“By 1929 designer/builder Comstock was beginning to move away from his signature ‘fairy tale’ Tudor derived cottages, into a broader regionalist expression….
Sylvia Jordan was a school teacher who taught Spanish at the Sunset School in Carmel. She traveled to Mexico and Bolivia. She also attended the University of Madrid and held an M.A. In Spanish from the university in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.” Kent Seavey
And so I set out to find this home that Hugh built for Sylvia Jordan. It is still in the original family.
After much driving around, I see MI ENCANTO.
I round the corner and park on the north side of this “one-story, wood-framed California Adobe vernacular residence…The exterior wall cladding is a combination of textured cement stucco and vertical board-and-batten”. Kent Seavey
It appears that the current owner Kevin Jordan, has installed a handsome tile roof. The original roof was shingled.
I walk around toward the east side and admire the beautiful, wooded setting of this house. The sun filters through the thick stand of trees.
The front features large, fixed multi-paned arched window
I approach the front door on the flagstone path. Note the colorful name tiles mortared into the stone.
I knock on the door and wait.
The owners are quite gracious and tell me to look around and take all the photos I need too.
Comstock’s floor plan is simple. Large living room with fireplace, kitchen with dining nook and two bedrooms sharing a bath.
This is the door to the studio to the south of the house.
I resist the urge to obey a rock!
Admire the cairn.
And the bits of glass embedded in the rock wall.
This is taken from a patio slightly below the house.
I walk around the studio
The property is natural and rustic.
Soon I am back in the car.
“Comstock would be influenced in the early 1930’ s by the work of Wm. Wilson Wurster and go on to experiment with the California Ranch House style.”
Kent Seavey.
What is the world does that mean- almost? Well…It seems that someone put skylights in the roof of this 1925 M.J. Murphy Tudor revival style residence!
I often walk by this home also called “The Enchanted Cottage”. It is sweet but unremarkable. It’s usually hard to see behind the thick screen of shrubbery.
When I find it listed with the Historic Context Statement under the theme of development and culture, I am curious and return to try again.
When I first snap a shot of the cottage without shrubbery, it is January 2010 and major remodeling is taking place.
Yes there are those offending skylights on either side of the “stucco-clad… Facade with its patchwork of Carmel stone pieces along its edges” that Kent Seavey describes. Mercy.
What is with the bright orange trim and the decidedly unusual plant material. I will keep an eye on this development.
I am not sure what Ann Winslow would think of this.
“Ann lived in this house from 1925 until the death of her husband, Douglas, when she moved to San Francisco. While in Carmel, Mrs Winslow shared her considerable wealth with the Carmel Fire Department and Harrison Memorial library. She funded the surgical department of the Monterey Peninsula Hospital , helped by an ambulance for the city and donated considerable funds for the Carmel Red Cross building.”- Kent Seavey
She might have been an important woman, but she did not impress Una Jeffers who wrote
“Dear Miss Winslow:
My husband (Robinson Jeffers) is sorry that he cannot help you out with the judging in the poetry awards. He has just judged the mss.for the two Phelan awards in San Francisco…He cannot spare the time and attention needed ,at this time, for you poems Another year if you still wish to ask him I think it will be possible for him to consent. He is in the throes of finishing a long poem-alway a tiring business!
Very sincerely,
Una Jeffers.
We dined with Marie Welch West..three nights ago-do you know her-otherwise than as a donor.? She is expecting a child very soon and is very well and extremely happy.”
The Collected Letters of Robinson Jeffers, with Selected Letters of Una … – Google Books
Perhaps Ann would have been dismayed or she might have loved the additional light pouring into her cottage on those foggy days.
I am back a mere 2 years later and once again the Winslow house is screened by dense shrubbery. I am poking my camera through the branches when I hear a voice. The gardener is here and when I remark on the unusual combinations of plant material, he decides to show me around and tell me a story.
We enter from the drive.
