My favorite house on the beach where we walk each morning and evening.
Part of the enjoyment of our beach walks is looking at the houses — as well as at waves, dolphins and an occasional seal. I’m sharing some of my favorite homes, from mansions to cottages. I notice workers washing windows and gardeners working in the yards — but I rarely see people who live there.
I like the house above the best because the architectural style is similar to the house I grew up in. Lots of large glass windows, angles and shake shingles — a contemporary style from the 1970s. I also love this house because it’s private and not too showy. Then there is the tree:
The tree makes the house.
This stately home must have stunning views from the multiple decks.
Another magnificent home with lush landscaping.
I love the contemporary look of this home and the expanse of windows. They scalped the lawn yesterday, which I didn’t know was a “thing” in Santa Barbara. In Palm Springs, lawns are scalped each fall to plant Winter Rye. In the heat of late Spring, the Winter Rye dies and Bermuda Grass, which is dormant in the winter, grows back.
I like the simplicity of this A frame.
Look what is and has happened around this sweet cottage below? Last year there was a cottage next to it, but now there’s a huge crane making tons of noise.
When you get near the parking lot, the homes are smaller and closer together. There are still some cottages left, that haven’t been torn down to build modern monstrosities. This is one of my favorite cottages.
I hope you enjoyed my beach home tour!
If you owned a beach house, what style would it be? Beach cottage, White House replica, contemporary or modern?
If I owned a home on the beach, I wouldn’t care. I would be on the beach. ❤️
If money wasn’t a factor, I would go modern with all the windows and a spacious deck.
I’m with you. Anything on the beach!
I’d like a cottage, but one with a nice deck.🙂
I love the small beach cottages.
I’m with Crystal, I wouldn’t care. Ha ha! It’s interesting seeing the different styles. The beach houses at least where we’ve gone in recent years on the East Coast tend to be very cookie cutter, three or so stories, but not much architectural significance like these. I do like the house that you stay in, like the style and subtle privacy. And you’re right the Tree of Life Tree makes the property! 😎😎😎😎
I wouldn’t care either! We stay in a small two-story cottage that’s so cute and cozy with ocean views, but three blocks from the beach. If I could own one it’s the one with the tree. I have been walking past that house dreaming about it for decades. Darn. We didn’t win the lottery this trip!
Oh, I feel good vibes coming your way. Ya never know. Ha ha ha. 😎😎🤣🤣😎😎
Okay! I’m counting on your good vibes 😎
When you’re looking at the winning numbers in your hands … remember all of your WordPress friends. 🤣🤣🤣😎😎⛱️☀️
But of course! I’ll host everyone at the beach house 😁
Enjoy? Adore! They’re all spectacular but I’m with you…I love that mid-century-ish low-slung roofline with loads of windows, patio doors. It must be that Palm Spring gene within you. I never lived there, but boy have I admired Palm Springs as a visitor. I’m trying to imagine the view from inside that first house. Ahhh….😎
I love that house! And the tree of course. I also love the old fashioned beach cottages. We rented one for years in Laguna Beach and my husband’s family used to own one in Laguna where we spent our honeymoon.
It’s really spectacular…and I LOVE looking at pretty houses. Thank you for taking the time to share these pics. They make me happy! 🥰
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’ll post a picture next week of the cute house we’ve rented since 2018. 😊
Yay! I’ll look forward to that! 😎
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The one with the brown grass seems so out of place without a green lush lawn. The house itself though reminds me of what we might see up around Lake Washington minus the dock and boat! I could see myself in the A-frame with the chairs and umbrellas out front. That’s definitely my style over the mansion 🙂
It was green grass the day before I took the picture! A couple weeks it will be green again. I don’t miss the lawn scalping at our new house where we have rock. The A frame has a clean look.
What a fun walk! Beach houses are so entertaining- I have gotten many a sunburn, too lost in the houses and ocean and dolphins to notice the time. But you brought up a good point. You rarely ever see the people who live there. My sad theory is they have to work so long and hard to afford the house that they don’t get to enjoy it. Helps me not covet as much ;).
