$2.2 Million Homes in California – The New York Times

Long Beach | $2.19 MillionA 1935 Colonial Revival-style house with five bedrooms and three full and three half bathrooms, on a 0.9-acre lot

Built in 1935, this house was designed by Kirtland Cutter, a Pacific Northwest architect who was known for his colonial homes and contributed a building to the 1893 Worlds Fair. The site plan and front sculpture garden were done by Ralph D. Connell, a landscape architect responsible for the grounds of the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as the La Brea Tar Pits.

Built for a lawyer, this house is in the Los Cerritos section of Long Beach, a popular film location because of its proximity to Los Angeles and concentration of estate-style homes. The Virginia Country Club, a private golf course and clubhouse, is several blocks away.

Size: 4,071 square feet

Price per square foot: $538

Indoors: A brick wall separates the house from the street, and a brick footpath winds through a small sculpture garden leading to the front door.

The wide foyer looks down into a sunken living room. To the left is a wood-paneled study with built-in bookcases and a half bathroom. To the right are a powder room with toile-fabric-covered walls and a stairway to the second level.

The living room has elements of Georgian symmetry, with two arched built-ins flanking a large window, and mullioned doors and windows on either side of the marble fireplace.

Beyond the living room is the formal dining room, which is painted coral and has glass doors that open to the patio. A small doorway leads to the kitchen, renovated by the owners, whose love of French Impressionism guided their color choices, including cornflower-blue Caeserstone counters and hand-painted yellow tiles. A swinging door opens to a short hallway that connects to a guest bedroom and a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.

The stairs have a Karastan runner that continues along the second-floor hallway. At the far end of the hall is the master suite, which has a private dressing room and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. The master bedroom is large, with a fireplace framed in Delft tile and a private balcony facing the back of the property.

Three other bedrooms of roughly equal size are on this level; two share a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and one has a street-facing balcony.

Outdoor space: The living and dining rooms open to a patio paved in brick, which faces the backyard. A second patio has a brick oven. A stone pathway runs along the side of the yard to the gated swimming pool. The attached garage has space for three cars, as well as its own half bathroom.

Taxes: $27,818 (estimated)

Contact: Heather Garcia or Taylor Kincaid, Garcia Kincaid Family Realty Team and RE eBroker Group, 951-255-2691 or 714-418-4104; 525westdevonplace.com

Designed to take advantage of the mountainous Northern California landscape, this house has panoramic views of Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais, a Marin County landmark.

It is a 10-minute walk from the Pacific Ocean-facing Muir Beach Overlook, and a five-minute drive from the Pelican Inn, a Tudor-inspired restaurant and hotel. Trailheads leading to the coast and to the hills of Mount Tamalpais State Park are a 10-minute drive. Downtown Mill Valley is about 20 minutes away by car, and San Francisco is 18 miles to the south.

Size: 2,828 square feet

Price per square foot: $778

Indoors: A private driveway slopes down toward the houses wraparound deck. Under an overhang is the front door, which opens into the main level. Floor-to-ceiling windows face the back of the property, flooding the space with light and offering views of the landscape. The cathedral ceiling has exposed wooden beams painted white, and wrought-iron chandeliers hang over the main seating area. A more private seating nook is tucked into the far corner of the open-plan living area, while a dining area is near the front door. The flooring is cerused oak.

The open kitchen, at the center of the main level, was renovated by the sellers, who bought the home several years ago. It has custom cabinetry, a Wolf range and a slate-blue tiled backsplash.

On one side of the kitchen is a spiral staircase up to an open loft. At the base of the stairs, a hallway leads to two bedrooms. The master has an en suite bathroom with a glass-walled shower and a bamboo vanity topped with a basin-style sink. The second bedroom has a half bathroom.

On the other side of the kitchen is another set of stairs, leading to a lower-level guest suite with a full bathroom, as well as a laundry room.

Outdoor space: The house has wraparound decks on two levels. The lower level, reached by exterior stairs or through the guest suite, has a hot tub; the upper deck, which starts at the front door and continues along the living room and master bedroom, has a side patio with space for outdoor dining. At the end of the driveway, a stone-paved footpath leads to a small, flat yard planted with mature trees and flowering plants. The long driveway has space for four cars.

Taxes: $33,440 (estimated)

Contact: Jennifer Boesel, Coldwell Banker, 415-497-3383; 4marinhomes.com

This house is in a quiet neighborhood at the base of the Hollywood Hills, several blocks west of Los Feliz and just north of various Hollywood tourist attractions. The hiking trails of Griffith Park are a five-minute drive, and a commercial strip of Franklin Avenue, which includes a popular French bistro and the Los Angeles home of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy group, are within walking distance.

The Los Angeles Metro Rails red line stops at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue, a 15-minute walk from the house, and connects to Union Station downtown and, in the other direction, Universal Studios and the San Fernando Valley.

Size: 2,399 square feet

Price per square foot: $915

Indoors: A low, white gate separates the yard from the sidewalk. White columns flank the cherry-red door, which opens into a small foyer.

A wide doorway to the right leads to the living room, which has a Batchelder fireplace and a wall of built-ins original to the house. On the far side of the room, French doors open to an office facing the rear patio.

The living room is partially open to the formal dining room, which can also be reached through the main entryway. Like the rest of the house, the dining room has refinished hardwood floors, and it is illuminated by an Art Deco-inspired chandelier. Off the dining room is a guest bedroom with Spanish-tile floors.

The dining room is also connected to the kitchen, which has a butlers pantry and several garden windows. On the far right side of the pantry is a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.

To the left of the foyer, stairs lead to the second level. The walls lining the staircase have white-painted wood wainscoting and botanical-print Abigail Borg wallpaper.

Turning right at the top of the stairs leads to the master bedroom, which has sloped ceilings and a floral-papered accent wall. In the en suite bathroom, a claw foot soaking tub sits beneath windows overlooking the swimming pool.

At the end of the hall is a guest room large enough to hold a queen-size bed. In the adjacent bathroom, the white pedestal sink and the white-tiled tub and shower have gold hardware.

Outdoor space: A brick patio runs along the back of the house, facing the saltwater swimming pool. Framing the pool is a lawn lined with citrus trees on one end. On the far side of the yard is a 500-square-foot garage converted into a studio used by the owner, a Hollywood stylist, as a work space. A long driveway has space for several cars.

Taxes: $27,882 (estimated)

Contact: Jacqueline Cahen, Compass, 310-200-3480; 1918canyon.com

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$2.2 Million Homes in California - The New York Times