2737 NE 12th Avenue American Arts & Crafts Style

John R. Selberg the builder and designer of this house ran a carpentry company with his brothers that built homes in the Irvington and Piedmont neighborhoods in the early years of the 20th Century.  This outstanding example of their fine workmanship and creative exterior design was built in 1911 and soon thereafter sold to Nicholas C. Merges, a hardware merchant whose store was at the corner of Russell and Vancouver Streets.

In 1990 the home was sold to the current owners who have systematically been restoring the house to its original Arts & Crafts glory.  In 2003 they completed the remarkable remodel of the kitchen, incorporating a former pantry and adding amenities, while keeping the vintage feel.

At this point, the restoration work of the first floor is complete.  That of the second floor remains in the future.  The most recent project was the stripping of the paint on the library woodwork and completing the room with true-to-the-period Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper.  While this costly reproduction wallpaper was not originally in their budget, the owners noticed a "leap day sale" announced on the makers website.  They jumped into their car and on the spur of the moment drove to down to Benecia, California, to the company showrooms for a weekend wallpaper buying extravaganza.  Now this great wall covering is found throughout the house.

The fanciful landscaping in the back yard was created by a landscape designer whose home was on the Irvington Home Tour in 2003.