Saturday shelterporn

Many is the time Houstonist has passed by Courtlandt Place and wished we had the wherewithal to live there. And we were reminded of that when we saw that one of the homes on the boulevard, the Jones-Hunt house, is up for sale. It's actually among our least favorite homes on the street. but hey, we can't afford to be that picky.

The house was built in 1919 for Sarah Brashear Jones, the wife of prominent lawyer Col. James Warren Jones. Before Mrs. Jones built in Courtlandt Place, she and her husband had lived in a mansion at Main and Dallas downtown; eventually, that area became increasingly commercial and Mrs. Jones decided to relocate to Courtlandt Place, next door to her son and daughter-in-law's house. But she wasn't ready to fully give up her old home, so she had architect Alfred C. Finn design No. 24 Courtlandt Place to incorporate the older house's doors, paneling and magnificent staircase. The house remained in the Jones family until the late 1980s, and now it's been restored — and can be yours if the price is right.

Inside, the layout is about what you'd expect from a grand house of the early 20th century: There's a very large foyer opening onto a living room with pocket doors and a magnificent carved onyx fireplace (designed by Finn). A sunroom opening off the living room features a granite floor and wall of casement windows overlooking the side yard. There's also the dining room, which features wainscoting and a Baccarat chandelier; the kitchen has three islands, one granite topped, one butcher-block and one featuring a range and counter seating. The real standout is the hand-carved oak staircase, which leads to three large bedrooms — one of which has its own terrace overlooking the street. A third floor has a potential fourth bedroom (or media room) with its own bathroom, an attic and several large cedar-lined closets. And though the house is nearly 90 years old, its plumbing, wiring and roof are all new — and did we mention there's an elevator? Of course there is. Bedrooms: three or four. Bathrooms: four. Square feet: 7,330. Price: $2.4 million.