A Fair Oaks Castle

April 10, 2007

Fair Oaks is one of my favorite Menlo Park neighborhoods, partly because of the unpredictable mix of properties. There is a sprinkling — but only a sprinkling, mind you — of McMansions, but the rest are a melange of cottages, Victorians, Craftsmen, bungalows, and small Ranches.

Today’s tour offered a surprise in the form of 655 14th Ave, brought to the market by friend and colleague Shelly Roberson, wife of 3Oceans contributor David Roberson. I’ve driven by the home many times and found the exterior square-castle look intriguing, but the inside is even more so.

Though 1900 sq ft in size — larger that most Fair Oaks homes — the inside has a warm, cozy feel, brought about by the owners’ artistic flair and Shelly’s own staging handiwork. (She’s one of a handful of agents who stage their own properties. Trust me, you don’t want me doing that for you!)

My favorite touch was the Tintin poster on the wall in the upstair’s kid’s bedroom, which brought back nostalgic childhood memories — which I suppose was the intent! (If you did not grow up in the UK, France, or a former colony of either, you may not be familiar with the Tintin series. Do yourself a favor and buy a couple comic books. While you’re at it, get some from the Asterix series as well.)

This listing looked like a good excuse to try out the Popup Image Gallery Wordpress plugin from Yellow Swordfish (not to be confused with Redfin).

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Written by Kevin · Filed Under Fair Oaks, Menlo Park, Property reviews, Real estate, Shelly Roberson 

Comments

3 Responses to “A Fair Oaks Castle”

  1. Shelly Roberson on April 11th, 2007 8:08 pm

    Hi Kevin,

    I loved your blog about 655 14th! Castle in Fair Oaks-why didn’t I think of that. Actually, my favorite word to describe the house is whimsical or fairytale-ish a blend of fantasy and reality. Anyhow, thanks for stopping in and I am glad that the Tintin print was a positive nostalgic moment for you. I grew up the youngest of 4 kids and my oldest brother (who I idolized) introduced me to Tintin at a young age. He was very much into cycling and adopted European pop culture.

    Best,

    Shelly

  2. Kevin Boer, Realtor, 3 Oceans Real Estate on April 11th, 2007 8:37 pm

    Hi Shelly,

    You did a great job of staging the property — we would have expected nothing less — and it looks great! Wish I had a client for you…

  3. David Olerich on April 25th, 2007 10:14 am

    It is possible to fantacize about reality. I do it all the time, with success. David O.

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