And face a tree-fern that cleverly hides the door from the street view.
The garden is terraced.
Bird of Paradise
Co-exists with foxglove and rhododendron.
The entry is as Seavey describes, “ a small, square stucco enclosure w/arched openings covered by a flared extension of the main roof”.
I take the path around the house.
I love the bay window,
Outdoor shower,
New deck,
And fire pit.
Oh,oh! More skylights.
When I tell him I feel like I am in a tropical paradise, he explains that the home has been purchased and remodeled by a couple from South America and they requested a tropical garden. He has done his job well.
Ferns cozy up to banana trees.
Palms and fern are lovely together.
He then sweeps aside a huge banana leaf and reveals the hidden entrance to a secret garden that runs along the south side of the property.
Sound is muffled except for the birdsong. Ferns sway in the breeze. There is even a stand of bamboo.
Lights hang from the trees.
And yet, if I push my camera through the leaves, civilization reemerges .
I come into the clearing with a bench that overlooks
The grassy center of the lot.
I am just stepping out onto the lawn to photograph this bench
When the sprinkler system comes on. I “hot-foot it” off the grass while the gardner laughs.
This is a rather damp ending to another Tale From Carmel.
After 20 years in Carmel, I am still enchanted by the architecture.
Hugh Comstock, inspired by the Fairytale Illustrations of Arthur Rackham, is credited with starting the Fairytale Cottage style in Carmel.
Why do we love this style so? It takes us back to the days when we were children and believed in “happily ever after”, “once upon a time”, magic, tiny cottages inhabited by elves, gnomes, fairies and Fairy Godmothers who can wave a magic wand.
Recently one of you suggested that a slide show format would be fun to see for a change. ( Actually, she requested fewer words). So here goes.
Click on a song , if you would like a soundtrack. Then click on the first photo and let the show begin.
Hope you enjoy it.
Murphy Built
Carmel Cottage
Carmel Cottage
Hugh Comstock’s Great Expectations
Reginald Markham House- On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
The Ann Winslow Home on Carmel’s Register of Historic Homes
Nelson-Krough Cottage built by Hugh Comstock- On Camel’s Register of Historic Homes
Carmel Cottage
A Carmel Cottage on the Point built by Hugh Comstock
La Vita Dolce
Mariposa- On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Hob Nob- On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Jays Nest
B by The Sea
Curtin Call built by Hugh Comstock- On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Kuster Meyer House
Edgemere-On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
The Condry Cottage
Major Coote House built by Hugh Comstock
Conrad Home-On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Sunwise Turn-On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Swiss Chalet
Hasenyager House On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Dog’s Breath
Chez Jo
Irish Rose
Carmel Cottage
Hearts and Flowers
Carmel Cottage
Sticks and Stones built by Perry Newberry- On the Carmel Historic Register of Homes
Holly Oak Cottage
Holly Oak Cottage
Hugh Comstock’s The Dolls House – On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Hugh Comstock’s Honeymoon Cottage- On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Hugh Comstock’s The Studio- On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Hugh Comstock’s Gretel On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Irish Rose
I Live To Garden
The Little Wooden house
The little Blue House
Maison Rusitque
Sticks and Stones built by Perry Newberry- On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Hawk Tower- built by poet Robinson Jeffers-On The National Register of Historic Places
Celia’s House on Professor Row
The Lincoln Inn
Hugh Comstock’s Hansel- On the Carmel Historic Register of Homes
The Hugh Comstock Home – on the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Home is Where the Heart Is
Greene and Greene-On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
And Then There Was Maud
The Bark House-On the Carmel Register of Historic Homes
Ocean’s End
Bayview Cottage
Maid Marion
Tickety Boo
Carmel Cottage
Twisted Oak
Wallace HomeOn Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Biddlestone Garden
Carmel Cottage
Irish Eyes
Kingscote
Liberty House
Maison d’ Belle
The Browne House- built by Hugh Comstock for his Father-in Law
Primrose Cottage
Suite Cherub
Moongate
Home Port
Cypress House
Cottage on the Point
