The floors need refinishing, it has an awkward floor plan with a minimal kitchen and only one full bathroom. It’s single-wall construction and there is no insulation. You may need to spend as much restoring the property as it will cost to purchase it. And yet, the home that Carr Jones designed and built at 830 Santa Barbara Avenue was the most inspiring home I’ve visited in a long time! Carr Jones (1885-1965) is known primarily for his storybook houses, and is considered as much engineer and master builder as he is architect. This home is a treasure of the Arts & Crafts movement, and a wonderful example of The Simple Home espoused by Charles Keeler and The Hillside Club in the decade preceding this home’s construction in 1914.
Built for the ancestors of the current owners, it is a gem of untouched, true-dimensional clear heart redwood. Chalet-style carved balconies add both decorative charm and views from three sides. The views are splendid of the entire North Bay to San Francisco, especially from the upper level and the additional studio perched atop part of the garage. The exterior is a distinctive combination of redwood siding below and shingles above, broad eves, and ranks of windows on both floors visible from the street. A hand-painted sign above the front door proclaims: “Evening Rest.†Fireplaces occupy prominent positions, in two rooms on the main level, one taking the central position within two rooms, and the other flanked by charming inglenook seating. A stone fireplace is also prominent in the downstairs room off the kitchen, presumably intended as the dining room.Â
The good news is that no one has touched anything! For anyone other than a true conservator, that will be the bad news as well, but this is a project for a believer in the virtues of honest construction and simple design and materials. Modern conveniences, such as adequate wiring and plumbing, or a fully outfitted kitchen and bathrooms on each floor, will need to be added by the next owner. They will be in good company: a wonderful Julia Morgan design-home I listed a few years ago is to the south, and another Carr Jones sits to the North. Together they make a lovely trio of shingled properties. I hope that the rustic charms of this home will captivate a buyer with the motivation and resources to conserve the essence of this special home.
 Occupying almost 2400 square feet on an especially wide, 10,374 sq. ft. lot, this property is listed for $975,000. I would be delighted to give you a private showing.  It is listed by Peter Hansen, broker.
 For additional photos visit my set at Flickr.
