering is now ready to start.”
Oakland Tribune 1928
$55,000 was invested in the project, exclusive of the furniture and furnishings.
Unique Feature of Home
“a haven of rest and peace from the busy world.”
Frederick H. Reimers Architect
The exterior brick fireplace and terrace brick walls leading to the entrance are the same color as the stucco.
A Firm Foundation
Another feature was the concrete foundation installed by J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc., a local concrete contractor. The foundation’s material was of the very best quality at the time.
All bearing walls are twelve inches in thickness.
Shows Rapid Progress
Significant progress was reported on November 04, 1928. It was expected to open on December 02, 1928.
Oakland Tribune November 1928
Under the guidance of A.L. Abrott of B.F. Schlesinger & Sons, a rare harmony of late Renaissance furnishings, promised to make the home of exceptional interest.
The upper floors followed the lighter moods of the seventeenth century when Venice was still at the height of her glory.
The ballroom or social hall on the ground floor was decorated in the spirit of modern jazz and twentieth-century amusement.
Magnificent Vestibule
Upon entering the vestibule, one is impressed by the tremendous Castillian effect of the entrance and the monumental stairway—the curving staircase with artistic hand-wrought iron railing.
Oakland Tribune October 28, 1928
The main stairway leads to a secondary vestibule, giving access to four bedrooms.
New Type of Telephones
Convenience was the new type of telephone installation by Pacific Bell. Each telephone is placed to obtain the highest possible comfort and privacy for the users and blend in with the decor.
Two main lines were installed: one for the family’s use and the second primarily for the servants’ use.
A hand telephone with a key box was installed in the master bedroom. The keys could cut off the servant’s phone for privacy.
Oakland Tribune 1928
A wall telephone connected to the servants’ line was placed in the garage.
Formally Opened
The formal opening was held on Sunday, December 30, 1928. Lucile Webster Gleason of the Dufwin Theater, star in “The Shannons of Broadway,” formally opened the doors.
Large Crowds
Ten thousand visitors viewed the home in its first opening week, and seven thousand attended the opening day.
A tour of six modern furnished homes was opened for inspection on Sunday, August 13, 1939. The houses were in Berkeley, Moraga, and Oakland. I will highlight the two places from Oakland.
Oakland Tribune August 13, 1939
Lincoln Highlands
Oakland Tribune Aug 27, 1939
Harmony Home
2700 Alida Street
1939
$6750 up
Lincoln Highlands
Irwin M. Johnson – architect
W.H. Wisheropp – owner and builder
H.G. Markham – realtor
Oakland Tribune Aug 1939
Harmony Home was one of several homes constructed in Lincoln Highlands in 1939. It is located on Alida Street at the top of Coolidge Avenue.
The compact plan included a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen with a breakfast nook, a tile bath with three bedrooms, and an informal den with access to a double garage.
Oakland Tribune August 20, 1939
Oakland Tribune August 27, 1939
In less than a month, over 12,000 had toured Harmony Home.
Before the opening of Hempstead House in Sheffield Village, the H.C Capwell’s Company created a full-scale floor plan model wholly furnished in the furniture department on the fourth floor of their downtown store.
