On the Market: An Unconventional Detached Condo in North Cambridge

Care to call this Jenga-style dwelling your home?


Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

19 Clifton St., Cambridge
Price: $869,900
Size: 1,206
Bedrooms: 2
Bath: 2

Anyone who wants to “Keep Cambridge Weird” will be pleased with the home at 19 Clifton St. With three wooden tiers made of marine plywood, the two-bed, two-bath detached condo resembles an unfinished Rubik’s Cube, or a game of Jenga. Built in 2006 by architects Beat Schenk and Chaewon Kim, the 1,206-square-foot home, which was known as “X-Small” when it was built, bucks tradition and plays with style and shape in an unusual way. While it’s scored plenty of attention since its completion, including from HGTV and in Dwell Magazine, it’s now officially on the market for $869,900. “It’s so out of the ordinary and so unique, especially in an age when we have all these cookie cutter condos,” says listing agent Ed Greable of Keller Williams Realty. “This one really stands out.”

Step inside to the main level, which features an open kitchen and dining level with Carrara marble floors throughout. Head downstairs to the finished basement, which serves as the spacious living room, or climb the Z-shaped wooden staircase up to the second level, where you’ll find a large bedroom with stylish sliding wood doors, as well as a full bathroom. A comfortable office space is the perfect spot for working at home, right in front of a sunny window. Then head up another level to the bright primary bedroom, which also has a stylish full bathroom.

With nine skylights throughout the home, the unique design enables boatloads of light to stream into its four floors. And while it has a prime location near Alewife in North Cambridge, the home can feel almost rural, even though a neighboring house is close by. “It’s a pretty unique space—I have not seen anything like it,” says Greable. “There’s some funky stuff out there, and it’s gonna take a special person who really falls in love with it.”

Need a video tour to wrap your head around this angular home? Take a virtual walk-through here.

For information, contact Ed Greable, Keller Williams Realty, edgreable.com.

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

Photo by Jed Armour/BostonREP

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