BAY COTTAGE – ONCE THE HOME OF JEAN ARTHUR

Carmel Point is a small peninsula at the edge of Carmel Bay between the City of Carmel and Carmel River State Beach. 

When Carmel-By-the Sea is incorporated,  this area is

“Unbroken field of poppy and lupin walled with clean cliffs;

No intrusion but two or three horses pasturing,

Or a few milch cows rubbing their flanks on the outcrop rock-heads—”  to quote a poem by Robinson Jeffers.

Jeffers built his own home ,Tor House,on the Point .

Later in his life he is forced to sell a large part of the Point for financial reasons and never really recovers when his “beautiful place(is) defaced with a crop of suburban houses—” Jeffers.

Located outside of Carmel-by-the Sea, it is not governed by the lot and home size-restrictions imposed by the City. So many of the larger homes I share with you are on the Point and blessed with lovely views

As is Bay Cottage.

It looks like the proverbial “rose covered cottage” and has a place in my childhood dreams of what a cottage should look like.

So let’s walk up the nicely landscaped stone path to the front door.

And into the foyer.

A cozy parlor is to the left of the front of the house.

The French doors in this room opens to one of the patios.

The cottage has an open floor plan. The right-wing consists of the living room with rustic plank wood floors and a slate brick wood burning fireplace

Where large window share the view,

The dining room,

And the kitchen with its beautiful rustic cabinetry,

and breakfast bar.

Views everywhere.

The center hall

leads to the left-wing consisting of three bedrooms and three baths that open off this small foyer

With its unique skylight.

I love the built-in storage,

Window seat dividing the sinks and

and dressing room.

It is my opinion that one can not have too many window seats 

Like this one overlooking the front garden.

A little girl’s dream bedroom

And bath with flowered sinks and a greenhouse window in the shower-tub.

Let’s step out on the porch overlooking the bay

Carmel is hilly so this cottage has a great view over the homes on the other side of the street.

We are looking toward Pebble Beach and Carmel Beach.

I love this landing with its bench and bird house.

 

Here is a bird’s eye view.

$4,295,000

http://www.2313bayview.com/

After I write this post, Carmel resident, Jayne Bechtel, writes to tell me

“It used to be Jean Arthur’s home.

Jean talked of yesteryear living at ” Driftwood ” when cows grazed Carmel Meadows,

Jeffers walked fog wafting streets with his beloved bull dogs, the Stewart family estate comprising at least seven lots, resided across the street and Scenic was but a dirt path.

I believe the magazine, Architectural Digest in the 70’s wrote an article about Jean and her Driftwood home in Carmel.

Bay Cottage brings back memories of Jean feeding her five cats choice meats from Neilson’s Market carefully chopped and served in oriental dishes under the bushes.”

I do a little more research and find that Jean is considered standoffish by Hollywood standards because of her shyness. Later in her career she develops extreme stage fright and retires for good to her Carmel home in 1937. She lives in semi-seclusion in her modest home . In 1991, Jean dies of hear failure and her ashes are scattered off Point Lobos.