Storybook charm gives way to unexpected scale in this distinctive 1920s San Mateo Park home. Surrounded by lush gardens, its cottage-like exterior gives little indication of what unfolds inside. Rich wood floors, exceptional custom millwork & built-ins throughout. Beautifully detailed living & dining rooms lead to a kitchen where a soaring ceiling and high windows fill the space with light. Limestone counters, Sub-Zero refrigeration, Gaggenau ovens & a six-burner gas cooktop create a space designed for serious cooking. The adjoining garden room, walled in vintage knotty pine, opens to the backyard where a brick veranda, lawn, mature gardens & wisteria-covered pergola create an enchanting outdoor retreat. Two bedrooms on the main level, including a spacious garden-facing primary with French doors to the outdoors, while upstairs, an expansive full-floor suite offers vaulted ceilings, an ensuite, & adjoining office or sitting room. Decades of thoughtful stewardship pair the homes enduring character with an extraordinary level of upgrades, including seismic reinforcement, copper plumbing, radiant heating, extensive insulation & sound-reduction construction. Distinctive, beautifully crafted & wonderfully unexpected, this is a home that reveals more of its character at every turn.