| | Published December 4th, 2013
| Orinda Oaks Grows Amid the Acorns
| | By Cathy Dausman |  | | Master bedroom Photos provided
| A new Orinda development is taking place above Moraga Way, where the traffic noise quiets and Orinda hills fall away to frame Mount Diablo in the east. It is Orinda Oaks, a cul-de-sac of residential homes on a new street – Miller Court – constructed by Signature Development Group.
Ironically, the development’s grand opening took place on a day where the fog obscured the views, said Beaubelle Group realtor Kellie Beaubelle. When Lamorinda Weekly visited the site, however, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and construction crews busily roamed the hillside in trucks and tractors.
 The development is just a ridgeline east of the Wilder development and can be accessed most directly from the south end of Stein Way. Orinda Oaks homes are listed “at a price point near Wilder,” Beaubelle said. Three have been sold; one is currently occupied. Available home sizes range from 3,700 to 3,968 square feet; the last phase will offer homes over 4,000 square feet. Scott Zengel of Signature Development Group said lot sizes range from 1 to 8 acres. And because the entire development is just 12 homes “you won’t have construction for years and years,” Beaubelle added.
The two-story home development (the lone single story home is already sold) contains a mix of modern, Spanish and traditional styles; each has a large, open floor plan. Master bedrooms are located on the main living level and houses have at least three full baths and two or three bay oversized garages.
Visitors enter the model home through a generous hard surface patio surrounded by half walls, with high ceilings and wide-plank wooden flooring in its interior. The kitchen featured high-end stainless steel appliances; its center island and counter surfaces were quartz. The patio off the kitchen in the model home felt especially airy as the lot sloped away from the house on that side.
Upgrades to the model, noted in print room by room, included custom pendant lighting in the kitchen, a large suspended light in the family room, crown molding and cabinet color changes. The model home has already been sold, but it won’t be occupied until the development is complete. If you have walked the model and still can’t envision material options or upgrades, a design center in Livermore has the building materials on hand.
Beaubelle stressed the local involvement that went into developing Orinda Oaks. According to its website, Signature Development Group is a 20-year-old privately owned, locally managed Oakland-based firm. The Beaubelle Group of Coldwell Banker is an Orinda business, something SDG felt made “a perfect match.” After the tour, Beaubelle was asked if she was tempted to move in to one of the Orinda Oaks homes. “Oh no,” she laughed. “I built my dream home 12 years ago!”
Orinda Oaks is exclusively represented by the Beaubelle Group of Coldwell Banker. For details, visit www.orindaoaks.com or call (925) 253-6337. |
 | | View of Mt. Diablo
|  | | Photos provided
|  | | Game Room
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA