Richard Jones had just started his job selling condos seven years ago when he walked by an agent's desk and saw a flier for a loft in Castleberry Hill.

"It stopped me in my tracks," Jones said. "I said 'I've got to check this out.'"

Louie Favorite/Staff (ENLARGE)

330 Peters Street in Castleberry Hill was formerly Bressler Brothers dry goods. That rich history is evident in many details of Richard Jones' loft.

Louie Favorite/Staff (ENLARGE)

Black granite counters bring out the warmth in Richard Jones' loft.

RELATED LINKS • Photos: See more of this loft • Previous Private Quarters • Home & Garden • ajchomefinder.com • 2007 Home Sales Report Step back in time Search our historic archives for stories on historic homes and more about the Atlanta environs from 1868 through 1929.

He did and has been living there since. Not only does Jones live in a loft in one of Atlanta's oldest historic districts, he is the Coldwell Banker The Condo Store sales manager for Castleberry Point Lofts, a new development in the area.

Jones' building, 330 Peters Street, was formerly Bressler Brothers dry goods. A serious art collector, Jones loves the original columns that run throughout the home. The loft is chock full of character details. In the basement, what are now bricked up nooks used to be the openings where workers loaded coal into the building.

The 2,400-square-foot loft has the high ceilings typical of lofts, but it also has an intimate feel because it's divided into four floors. Jones designed the interior with the help of friend John Weymire.

A show-stopping design can be found in the powder room off the kitchen. Weymire combed through Jones' extensive record collection and found colorful album covers he used to wallpaper the bathroom. He placed Plexiglas over the covers for safekeeping. The albums are arranged in the colors of the rainbow and give a guest many reasons to linger in the loo.

In the dining room, Jones hung a signature piece called "Finding Religion At Century's End" by Paul Chojnowksi. The artist's pyrographs begin with charcoal sketches, from either photographs or memory, that focus on tonal contrasts rather than forms. In a method called water-resist, the artist wets areas of the watercolor paper and then exposes the surface to a blowtorch — the longer the contact, the darker the burn mark.

Another stunning piece is the chandelier, titled 'Baleen', which hangs over an 800-year-old French barn table. Christopher Moulder designed the light specifically for Jones' dining space. In the kitchen, Jones also hung original pendant lights.

"I love light, lighting and color," said Jones. "Whenever I can I try to include original art in my home."

Jones bought the dining chairs from the Hambidge Center, an artists' retreat in north Georgia. They originally were used in a restaurant in Franklin, N.C., where Jones waited tables as a youngster.

"They're not very comfortable, but they make you sit up straight. The more wooden and natural it feels, the more I like it," he said.

Jones' grandmother, "Gramsy", was an antiques dealer, and he grew up around her trade. Many of his furnishings came from her home in North Carolina.

In a past life, Jones worked as an art dealer and club owner. Originally a piano major in college, Jones still plays his Pearl River upright in the basement. Also on display are Jones' massive record collection plus a turntable and board for his hobby as a DJ.

On the landing of his stairs, sits an old Belgian fur safe. Jones uses it to store bar accessories. On the stairs is a metal sculpture by John Payne which projects a face on the ceiling when it's lit. Adjacent to the sculpture, artist Benjamin Krause created a colorful refrigerator door.

The office was custom designed by California Closets, and Jones plans to seal and stain the basement-level concrete floors. The floors of the upper level loft are original heart pine.

"The more you scratch them up, the better they look," he said.

Jones enjoys the artsy lifestyle of Castleberry Hill, just west of downtown. The ever-growing neighborhood has about 1,500 residents.

"I feel like I'm part of the history of the city," Jones said. "It's like a small town right next to downtown. The Greenwich village of the future."

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS

• The name Castleberry Hill comes from the high point of the hill along Walker Street near Stonewall Street. Before the streets in the area were graded and paved, the hill was the highest point in Atlanta. By 1867, M.T. Castleberry bought several parcels of land along the east side of Peters Street and moved his family into a house near the corner of Castleberry Street.

• The open guest room is underground – in fact, half of Jones' home is underground. He said the 24-inch stone walls make fantastic insulation.