$3.2 Million Homes in California – The New York Times

Napa | $3.2 MillionA Carpenter Gothic house built in 1856, with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse, on a 0.2-acre lot

Built as the home of Johnson Horrell, a Napa County judge, and his wife, Sarah, this house was the first on its block. In 1890, it was moved to a new lot, now within walking distance of downtown Napa. In the late 1940s, the house was subdivided into apartments. The current owner, who bought it in 2015, turned it back into a single-family house and did an extensive renovation to restore its original splendor, using raw materials sourced from the house.

Size: 3,830 square feet

Price per square foot: $836

Indoors: The exterior has many elements of Carpenter Gothic style, popular in the United States in the mid-19th century: a steep, gabled roof, decorative bargeboard and a symmetrical facade anchored by a central pediment.

A walkway made of bricks repurposed from the home leads to the stoop. Behind the front door believed to be original is a long hallway and a curved wooden staircase, with a half bathroom tucked underneath.

On either side of the entry hall are formal entertaining spaces: to the left, a sitting room, and to the right, a dining room. Like the rest of the house, these rooms have period light fixtures added by the owner and refinished fir floors. Several paces beyond the sitting room is a study with wood panels and a redwood ceiling, both salvaged from other parts of the house.

At the far end of the hall is a family room with a wood-frame fireplace. It flows into a contemporary kitchen with marble counters and stainless steel Thermador appliances. On the far right side of the kitchen is a butlers pantry with a leaded-glass window.

On the second level are three bedrooms. At the top of the landing is a guest room large enough to hold a full-size bed and a bathroom with a wooden vanity and walk-in shower.

A hallway extends from the landing to a set of French doors that opens to a street-facing balcony. To the right is another guest room; to the left is the master bedroom with an en suite bathroom that has black-and-white-tile floors.

The third floor is now configured as a large bedroom suite with a bathroom that has a claw-foot tub, set under a window with views of the back of the property.

Outdoor space: Off the family room is a wooden deck with space for an outdoor dining table. The backyard is lined with stones salvaged from the original foundation, and a brick pathway connects the main house to a Craftsman-style guest cottage added in 1907, with a kitchen and full bathroom. To the left of the guest cottage is a carriage house with an attached barn, used by the owner to display artifacts recovered during the renovation and materials related to the homes early owners.

Taxes: $42,561 (estimated, although the home is eligible for reduced property taxes based on the Mills Act, which provides economic incentives to homeowners for the preservation of historic properties)

Contact: Agi Vermes Smith, Engel & Vlkers, 707-363-9896; the horrellhouse.com

The homes and apartment buildings of Herbert W. Burns, a self-taught architectural designer, marry the sleek lines of midcentury modernism with the soft colors and organic materials of the desert. This house, clad in Arizona sandstone, was partially demolished before being bought and restored by Thomboy Properties in 2019.

It is in the Little Tuscany section of Palm Springs, near a number of historic properties, including Richard Neutras Kaufmann House and homes by Albert Frey and E. Stewart Williams. Palm Canyon Drive, a thoroughfare with many bars and restaurants, is a five-minute drive.

Size: 4,700 square feet

Price per square foot: $681

Indoors: A block wall separates the front courtyard and the swimming pool from the street, and a concrete walkway leads to the teal front door.

To the left of the entry is an open-plan living area with terrazzo floors and sliding-glass doors. To the right is a wall of exposed brick with an inset fireplace.

A floor-to-ceiling planter divides the living area from a dining alcove with a built-in teak bar and an open kitchen with an island and new appliances finished in teak. Beyond the kitchen are a butlers pantry and a guest suite with a pool-facing bedroom and a bathroom with a large walk-in shower. Also on this side of the house is a laundry room that connects to the rear garage.

A hallway partially lined in glass brick, with a small row of planted succulents extends from the entryway to the left wing of the house. On the near end is a guest bedroom with a textured accent wall and an en suite bathroom with a teak vanity and a glass-walled shower. At the far end of the hall is the master suite, which has sliding-glass doors that open to the pool area; the bathroom has a double vanity and a soaking tub brightened by a hanging starburst light fixture.

Outdoor space: To the right of the main house, forming a courtyard around the pool, is a two-bedroom guesthouse with terrazzo floors. This space has its own sitting area, a kitchen with custom navy cabinets and gold hardware, and a bathroom with a glass-walled shower.

Overhangs from the two structures offer shaded space around the pool; an outdoor kitchen is built into the left side of the courtyard. A lawn runs between the pool and the street-facing wall, but the rest of the landscaping features rocks and native desert plants. There is a concrete patio behind the house.

Taxes: $40,959 (estimated)

Contact: Keith Markovitz, TTK Represents, Compass, 760-904-5234; ttkrepresents.com

A city on the Monterey Peninsula with a little more than 3,800 residents, Carmel-by-the-Sea is known for storybook cottages that have names rather than street numbers. Many like this one, called Primrose Cottage are within walking distance of the beach and Ocean Avenue, the main drag.

The city has long been considered an artists enclave, and in the early 20th century it was a popular getaway spot for writers like Jack London and Sinclair Lewis. It has a number of small theaters, including the Forest, one of the oldest outdoor theaters on the West Coast, which is a 10-minute walk from the house. San Francisco is about two hours away by car, and Monterey is a 15-minute drive.

Size: 1,498 square feet

Price per square foot: $2,133

Indoors: Past the wrought-iron gate in front is a brick pathway that winds through a yard with English-inspired landscaping, including low hedges and rose bushes.

The arched front door, trimmed with iron strapping, opens to a living room with white-painted ceiling beams and a fireplace with a stone surround. Through an arched doorway at the back of the room is a hallway that leads to a half bathroom and a den with a bay of windows facing the guest cottage.

To the right of the front door is the dining room, which, like the rest of the house, has refinished hardwood floors. Through another arched doorway is the kitchen, which can also be reached through the den. The kitchen has white-tiled counters with white-and-blue-tile trim. A window over the sink looks into the rear garden, and a glass-paned door opens to the patio.

At the center of the house is a wooden staircase with a wrought-iron banister that leads to the second floor, which has two bedrooms on either end of a short hallway. The bedrooms are roughly equal in size, with room for queen-size beds, and both have street and rear-facing windows. A hallway bathroom has a combination tub and shower, a blue-tiled vanity with its original porcelain sink and gray-and-white floral wallpaper.

The guest cottage is connected to the main house by a brick walkway. It has a Dutch door, an exposed-brick fireplace and a bathroom with a stall shower and white-and-silver wallpaper.

Outdoor space: A brick patio in back of the main house has space for a table and chairs. The back garden, like the front yard, is planted with low hedges and rose bushes, and low stone walls create a path to a second small patio with a bench.

Taxes: $34,826 (estimated)

Contact: Tim Allen, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 831-214-1990; timallenproperties.com

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$3.2 Million Homes in California - The New York Times