Designed by architect John Hudson Thomas and built in 1909 for the daughter of a sheep rancher, 1035 Shattuck is an exquisite 5+BD/5.5BA 5,151 square foot brown shingle home with a secluded magnificence that unfolds in dappled sunshine. Situated on a double lot, the home’s unparalleled allure is rooted in the show-stopping original details that accentuate its enchanting treehouse sensibility, while stylish upgrades make the home both luxurious and versatile. Luminous and at one with its natural surroundings, this incredible home is reported to have been built from a single, enormous old growth redwood. It is also conveniently located just steps from an express bus stop to San Francisco.
Wend your way along winding flagstone steps from the street through mature terraced shaded gardens and you will feel a sense of beckoning as a trellis-covered walkway leads you to this private yet stunning sanctuary. Birdsong fills the air and camellias, live oaks, and a dawn redwood grace the path toward the warm and stately home and its inviting woodland gardens. Pass through the paneled entryway and its internal splendor unfolds: to the left through glass French doors is a spacious, dazzlingly paneled living area graced by enormous windows, including a bay window with built-in benches (a theme throughout the home), and a high, coffered ceiling. A delightfully old world inglenook fireplace with paneling from a single redwood burl is the centerpiece of this remarkable space, while tucked away to the rear is a music nook. The home’s breathtaking living area is accented by original light fixtures designed by the architect to resemble longhorn sheep, and from it, you can take in partial bay views.
Cross back through the entryway and you will find the formal dining room of 1035 Shattuck, which like the living area is introduced by glass French doors and features redwood paneling, a coffered ceiling, gleaming wood floors, and a bay window with built-in bench, plus lovely built-in cabinetry with original leaded glass doors. Continue on into the rear of the home and you will find its spacious, light-filled eat-in chef’s kitchen, exquisitely updated to provide every convenience but still reflecting the home’s aesthetic. The kitchen includes a delightful breakfast room into which morning light streams and that leads to a rear deck via French doors; there, a lovely curved pergola supports mature jasmine and bougainvillea that bloom all spring and summer. The kitchen features distinctive light fixtures, stained glass accents, a charming tile backsplash, and granite countertops, plus a double Viking oven, Wolf gas range, and Miele dishwasher. From a large window over the double sink, the home chef can take in the beautiful rear garden, shaded by a majestic redwood. Tucked away in one corner of the kitchen is a convenient built-in desk, and just beyond it in the back hallway is a half bath and laundry area.
The next level of 1035 Shattuck is accessible by an elegant staircase that ascends from the entryway and is joined with a discreet half staircase originally designed for use by servants. On this level, you will find two spacious bedrooms with coved ceilings and crown moldings (one with a beautiful enclosed porch, ideal for a study or play area) that share a hallway bath with a shower over tub. Make your way across the upper hallway, past utterly distinctive built-in cabinets, and you will find the spacious and luxuriously appointed owner’s suite, where coved ceilings frame a space distinguished by large windows with ever-changing views of Mt. Tam, Richmond, and San Pablo Bay.
In the owner’s suite you will find a built-in entertainment center area, a walk-in closet with custom shelving, and a bath with a spa tub with jets and a large tiled step-in shower. Pass through the suite and explore a bright library area with built-in shelves and a sweeping view that extends from the Golden Gate Bridge to San Pablo Bay. From there, a staircase leads to the uppermost level of 1035 Shattuck, where an office with built-in desk and cabinetry, skylights, and a sweeping bay view delights, as well as an additional spacious and light-filled en-suite bedroom with views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco. On this level, one of the home’s most delightful surprises reveals itself: a plush in-home theater with projector and motorized projection screen. This extraordinary fourth level is also accessible from the main staircase in the center of the home.
The lowest level of 1035 Shattuck includes a basement and a one bedroom, legal apartment with a bath with shower stall and a walk-in closet; it is accessible from a interior staircase as well as from a private exterior entrance. In the rear woodland garden there is a spacious detached cottage with a kitchenette, an office area with built-in desk, and yet one more of 1035 Shattuck’s surprises ‚Äî a professional dark room, adaptable to the needs of myriad artistic endeavors.
1035 Shattuck’s enchanting gardens are planted with two magnificent redwoods, magnolia, weeping willow, and Japanese maple, as well as Australian tree ferns and a dawn redwood. In addition to rear deck, flagstone patio, and level lawn area, it has an expansive deck situated on top of the detached, one-car garage with EV car charger.
A crown jewel in the Arts and Crafts tradition, 1035 Shattuck entrances and dazzles, offering a living experience infused with the magic of light and shade within an architectural masterpiece.
Highlights at a Glance:
- Iconic and exquisite 5+BD/5.5BA Berkeley Craftsman-era home
- Designed by architect John Hudson Thomas and built in 1909
- Steps from the Gourmet Ghetto and the Berkeley path system
- 4,799 square feet in main house
- Additional detached 352 square foot cottage with professional dark room
- Shade and woodland gardens
- Level lawn area
- Stunning original redwood paneling and details throughout
- Living area with inglenook fireplace and music nook
- Formal dining room with built-in redwood cabinetry with original leaded glass doors
- Updated eat-in kitchen with distinctive details, expansive counter space and cabinetry, top-of-the-line appliances, and breakfast room
- Owner’s suite with bay and bridge views, luxurious bath, walk-in closet, and library area
- Distinctive built-in linen cabinetry in upper level hallway
- Uppermost level with en-suite bedroom, office, and views
- Plush home theater
- Laundry on entry level
- Lower level 1BD/1BA apartment
- Bonus storage areas
- Mature gardens planted with magnolias, majestic redwoods, and Australian tree ferns
- Multiple decks and flagstone patio
- Detached one-car garage with EV car charger
- Smart home ready
- Nest thermostat
- Built in 1909
A word on the history of 1035 Shattuck Avenue‚ĶOne of the first homes constructed in North Berkeley, this brown shingle craftsman masterpiece was a collaboration between John Hudson Thomas and George T. Plowman in 1909. A large double lot facing south, woodland gardens, mature redwoods, privacy and expansive views are part of the magic of this historic home. The house embodies the spirit of Berkeley as laid out by the city’s early visionaries, Charles Keeler and Bernard Maybeck, who promoted architecture that was integrated into nature. Plans for construction were made decades before the house was even conceived of, when Duncan MacKerricher (a Mendocino sheep rancher whose property was deeded to become MacKerricher State Park) had a large redwood tree cut down and saved for his newly-born daughter Edith’s future home. The redwood burl is said to have been the largest in Mendocino County at the time. When Mr. MacKerricher commissioned the home to be built in 1909, the redwood tree and burl were brought south to Berkeley on a steamer ship. The size, pattern and luminosity of the old-growth redwood panels are truly special.
When this home was completed, it was given as a gift to Edith on the occasion of her marriage to Fred Tibbetts, a professor of engineering at UC Berkeley. Mrs. Tibbetts was very civic-minded and a prodigious clubwoman (once belonging to 23 at one time, including The Hillside Club). Among other achievements, she helped found the International House on campus and the local chapter of Planned Parenthood. Edith Tibbetts resided in this house for 71 years, living to the age of 99.
1035 Shattuck is featured prominently in Shingle Style: Living in San Francisco’s Brown Shingles (Rizzoli, 2013). Find out more about Reginald Tibbetts, Edith Tibbetts' son, in Good Guy Spy from Moraga's Past (Lamorinda Weekly, 2015). (The above background is to the best of the sellers' knowledge.)