That could be the answer. Too much work to enjoy their possessions. Or too many houses!
I’ll take the house in the last photo please. Simplicity and practicality. Also I like the rocks.
I like the original cottages too. It’s all I would need. Some of the houses on the sand have the rocks to protect them from storms.
Lovely homes.
They are all gorgeous.
Yes they do look good
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Wow, love them all. Especially the one with all the decks and the palm trees. BUT would not want to clean it so assuming I live there, I am wealthy enough to afford a service, right?
Yes, you’d have plenty of help. We see workers all the time. Even dog walkers!
Love the beach home tour, Elizabeth. I like the cottages the best, I think. And love the tree for the first house. Wonderful!
I’m happy you enjoyed my photos! I’m a cottage person, too, except for the first house with the tree. It reminds me of contemporary PNW architecture from the 70’s.
As I looked at the homes, I kept thinking of your post with Kevin Costner’s home. What a messy divorce, I still don’t understand why his wife wanted a divorce. Maybe because she is younger and wanted her freedom? Anyhow, beautiful homes.
Costner has privacy. You can’t walk in front of his home unless it’s a super low tied or you scramble on rocks. He has ten acres at the point and is up on a bluff. It was a weird divorce where she wouldn’t leave the home and said she couldn’t afford to raise her kids in a home or lifestyle they were accustomed too. $145 million property. No kidding.
Did you hear about the sea lions in La Jolla? Here you can see they were charging the beach goers. I don’t understand why they don’t close off the beach when they know the sea lions are there with their pups. Respect the sea lions. People are terrible. https://youtu.be/SAG4jTCcW-A?feature=shared
Yes, I did hear about the sea lions. My kids used to swim the La Jolla Rough Water swim each September. It was cancelled a few years, but I think it’s on this year in a week! There is a seal rookery a few beach south of where we were hanging out in Carpinteria. It leads to great whites during the birthing season.
Yikes… that’s the fear I have of swimming in the ocean sharks or stingrays.
Yikes, that’s the fear I have of swimming in the ocean, sharks or stingrays.
One summer, the beach we were just at had signs posting for “Beware of Great Whites.” The lifeguard told us it was like Wild Kingdom with a seal being thrown up in the air and the water turning red. It was 20 minutes after my daughter got out from a swim.
Oh no… yes, it’s dangerous. Glad your daughter was safe.
It was scary. I never got in the water that summer.
Reminds me of visiting my aunt’s beautiful little cape cod cottage in Westhampton Beach before she passed away. As a child, my mom and I went every summer. I loved the village, more than the homes on the water which were all over the top. The village was a place to meet, speak and people watch. A little bit more simple.
What nice memories. I like simple cottages, too.
All lovely homes and if someone wanted to gift me one, I’d take it!! Yes, the tree make the house and is magnificent. Not knowing the back story behind then owners who need/want services to help keep everything in order, if I had any of these I’d be outside all the time! Thanks for sharing.💜
I will take any one of them, too. One weekend, we did see owners sitting on the sand in beach chairs in front of their houses. That’s the first time in decades I’ve seen that! Maybe they’re inside enjoying their gorgeous views?
I’m not picky! I would take any of them. We used to go the beach regularly when I lived in Houston, as a child and an adult. Now that we’ve moved, we rarely go. I do miss the water.
I totally understand. When we lived in Palm Springs the beach was 90 minutes away and we went all the time. This trip took us eight hours.
I enjoyed this tour! I’ve always loved A-frames, but all of these are beautiful in their own way.
I agree, they are all beautiful in their own way. I’m partial to beach cottages and it’s sad to see them torn down for larger homes. One end of the beach, near the parking lot, has small lots with cottages and a few are tear downs with bigger homes. As you get to the far end of the beach, the lots and homes get huge.