Tracy Sichterman Presents
A Carr Jones Architectural Treasure Chest
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$1,695,000
1211 Bonita Avenue, Berkeley
All Property Photos
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Carr Jones’ Personal Masterpiece
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beds
3
baths
3
interior
2,280 sq ft
neighborhood
Gourmet District
In a verdant setting of Japanese maples and bamboo, just moments from the Monterey Market, Solano Avenue, and Berkeley’s renowned Gourmet Ghetto, lies a home that defies convention and captures the soul. This is not merely a house—it is a sculptural sanctuary, built in 1903 and reimagined and handcrafted in the 30s by legendary architect Carr Jones as his personal residence.
Every inch of this historic property is alive with artistry. Though located in one of Berkeley’s most walkable and vibrant neighborhoods, the grounds feel like a secluded woodland, with meandering naturalized pathways, dappled sunlight, and the gentle hush of trees. Whether you’re relaxing beneath the covered porch, walking the garden under party lights, or forest bathing on the patio beneath the trees, the quiet feeling of enchantment is profound.
Carr Jones’ legacy lives in the smallest moments—a tiny cathedral window inset into brick, original hand-hammered ironwork, a Dutch door. In the main residence, light floods in from multiple skylights, including a magical round skylight that crowns the spectacular kitchen. Here, brilliant blue enameled lava stone countertops—poured in uninterrupted slabs—anchor a space designed for gathering and conversation. A graceful tree trunk stands as both literal and poetic support, rooted in the kitchen and separating the living spaces from the primary suite. This strength is inherent in the entire structure. Carr Jones' homes were reinforced with steel. The owners have further strengthened this home with three sets of poured rebar and concrete pillars. The curved wall in the kitchen features a 1/2" thick steel plate going all the way around and tied into the reinforced pillars on the door frame.
Throughout, whimsy and craftsmanship intertwine. In the primary suite, a near-all-glass roof invites moonlight to mingle with dreams. The bathroom tile dances into the bedroom with an intentional, organic randomness, spilling across stucco and wood like a mosaic poem. And everywhere, light plays: bouncing, filtering, dappling through branches and glass, softening the home with an atmosphere of romance.
Beyond the main house, the Carr Jones–crafted cottage charms with extensive mosaic work; in windowsills, the kitchen counter, the bathroom vanity, and even the shower floor. Above it, a small office floats like a treehouse. A separate studio/gallery space, equipped with 220 wiring, awaits the act of creation.
This is a home for romantics—artists, writers, collectors, nature lovers, and dreamers. A historic treasure that invites you to live artfully, to entertain beautifully, and to be endlessly inspired by light, texture, and craft. Homes like this simply do not exist anywhere else. And once seen, never forgotten.
The Signature of Carr Jones
Carr Jones was more than an architect—he was a builder-poet, a master craftsman who believed homes should be sculpted from the land and harmonize with it. At 1211 Bonita Avenue, you can see his philosophy in every detail: the way the structure is nestled among trees, the way the light dances through deciduous branches onto skylights designed to catch winter sun and filter dappled light for summer shade. His homes were built not just to endure, but to live and breathe with their surroundings—engineered and reinforced for resilience, crafted from recycled materials, and guided by principles of passive solar design long before it was a movement.
Jones often lived on-site during construction, becoming intimately attuned to the land he shaped. Here, he created a forested oasis in the heart of Berkeley’s Golden Triangle (between the Gourmet District along Shattuck, Northbrae along Hopkins, and Thousand Oaks at the top), where nature and architecture blur. The signature Carr Jones doorbell plate—made from a repurposed, hand-painted tile—still welcomes guests today. Long, mission-inspired porches and brick courtyard walls embrace the home in warmth and privacy, while custom strap hinges, hand-forged from salvaged materials, secure the doors with both strength and soul. Inside, a slate-floored foyer doubles as a garden room—another Jones hallmark—ushering in both earth and light as you enter.
Carr Jones’ homes are rare and deeply personal. Each one carries his fingerprint, but 1211 Bonita is his heartprint—a testament to his vision of beauty, sustainability, and architectural intimacy.