A Cottage of Roses
Great Expectations- built by Hugh Comstock
Greystone Cottage- On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
F.A. Collman Home On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Lighthouse
Fairytale cottage
Dormidera- The Abby McDowell House On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Hob NobOn Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Jays Nest
Cottage on the Point
Kuster-Meyer House
EdgemereOn Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Former office of Carmel Master Builder M.J. Murphy On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
The Condry Cottage- built by M.J. Murphy
The Condry Cottage- built by M.J. Murphy
The Conrad Home built by home of noted Carmel builder Frederick Bigland.- On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Home of the Norwich Terrier
Hugh Comstock’s Curtin Calls On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
The Twin on Palou- built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Swiss Chalet
On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
7th Heaven-
Cypress Cottage
The Birthday House built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Irish Rose
Lilacs and Laughter
Gretel built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
The Hugh Comstock Home- formerly Obers On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Ocean’s End
Dog’s Breath
The Tuck Box built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Friar Tuck
Bluebird
Starfish Cottage
Windemere
Tor House- home of Carmel Poet Robinson Jeffers On the National Register of Historic Places
Tinker Bell On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Lincoln Inn
The Twin on Palou built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Snow Whites Summer Home- built by Hugh Comstock- now demolished
Sleepy Hollow
Rosebud
Rose Cottage
Cottage on the Point
Pied-a-Terre
The Hugh Comstock Home On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Tenwinkle – a M.J. Murphy built On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Marchen Haus built by Hugh Comstock On Carmel’s Historic Registrer of Homes
Hasenyager House built by M.J. Murphy – On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Cottage on Carmel Point
Hansel built by Hugh Comstock-On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Gate House
Gate House
Cottage on Scenic
Enchanted for Us
Dolores St. Cottage
Daisy’s Place – The Daisy Bostick House On Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes
Chez Jo
Casa de Suenos
Biddlestone Cottage
5 Casnova St.
Maison Rustique
Lilliput
In 1927, Hugh Comstock builds Great Expectations. It is the first cottage he builds outside the City limits. I discover it by accident.
One would think that in such a small town, any house would be easy to find again. However, when I walk, my head is constantly swiveling from side to side. So many cute cottages.
I first spot this cottage in 2008 and snap this photo to post on Flickr. Everyone else love it too and it soars up to Explore-Interestingness where it gets more than 10,000 views.
Of course I am delighted and when I start this blog, I try to find it again.
It is a lovely morning and I have stolen the car from my husband to go exploring WHEN I SEE IT AGAIN! Hooray.
I have my cards and camera and so I step up to the gate
California poppies volunteer under the gate and
Roses bloom on the arbor.
The door bell rings as I enter.
Up the stone path I head.
I pass the garage ( totally darling)
And approach the front door. There is the bird house I remember from years ago.
I ring the door bell and a sweet-faced woman answers. She opens the top of the dutch door and I explain my blog. She asks if I am aware that her home was built by Hugh Comstock!!! And it is named Great Expectations.
This is the last cottage Jo Ann Mathewson mentions in her book “The Fairy Tale Cottages of Carmel”. She only says it is “out of town”.
“Out of town” is 4 or 5 blocks outside the limits of Carmel-by-the Sea. And now is not far out at all.
When I tell her that we lost her house, she grins and replies, “We have been here all along”.
She and her husband moved from San Francisco and bought the cottage -then 400 sq ft. They set about remodeling it to its current 3 bedroom , 2 bath, 1795 sq. Ft And what a wonderful job they did keeping the character of the house. Although I do not know, I would bet Mr. Comstock did the remodel himself.
She is going to the Farmer’s Market , but gives me permission to take photos to share with you.
A small patio and the garage face me when I turn from the door.
