Home of the Week: This Angular 1953 Midcentury Home in Carmel Can Be Yours for a Cool $8.8 Million
Carmel is one of Northern California’s most picturesque destinations. The small beach city on the Monterey Peninsula is just north of Big Sur and has a quaint village center, rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean, and some of the country’s most scenic ocean views.
The area is sought after by celebrities and high-profile individuals for its privacy—a place that acts as a quiet respite. It’s no wonder why actor Brad Pitt owns a castle down the road or that Clint Eastwood, the former mayor of Carmel, has a residential development in the area. The area is also brimming with history and impressive architecture. Of the many homes built in the 1950s, this $8.8 million midcentury-modern home in the coveted Yankee Point neighborhood is surely one of the most unique.
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This four-bedroom, three-bathroom home spans 2,466 square feet and is perched directly above the ocean. It was built in 1953 by renowned architects Anshen and Allen, acolytes of Frank Lloyd Wright. Though the duo never worked under Wright, they were fascinated by his use of texture, warm materials, and geometric shapes—namely, hexagons. The home juts out towards the waves in an angular shape and has walls of large windows to maximize the sea views. Due to today’s coastal building regulations, this building couldn’t be replicated today to preserve the area’s beauty.
“The layout captures so much of the water views, it looks like it’s sitting on the water,” says listing agent Gin Weathers of Weathers Real Estate Group at Compass. “It’s not possible to replicate something so close to the water like this because of the new policies and codes.”
Unlike so many mid century-modern homes that have been stripped down over the years, many of the original details from Anshen and Allen’s 1953 creation remain. Case in point: a hand-carved door that opens into the foyer, which extends to the open-plan living space, as well as an original stone fireplace and built-in bar in the living room. The living room also has built-in seating and wood-paneled walls. Off the living room is a spacious terrace. The triangular deck’s apex is towards the ocean. The home is ensconced by colorful wildflowers and tall grasses.
Those who love to host, there is a detached one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest studio with a curved glass greenhouse-like structure for 24/7 views. The sunlit space is ideal for watching sunrise or sunset. It has a private entrance so guests can enjoy total seclusion. There’s also an outdoor seating area in a garden-like space that leads to the staircase that goes to the hidden beach.
“This is very, very rare,” she says. “We don’t have many private beaches here. The privacy factor here is very appealing, and the beach is restricted and exclusive to this neighborhood.”
The property is located at the end of a private cul-de-sac on Yankee Beach Way and is hidden behind lush landscaping. Another home within the area is where Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct was filmed, while a nearby property is where various scenes from HBO’s Big Little Lies were filmed. The last owner was the late U.S. Postmaster General and former CEO of First Nationwide Bank, Anthony Frank. His son, Randy, is listing the property on his behalf.
“Mr. Frank’s knowledge was nationwide; he had special insight about the best zip codes in the country,” she says. “It’s such a magical street, and I like to think that Mr. Frank knew every zip code and address in the country, and he picked this one.”
Check out more photos of 5 Yankee Beach Way:
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