Tucked between hip design studios, modern live-work lofts and nautical architectural firms, and barely set back from a narrow and charming thoroughfare reminiscent of Marseilles, Jane’s Place is home to artist Jane Elliott. Built in 1936, when the area played host to fishermen and canneries, it is now a home, studio and gathering place for old and new friends. Jane has been a community fixture for over two decades, having earlier in life turned what was once a motorcycle repair shop into a successful garden shop. “In those years I had great fun serving locals as well as vacationing celebrities including the great Bette Midler,” says Jane. When Jane decided to turn her attention to art, a third bedroom was added to allow her to take on a tenant or two, and the back garage became her studio. “I have kept in touch with several former tenants who have since married and built families of their own and who, from time to time, when in town, drop by for dinner or coffee.” Such is the beauty of Jane’s Place—a magnet for the gathering of people and the exchange of ideas—a radical concept in an age where Internet cuts and pastes are portrayed as original thought and where the end products of computer gaming are mistaken for genius. As Jane notes, “Real genius flows only from the eye-to-eye exchanges between people. More than a few great ideas have been bantered about over a cup of coffee at my cottage.”
Entry into Jane’s world takes form as a glance over the front gate or peek through a pane-less window embedded in an ivy-laden front fence. The front porch and yard contain a collection of folk art, including a wooden American flag and a pair of dogs designed by Chicago Art Institute–trained and Berkeley-based artisan Karen Stern. At night, the area is lighted by a set of vintage lanterns. The living room (not pictured) is filled with books and artists’ tools. Longtime friend Susan Lamb notes, “As inviting as Jane’s living area is, nothing beats the aroma of her kitchen, particularly when she decides, early in the day, to start a large pot of spiced red beans and rice. When word goes round that Jane is cooking in the morning, it’s a sure bet that the house will be filled with friends that evening. That’s just the way it is at Jane’s Place.”
The day we visited Jane’s Place, it played host to a half dozen pups while Jane and her guests visited an espresso house just down the street, to share views and talk the news. Notwithstanding all of the modern-day work that goes on around this rustic cottage, Jane’s Place stands, at the end of each day, as a beacon of comfort, authenticity and friendship.
The cottage patio and courtyard abound with color and activity.
A unique folk art piece of metal on wood entitled Dog Crossing, by Berkeley artisan Karen Stern, hangs in the courtyard.
The front porch and yard contain a collection of folk art, including a wooden American flag and a pair of dogs designed by artisan Karen Stern.
The garden table is set for afternoon tea. Looking down upon the setting is a folk art wood carving of the American flag.
A hanging settee provides comfort and enjoyment for a cup of morning java at nearby Alta Coffee, a grass roots gathering place for writers, artists, local workers and their dogs.
Betty, one of Jane’s best friends, eyes a fresh crumpet during afternoon tea.
A Saturday morning gathering of regulars in front of Jane’s Place.
Jane is a hit with her canine pals.
Built in 1936, when the area played host to fishermen and canneries, it is now a home, studio and gathering place for old and new friends.
A nearby doorway has remained untouched for over a century.