I love this wren house and garage door.
A simple table and chairs sit here
And the fence behind it is full ornaments.
I start back down the path , admiring the trellis on the side of the garage.
I turn to the east on this garden path that forms the structure for the garden.
A sundial anchors the round bed
Another path leads to the west.
A bunny quietly observes me.
It is a charming view back toward the cottage.
I am particularly fond of the yellow birdhouse in the small wheel barrow
This area is enclosed by a fence
I step outside the fence and find another path.
The fence adds structure,disguises a service path and provides a place for bird and bird house to perch
And for roses to climb
Nasturtium bloom along the path.
The owner has mentioned the many growing zones of Carmel. Her site is near the sea and she must deal with wind and salt air. Here Yarrow and California Poppy mingle
With Santa Barbara daisy
wild geranium
And lavender
Time to say good-by to this Comstock Cottage. I am so glad I found it again!
Cypress House, a unique redwood Arts and Crafts cottage designed in 1926 by R. Seymour, a Chicago graphic artist, was the first built on Valley View on Carmel Point. Seymour’s wife found it too isolated.
A small succession of owners followed until 1952 when local travel agent Bob McGinnis, wife Gert, and children Marcia and Bob Jr. acquired the classic cottage, by then surrounded by Cypress trees and the expanding village.
They added a modern sunroom in ’57, and a succession of surfers and others lived in the small guesthouse attached to the garage.
Bob Sr. and Gert died in the early 70s, the main house became a rental, and Bob Jr. lived in the guesthouse. Termites consumed the guesthouse/garage so Marcia and husband Paul Shortt had a replacement caretaker house built by Chris Tescher in1981. Bob Jr. lived there until he passed away in the early 90s.
In 2006,Paul and Marcia renovated the main house. Cypress House has retained its original dramatic redwood character while the new and renovated matching portions are painted. Designed by Paul Shortt, assisted by Terry Wilson, and built by Don Jones.
Information provided by the Carmel Heritage Society
I walk by often and admire the drought-tolerant garden.
So today I take my card and camera and knock on the door.
Furious barking begins inside, followed by the sound of the owner shushing his dog. A man answers the door. I explain my mission. And I am invited in.( can you believe it)?
Wow. Redwood ceilings soar above. Light pours in wavy, old glass window panes.
The stone fireplace is surely a gathering place and
The bookshelves are full.
Paul Shortt shows me around the downstairs.
The kitchen and solarium are of his design. “Paul spent years building models of the house till we finally decided on the one we could afford. Paul designed the small caretaker’s cottage for my brother in the 1980’s”- Marcia McGinnis Shortt.
An old photo of the point shows Cypress House as one of only three homes built there.
Paul needs to get back to work and gives permission to photograph the outside, “Knock yourself out”. I intend to.
I come in the NE gate and sit on the bench to view the sun-drenched garden. It has not always been like this. Marcia recalls,” my parents originally owned the property all the way to Rio Road. There were the two huge cypress and lots of wonderful paths and plants. My dad was an avid gardener and he had a green lawn in front but spent hours in the sun and in the garden”.
Agave
Calasepolis ( thanks for the I.D. Marcia)
And Lavender mingle.
I am able to see the ocean over the Euphorbia and Echium candicans, commonly known as pride of Madeira.
To my left is a uniquely carved gate. I think it looks like a child riding a porpoise.
Inside the gate is a gravel patio with a workshop, firewood bin and seating
Under a monstrous tree.
The patio is off the solarium.
An abalone shell is motored into the Carmel stone
And memories are everywhere.
Pots are simply planted.
The patio is lighted from overhead.
On my way out I see a collection of pebbles
As I unlatch the gate.
I tour around outside the fence to show you how charming this house is with its stone fireplace and open windows catching the late afternoon light.
Pride of Madeira thrives in the sandy soil outside the fence
As does yellow flowering ice plant.
