Tall trees and gorgeous homes line the elegant avenues of Piedmont and the Oakland hills. Style and design aficionados walking these streets may yearn to peek behind the stately doors or big modern windows, and every spring they get the chance. The Children’s Support League’s Heart of the Home tour offers a look at all kinds of homes: traditional, modern, formal, and family.

This year, the tour’s uniting factor is great spaces for entertaining or gathering. For example, the successful entrepreneur who owns this Sea View Avenue dining room uses it to stage intimate dinners. “I chose a circular table because I like to see everyone at a dinner party. It makes for better conversation,” he says. “We might start with a centerpiece in the middle of the table, but I move it out of the way when we sit down so I can talk to everyone.”

Many of the homes on the tour feature amazing outdoor entertaining spaces, such as a Hillside Avenue home with a large front porch ideal for al fresco dining because of a wisteria-draped trellis that creates a dappled shade over the table. Located just off the kitchen, it’s the perfect spot for grilling up a casual meal for friends and family.

While both the Sea View and Hillside Avenue homes are traditional, the event also features modernist dwellings. A Hampton Court house blends classic and contemporary architectural styles. “The entire house is modeled on the traditional Chinese courtyard concept,” says Brian Laczko, the architect of record. “The living room and dining room are like the common courtyard, where the family comes together. Off that, there are wings for private spaces.”

Kitchens on Manchester Road in Oakland and Lakeview Avenue in Piedmont are used for informal, daily family gatherings. “We wanted it to be a comfortable place for our immediate family to relax in,” says the Lakeview homeowner. “Reconnecting the family in the evenings is crucial.”

This modern family kitchen on Manchester Drive in Oakland is the perfect colorful backdrop for family breakfasts or larger dinners for friends. A two-level island makes room for a small dining space and a generous prep area. “It’s the perfect place for someone to sit and visit while we prepare a meal,” the homeowner says.


An elegant dining room on Sea View Avenue is the scene for small dinner parties. The owner insists on a round table to

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