Supercute 1920s Cottage for $2.7M in Carmel Charms the Market

This Craftsman bungalow in downtown Carmel, CA, is built from redwood and was created in 1922 by M.J. Murphy, a local luminary.

The historic home, known as the Charles Fonteneau House, is on the market for $2,795,000.

Listed with Ryan J. Melcher, of Sotheby’s International Realty–Carmel Brokerage, the 1,874-square-foot home has been owned by the sellers since 1998.

Renovated and restored residence

The owners have expanded and made thoughtful updates to the three-bedroom, two-bath, two-story house, all while honoring its roots.

“It was quite a bit smaller, in the 1,400-square-foot range,” Melcher says of the original structure. The owners “were able to expand off the back. They also took off the front porch and enclosed it.”

Another overhaul involved stripping the whitewashed interior added by previous owners and restoring the redwood interior. Other improvements included refinishing the first level’s hardwood flooring and reengineering the foundation to add a subterranean garage.

“The kitchen feels like you’re going back in time,” says Melcher of the cook space, which is outfitted with a farmhouse-style sink, vintage stove, and mostly open shelving.

Original, single-pane windows and a Carmel-stone fireplace were also preserved. Meanwhile, the primary suite has abundant closet space—a rarity in older homes—and a seating area that could be used as an office.

‘Founding father’ of Carmel architecture

Melcher has sold several Carmel homes designed by Murphy.

“I have clients who only buy Murphy homes—and restore them,” he notes. “This is the oldest one I’ve had [as a listing]. He’s one of the founding fathers of architecture in downtown Carmel.”

Between the early 1900s and 1940, Murphy designed or built around 350 projects. Among them are Carmel’s city-hall building and fire station, what is now L’Auberge Carmel hotel, and Tor House—home of late poet Robinson Jeffers.

“Just about 100 percent of people who come through here go, ‘Oh my God!’” Melcher reports. “It’s kind of like grandma and grandpa’s house. People like these cute little quaint cottages around here.”

The house is situated in the coveted Golden Rectangle area, which Melcher explains is “considered the highest value of Carmel—the prime area.”

Numerous residents here are secondary homeowners, including buyers from Silicon Valley and Texans looking “to get out of the heat” during the summer months, he says.

Many of Carmel’s streets are hilly, but this home is actually set on a flat lot, just three blocks from downtown. And its delightful proximity to the Pacific Ocean is maybe its most compelling perk.

“It’s just high enough that you can hear the ocean at night,” Melcher says.

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