A second gate opens into the garden on this southwest side.
Even within Carmel there are many planting zones. This gardener has wisely planted for sun, sea. salt air and sandy soil.
Many of you have asked if an owner ever rents their cottage. In this case, I can say yes. Click the following link to see the rental schedule for Cypress House.
San Carlos Agency
In the property list by code, type in Short and click show. If you rent this house, give me a wave when I walk by.
When I first spot this cottage in 2010, It is love at first sight. When I dream of a “Happily Ever After” house, it looks just like this.
Carmel Master-builder M.J. Murphy builds this house in 1925 for Carmel businessman Frederick Ten Winkel. Mr Ten Winkel operates a furniture and hardware store on Ocean Ave. It is likely that he sees Murphy’ office and asks for a home quite like it.
“It is a one-and one-half story Tudor style building. Murphy’s Tudor cottages were less whimsical than the work of his chief competitor, Hugh Comstock, but easier to live in.”- Kent Seavey
Every time we come to Carmel, I wander by and ring the bell but my only greeter is a tiny , barking rat terrier who will guard this home with her life. I slip cards under the door each time to no avail.
I finally ask Mrs. Condry, who also lives in a Murphy cottage if she know who owns the house. Of course she does.
It is no wonder I have not been able to find the owners at home. Wayne and Phyllis Kelley have lived in the house since 1970.
They are very busy people. “Wayne served for seven years on Carmel’s Forest and Beach Commission and remains active in Friends of Carmel Forest as a volunteer, planting and caring for city trees. A member of the first docent class at Point Lobos State Park, he has conducted tours and given school presentations for 27 years.
A former board member of the Carmel Residents Association, Kelley has participated for 18 years in the group’s monthly beach cleanup, for which he has designed and made most of the unique tools used by volunteers to pick up trash and sift out the sand. This active man also enjoys wood carving at the Carmel Foundation.
Wayne and his wife Phyllis participated in the Carmel Fire Department’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Program, which prepares citizens to stand ready to assist neighbors and the community in time of need. For ten years he volunteered for Hospice and he still routinely visits shut-ins on behalf of his church.
Supports the Carmel Mission and the Carmel Heritage society.”- taken from “Wayne Kelley named 2007 Citizen of the Year”
I admire the house from outside the gate
The bells jingle when I enter
And walk up the path
This really does look a lot like M.J. Murphy’s office.
To my right is a formal boxwood garden
To my left is a sign announcing An Neadin. I later find that Mr. Kelley is Irish ( how surprising) and that An Nead is in the highlands of the U.K.
Small stepping-stones lead to a bench,
And this small dog house with its marker. Clearly dogs are greatly loved in this house.
I admire the geranium planted window box and shutters.
Even a second story window sports pink geraniums.
I climb the steps to the front door
So Carmel
Evidence of their deep faith is everywhere.
It is here that I am “barked at” so furiously. Let me tell you there is no greater deterrent to trespassers than a barking dog.
I abandon the porch and walk around the north side of the house
And out the back gate
More bells jingling.
I love the sign on the garage door. It would seem that Mr. Kelley is a “‘car guy”.
One more glance at my dream house and I head up the street.
Even in the parking in front of the house, the Kelley’s have created a small bed of roses, hydrangea and foxglove blooming away.
This charming cottage and its garden catch my eye for the first time in August 2007. I post this photo on Flickr and it rises to Explore Interesting.
This spring I am doing some research on Carmel’s Historic Register of Homes and run across a photo of this rambling ,board-and batten, Western Ranch House named the F. A Collman House.
It begins life in 1907 as a one-room beach house designed and built by John Galen Howard, then Dean of the School of Architecture at U.C. Berkeley. The Howard’s vacation in Carmel , first in a rental home, and later in a tent on this property. “When Howard went to France in 1918 with the Red Cross, the family remained in Carmel, turning the cottage into more suitable living quarters by adding a bedroom, dining room, kitchen and bathroom.”- Kent Seavey
“By 1927 Clara Taft was the owner of the Howard cottage. Between 1926 and 1928 she had altered and made additions to the cottage, employing the services of Carmel’s most prominent women designer/builders, Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous.
