Kohl Mansion, "The Oaks" 2750 Adeline Drive • Burlingame • California 94010

Commissioned by Frederick Kohl and his wife in 1912, the Kohl Mansion was built on 40 acres of oak woodlands in Burlingame. Kohl, heir to a shipping fortune, loved to entertain and created this grand estate to include a manor house, pool, rose garden, tennis courts, greenhouses, and a large carriage house. Now, decades later, the elegant rosebrick Tudor mansion is again available for parties, and has many inviting rooms for weddings, special events, business functions, and picnics.

The wood-paneled Library features a large marble fireplace, bookcases, and graceful French doors that open to a center courtyard. The room's Gothic bay window catches the light filtered through the oaks on the lawn just beyond. The sizable Great Hall, a copy of the Arlington Tudor Hall in Essex, England, was built for music and entertaining. Its very high ceiling, oak paneling, and walnut floor create a fine acoustical setting for music. A lighter twin of the Library, the spacious and airy pale green Dining Room has delicate, cream-colored plaster relief on the walls and ceiling. This marvelous dining environment shares the Library's view of the oak-studded lawn through its own bay windows.

The Morning Room, with white lattice walls and a black-and-white marble floor, adds a touch of formality to the East Wing. It overlooks the English Rose Garden and surrounding manicured grounds, where guests can stroll over the lawn or sample hors d'oeuvres on the large terrace. The Kohl Mansion is, indeed, a fabulous facility for anyone planning a stylish event.