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The Prettiest Hidden Homes of Carmel
Houses, like people, have different personalities. Some are bright and bubbly and just exude charisma. They stand out and seem to get all the attention. Others are quiet, shy, and like to stay out of the limelight. Sometimes they like to remain hidden for privacy, and other times they have been been ignored or simply overlooked. Join me as I explore the prettiest hidden homes of Carmel.
Kuster Castle
The Kuster house, sometimes called Kuster Castle, sits high on a hill on Ocean View Avenue. It is somewhat hidden behind greenery and a fence made of tree branches. It was built in 1920 by Edward Kuster, an attorney, who moved to Carmel and eventually built the Golden Bough Playhouse. Kuster’s move was considered scandalous at the time because he was the ex-husband of Una Jeffers, now wife of famous poet Robinson Jeffers. So what did Mr. Kuster do, but build his house next to the Jeffer’s Tor House! Apparently, both couples got along extremely well. Una even did her laundry at the Kuster’s because Tor House had no electricity.
Hob Nob Cottage
Hob Nob Cottage is easy to overlook. Because the gate is rather dark and the house below the road, it remains somewhat hidden from view.
Built in 1924, this Tudor Revival home was originally known as the Garfield D. Mermer house. The origin of its current name is interesting. Hob and nob first came together in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, when Sir Toby Belch warns Viola (who is disguised as a man) that Sir Andrew wants to duel. “Hob, nob is his word,” says Sir Toby, using hob and nob to mean something like “hit or miss”. Since that time, hob and nob became a phrase meaning friends drinking hobnob to each other, and from there it became associated with congenial social gatherings.
Birthday Cottage
It took some clever camera finagling to get a proper glimpse of the Birthday Cottage. This one really tugs at your storybook heartstrings with its steep storybook gables and half timbered walls. Unfortunately, most of the house is simply out of sight, hidden behind trees, shrubs, and foliage. I have not discovered the story behind the home’s name, but maybe it was a present for some lucky soul back in 1929 when it was built. Located at the corner of Santa Fe Street and Sixth Avenue, it was part of a complex of five homes commissioned by W. O. Swain and built by Hugh Comstock.
Fables
Almost completely buried in a tapestry of vines and ivy, Fables is another hidden cottage. Fables is sandwiched between the Birthday House and the Doll’s House. Featuring a steeply pitched roof and Carmel stone chimney, Fables was built by Hugh Comstock in 1928.
The Doll’s House
Nobody ever seems to come play in this Doll’s House. Located next door to Fables on the corner of Santa Rita and Ocean Avenue, it appears to be empty. It too remains largely hidden from view by trees and shrubbery. This home was also built by Comstock in 1928.
Märchen Haus
Märchen Haus is German for Fairytale House. Located at the corner of Dolores and 11th Street, it is several blocks away from many of the other other Comstock homes. It is also somewhat disguised by all the trees and shrubbery surrounding it. This house is clearly very loved and was getting a fresh coat of paint this past spring. The hand cut shingle roof and curved front door remind me of something from Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This home was also built by Comstock in 1928, which was clearly a busy year for him.
Seaward
At the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, “Seaward” lies just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea in the Carmel Highlands. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of it, hidden behind a high stone wall and a forest of cypress trees. Designed by Charles Sumner Greene and built in the 1920s for D. L. James, it seems to naturally grow straight out of the cliff. If you look closely, you will see all the tiny stones making up the beautiful architecture. I can’t fathom how many people or hours it took to build this iconic home.
I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at the prettiest hidden homes of Carmel. You may also like 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! and Cottage Love in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas.
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Don’t Sweat That Unfinished Baby Book
Recently, on one of my thrift shop adventures. I noticed a vintage pink satin baby book resting in a bin of books. I picked it up, admiring the beautiful hand-painted daisies on the cover. It was less than $1.oo. Why not, I thought, tossing it in my cart. When I arrived home, I began to flip through the pages, mesmerized by the pretty illustrations. The parents of this baby had filled in many things, including her name, date of birth, weight, first visitors, and even pinned a lock of her hair on one page. Many of the pages, however, were blank.
I had baby books for all three of my boys. Like many parents, I expected to meticulously record every detail of anything remotely important. I would be able to look back someday and note every minute detail in my babies’ lives. But like most parents, that just doesn’t happen. You are too busy changing diapers, doing laundry, cleaning up food splattered high chairs and spending actual time bonding with your baby.
My three boys’ baby books. According to Jessica Feeder in Today’s Parent, although she and her husband had been determined to carefully document every detail of their baby’s growth, they eventually resorted to snapping iPhone pictures instead and the baby book became lost. She states, “I later found it beneath a pile of old, forgotten underwear, when my daughter was more than a year old.” While she had taped in a lock of her daughter’s hair and her hospital bracelet, “absent was any mention of first foods, first tooth or her first giggle”.