In 1936, Mr. F.A.Collman, a new owner, hired Hugh Comstock to do extensive alterations to the building, bringing it into its current , rambling Western Ranch House configuration.
The only plans available for the house are those prepared by Hugh Comstock .” Kent Seavey
The garden looks better each time I walk by. I watch the lawn being mowed, shrubs trimmed and plants added.
Today I decide to go in and photograph.
The rambling nature of the cottage is already noticeable.
Window boxes are planted.
The rose garden is in bloom.
As are the rhododendron and azaleas.
I stroll done the path. The spring foliage has already been tied up until it fades. What a conscientious gardener.
Rounding the corner , the cottage comes into view.
The residents must spend all their time on this wonderful brick patio
Just look at the view they have to the southeast.
The dutch-door is a cheery red.
To the west of the door is a unique little bench
And more geranium planted window boxes.
To the east is this tiered planter filled with potted succulents and cyclamen .
The succulents love this wire basket.
Looking toward the west side of the lot is a rose arch that beckons me.
Small , fragrant roses are in bloom.
Through the arch is a path to a service area.
So I turn back around to get this great view.
There is another path to the north of the cottage
Leading to another small patio
With this sweet vignette.
You can call it “John Galen Howard” or “Clara Taft “or the “FA Collman Cottage”. I just call it charming. It is a great example of evolving design changes in Carmel’s residential architecture.
I have long admired this soft-green cottage that blends into it’s oak-shaded lot. The door is arched and planked with large,iron hinges and painted an unexpected bright “poppy” color.
Plants vigorously try to push though the grape stake fence.
I peek over the fence to see potted plants that change with the season.
The current owner has named the cottage “Dormidera” which means drowsy or sleepy.
This house is listed on the Historic Register as the Mary McDowell House but seems to be significant as an example “of the French Eclectic pictorial form in Carmel……and also as the one-time residence of Helmuth Deetjen
Photo from Smithsonian
and Helen Haight , founders and builders of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn
on the Big Sur coast”.
Kent Seavey- Preservation Consultant
I pass a colorful rooster guarding the fence,
Open the gate and take my first step on the path.
It is a sunny, warm day but cool in this sun-dappled spot.
I make my way to the front door and ring the bell.
A cobalt blue lantern hangs by the door.
I am greeted by an attractive, cheerful woman and her dog.
I explain I would like to take some shots of her garden for my blog and (this is one of the amazing things about Carmel) she offers to let me take photos inside as well.
When I say “just the garden”, she insists I come inside and sit down while she gets her shoes. Once seated she fills me in on some of the history of the house, then offers a tour and before long my camera is snapping photos of this unique cottage.
She and her husband were the first couple to work with Enid Sales to get this house on the newly created Historic Register.
She leads me down several stairs into what is now the dining room but was a kitchen and bath before they remodeled in 1997.
Her kitchen is a dream with marble countertops
and light pouring in from the large window on the north.
This door
leads out to a deck perched up in the trees.
The bedroom on this floor houses her husband’s handsome desk.
This energetic little dog is our constant companion.
We climb the narrow stairs
to a loft
Which gives me a bird’s-eye view of the living room.
This floor has another bedroom
And bath. Both painted a soft pink.
We head out to the yard. It is an informal setting of oaks, pine and low shrubbery. There is birdsong everywhere.
I climb the stairs to the kitchen entry
and note the skull on the wall
And the knocker on the door- quite a contrast.
Down I go to continue on the path
And down more stairs
To the door of her husband’s workshop.
There are a few adornments.
A small fountain,
A “god’s eye” swaying in the breeze
And a “mirror window” by the back fence.