Source: Carr Jones & Coug Allinger, Master Builders Utilizing Recycled Materials, by Ruth Scott
Every inch of this historic property is alive with artistry. Though located in one of Berkeley’s most walkable and vibrant neighborhoods, the grounds feel like a secluded woodland, with meandering naturalized pathways, dappled sunlight, and the gentle hush of trees. Whether you’re relaxing beneath the covered porch, walking the garden under party lights, or forest bathing on the patio beneath the trees, the quiet feeling of enchantment is profound.
Carr Jones’ legacy lives in the smallest moments—a tiny cathedral window inset into brick, original hand-hammered ironwork, a Dutch door. In the main residence, light floods in from multiple skylights, including a magical round skylight that crowns the spectacular kitchen. Here, brilliant blue enameled lava stone countertops—poured in uninterrupted slabs—anchor a space designed for gathering and conversation. A graceful tree trunk stands as both literal and poetic support, rooted in the kitchen and separating the living spaces from the primary suite. This strength is inherent in the entire structure. Carr Jones' homes were reinforced with steel. The owners have further strengthened this home with three sets of poured rebar and concrete pillars. The curved wall in the kitchen features a 1/2" thick steel plate going all the way around and tied into the reinforced pillars on the door frame.
Throughout, whimsy and craftsmanship intertwine. In the primary suite, a near-all-glass roof invites moonlight to mingle with dreams. The bathroom tile dances into the bedroom with an intentional, organic randomness, spilling across stucco and wood like a mosaic poem. And everywhere, light plays: bouncing, filtering, dappling through branches and glass, softening the home with an atmosphere of romance.
Beyond the main house, the Carr Jones–crafted cottage charms with extensive mosaic work; in windowsills, the kitchen counter, the bathroom vanity, and even the shower floor. Above it, a small office floats like a treehouse. A separate studio/gallery space, equipped with 220 wiring, awaits the act of creation.
This is a home for romantics—artists, writers, collectors, nature lovers, and dreamers. A historic treasure that invites you to live artfully, to entertain beautifully, and to be endlessly inspired by light, texture, and craft. Homes like this simply do not exist anywhere else. And once seen, never forgotten.
The Signature of Carr Jones
Carr Jones was more than an architect—he was a builder-poet, a master craftsman who believed homes should be sculpted from the land and harmonize with it. At 1211 Bonita Avenue, you can see his philosophy in every detail: the way the structure is nestled among trees, the way the light dances through deciduous branches onto skylights designed to catch winter sun and filter dappled light for summer shade. His homes were built not just to endure, but to live and breathe with their surroundings—engineered and reinforced for resilience, crafted from recycled materials, and guided by principles of passive solar design long before it was a movement.
Jones often lived on-site during construction, becoming intimately attuned to the land he shaped. Here, he created a forested oasis in the heart of Berkeley’s Golden Triangle (between the Gourmet District along Shattuck, Northbrae along Hopkins, and Thousand Oaks at the top), where nature and architecture blur. The signature Carr Jones doorbell plate—made from a repurposed, hand-painted tile—still welcomes guests today. Long, mission-inspired porches and brick courtyard walls embrace the home in warmth and privacy, while custom strap hinges, hand-forged from salvaged materials, secure the doors with both strength and soul. Inside, a slate-floored foyer doubles as a garden room—another Jones hallmark—ushering in both earth and light as you enter.
Carr Jones’ homes are rare and deeply personal. Each one carries his fingerprint, but 1211 Bonita is his heartprint—a testament to his vision of beauty, sustainability, and architectural intimacy.
Source: Carr Jones & Coug Allinger, Master Builders Utilizing Recycled Materials, by Ruth Scott
Featuring the Artwork of Jessica Abbott Williams
A Canvas for the Art Collector
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Ode to Carr JonesBuilder - Recycler
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He had an eye for beauty
He was a master of his tools
He worked not for the gold
He left the gold to fools
He was sensitive to every sight:
The shadows on the ground,
How the vine curls towards the light,
Blues, greens, and earthen brown.
He was one with Nature's beauty
And with her's he blended man's
He carved, he dug, he welded,
Brick, iron, wood,
Were putty in his hands.
He was here for but a moment
Of time's eternity, and
What is left is proof
Of his sincerity
And will serve to inspire others
To know what can be done
When man and God and nature
Are blended into one.
--Ruth Scott, 1965
(Written when Carr Jones died for Pearl Jones, his widow.)
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Tracy Sichterman
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