A page in my youngest son Peter’s baby book. Nowadays, in the age of the digital universe, I imagine these old-fashioned baby books will soon become obsolete. Baby milestones will only be captured on phones and laptops, or shared on social media. And while that’s convenient, somehow, I think many of us who did keep these baby books will treasure them even more. Even if we didn’t ever fill out every single milestone.
Thank you for visiting my blog. You may also like How to Save Money with a Clothesline and Nine Best Fresh Herbs To Use In Your Kitchen. Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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The Stunning Storybook Homes of Willow Glen
Willow Glen
Willow Glen is often called San Jose’s local treasure. Not only does it have a historic downtown full of fabulous shops and restaurants, but also the most enchanting storybook homes. I had already checked out San Jose’s storybook homes near the Municipal Rose Garden. I was so excited to discover more in Willow Glen.
Storybook Homes
What is a storybook home? Storybook architecture was created in the Los Angeles area during the 1920s. Storybook homes often have deeply sloped or thatched roofs. They may also have turrets and dovecotes, arched doors and windows, and eyebrow dormers. They are often made of stucco, brick and half-timbering.
Often featuring crooked walls, rustic chimneys, and sometimes cartoonish features, storybook homes soon became the rage across the country.
While most of the homes near the Municipal Rose Garden are from the same period, I found that in Willow Glen, the storybook homes are interspersed with both older and newer homes.
I just love the quaint chimney and the asymmetrical gable on the entryway of this home!
I never tire of seeing the lovely gardens and especially the roses in the San Jose area!
Fun facts about Willow Glen
- During the 1800s there was a marshy area between the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek. Filled with willows and cattails, it inspired the name Willow Glen.
- Before becoming a town, Willow Glen was one of the most prized and valuable farming areas in the Sant Clara Valley.
- Willow Glen Road was renamed Lincoln Avenue in 1865, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
- The area became incorporated as a city in 1927 to avoid the rerouting of the Southern Pacific Railroad down Lincoln Avenue. (Caltrain uses the track rerouted to a different area today.)
- Willow Glen residents voted to be annexed to San Jose in 1936 primarily to join the bigger city’s stage system and avoid having to build their own.
- During the Christmas season, many locals display small, multi-colored light Christmas trees in their front yards, a tradition that started in 1950.
- Today, Willow Glen is one of the most expensive places to live in Silicon Valley. According to trulia.com, the typical home value here is over one million dollars.
For more information, see Willow Glen. Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also enjoy Cottage Love in Carmel-by-the-Sea and 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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My Pretty Shabby Chic Estate Sale Finds
What is shabby chic? Rachel Ashwell coined the phrase shabby chic. She has written several books about it and even has many videos online. Essentially, shabby chic is characterized by heirloom pieces with handcrafted accents and authentic distressing. Shabby chic decor also encompasses muted or pastel shades that provide a vintage feel. As Rachel states on her website, shabby chic embraces the beauty of imperfection. I see shabby chic as a marriage of country farmhouse comfort and romance. It is authentic and unpretentious. It certainly supports the cottagecore lifestyle with its cozy, inviting style. I often find beautiful shabby chic items at thrift stores and estate sales. Here are some of my favorite shabby chic finds. Everything I found was less than $5, with the exception of a frame I purchased for $15.
While I find many things shelter skelter, I hit the cornucopia recently at an estate sale in Salinas, California. I picked up this large 19 x 26 inch distressed antique French frame for $15. I am so stoked because I have never been able to afford the ones I found online. It is now hanging in my bedroom where I can adore it every day.
I found this vintage chenille bedspread for just $3 at Goodwill. It fits my queen bed perfectly and adds the perfect shabby chic vibe.
A beribboned wicker waste basket found at an estate sale for $5. So pretty!
Vintage lace crochet gloves for $1. Just makes me want to put them on and enjoy a nice cup of tea. I can also pay homage to one of my favorite icons, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who rocked lace gloves like no other.
Vintage lamp with celluloid lampshade. So shabby chic, I love it!
A super cool hand-embroidered sewing fancy with pincushion and pocket for notions alongside an old wooden pair of glove stretchers. Both found at an estate sale for $3.
I found the little stool at a rummage sale for $3. The chest of drawers I purchased at an estate sale years ago. I repainted both using Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint. Definitely adds a shabby chic vibe!
While this isn’t technically shabby chic, it is definitely vintage and spoke to me. Eloise Wilkin was a popular children’s book illustrator when I was growing up. The title certainly reflects my attitude. I am so grateful and thankful for everything in my life.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my recent finds. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. You may also enjoy The #1 Guide for What to See and Do in Romantic Carmel and Thrift Store Treasures: How to Find the Best Deals. Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!