But , for the most part, nature does her own thing.
Back at City Hall I find the elevations that show the changes made to the exterior
And the floor plan.
What a treat to have this cottage so kindly shared with me.
If you would like to know more about the characteristics of French Eclectic style homes, click on the video
http://video.about.com/architecture/Characteristics-of-a-French-Eclectic-Style-Home.htm
When Bill and I first come to Carmel, Doud Arcade is a home for local craftsmen with studios above and shops below.
This place has been the home of many buildings over the years. It was once the site of the Manzanita club, the main social gathering place in Carmel from 1916-1926.
It was the site of ‘Doc’ Becks’s Drug store built by Hugh Comstock.
The drug store was later demolished and M.J.Murphy built the Doud Building as an altered Spanish Colonial Revival for commercial shops.
A covered arcade, it is a cozy spot to spend time on a cool, rainy Carmel day.
At the Ocean Ave. Entrance is A.W. Shucks oyster bar.
Home of great Bloody Mary’s and Margaritas . Bill and I like to sit at the counter and visit with the cook while we eat steamed artichokes and peel-and-eat prawns.
Lets go in the arcade and do a little shopping.
First up is Kris Kringle of Carmel
Where it has been Christmas every day for over 20 years.
Next is Wicks and Wax
A candle store
Sockshop
Where socks are an art.
Fashion Street
With its unique inventory and reasonable prices gets rave reviews on Yelp.
The Carmel Hat Company is one of my favorites.
the carmel hat company | carmel, CA 93923
They carry hats for everyone and Bill and I have hats to prove it.
I love these hats which have a tie (see above the bow) so that I can adjust it to fit my head.
Amelia’s Gifts has just opened. The service is outstanding.
One of the most colorful shops is Nasar Turkish Imports:
Nazar Turkish Imports, Turkish Glass Mosaic Lamps, Turkish Ceramics
I covet the brass and copper for my Carmel kitchen,
Admire the mosaic chandeliers ,
And am intrigued by the Evil Eye Jewelry
The evil eye bead is an amulet that Turkish people believe protects against the evil eye which is a kind of negative power or bad energy. The idea is to protect yourself, your house, business or loved ones. If you want to use it in your house, you should hang it by the front door so visitors can see it.
But my favorite shop is Robin’s Jewelry. Home Page
Robin, with the help of her apprentice Keeza Starr, creates a constant stream of beautiful jewelry using sterling silver, semi-precious gemstones, shells and other natural materials.
These are screenshots of my two favorite pieces. Note that they are reversible. Two for the price of one.
As we talk, Robin
Under the direction of her sidekick
Fashions a magic wand for me!!!
It takes all my self-restraint to keep from waving it at everyone I see on the way home. When my self-restraint fails ,I wave it at customers in Lloyd’s Shoes. Oh dear.
At the back of the Arcade is Artemis Boots
http://www.artemisboots.com/
Erkin Demir is an expert on antique carpets and folk arts of the orient and has been in business for twenty years as owner of Sultan House in Istanbul, Turkey. He has worked with the Seattle Design Center and is now opening satellite shops throughout the United States and Europe.
Everyone admires these Suzani’s boots
And shoes
Named for the Persian word referring to embroidery, Suzani’s are made of velvet, colorfully embroidered by skilled artisans. He converts these beautiful handmade textiles into boots and shoes. His boots are fully lined with goatskin, with a full length zipper for easy wear.
Around the corner is Blackbird with it’s great choice of cards, art, and jewelry.
I love these laundry bags. Send your daughter off to the dorm with one of these.
And at the heart of the Arcade is Carmel Belle
Carmel Belle
It is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch.
On the way out the side door, admire the carpets.
The Douds are an old Carmel family. Francis Doud was a native of Ireland who came to Monterey in 1845. His son, James, was a prominent Monterey Peninsula real estate developer.
Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea 