This $2.7 Million Home in Carmel Was Designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright Apprentice
A 1950s architectural gem within walking distance to Carmel Bay is up for grabs.
The striking A-frame abode in Carmel-by-the-Sea, dubbed Banyan House, is the first home designed by Mark Mills, an apprentice at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship from 1944 through 1948. He went on to design over 40 homes throughout his career. Completed in 1951 and later acquired by his father, Mills lived in Banyon House from 1954 to 1957. Fun fact: the project was financed by Mrs. Clinton (Della) Walker, who also commissioned and owned the only oceanfront home Frank Lloyd Wright ever built, which is also in Carmel.
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Similar to Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona, Banyan House was constructed via desert masonry, a technique that uses both concrete and local materials such as stone to bring it to life. Through the three-bedroom property’s custom iron gated entry, a closer look at its main and guest house façades instantly speaks to this approach with bases that display smooth gray surfaces next to irregular stones. Beautiful woodwork leading from the carport also gives an idea of what the $2.79 million pad has to offer inside. Tim Allen of the Tim Allen Properties Team at Coldwell Banker Realty holds the listing.
“This is a unique property,” Allen says in a statement. “The lot is lush and private, and the design of the house with redwood, rock, and glass provides a warm feeling while allowing light to bathe the inside.” Owners are instantly able to catch his drift as they step into the living room, which sits under a vaulted ceiling with a central skylight along the apex. Warm lighting bounces off the wood-paneled ceilings and back onto the floors, bringing the massive stone fireplace into focus. A triangle-shaped glazing at the back of the room also gives the home an indoor-outdoor feel.
Adjacent to the living room, owners can take meals in the dining room set next to built-in pebble holders or catch sunrays in the solarium with a wide-range view of the lush grounds. Although quaint the kitchen’s standout feature is a massive stone wall opposite a gas-range stove and dishwasher. Natural materials continue to play off each other in the bedrooms, including one with a triangular glass-stained window and en-suite bath housing laundry appliances. The study doubles as a second bedroom with a skylight-capped bathroom.
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A short pathway leads to the guest house. The open living area features an eye-catching vintage fireplace, a tiny kitchenette and a dining area beneath a huge skylight, while the bedroom sports a multi-colored geometric stained-glass window.
Click here for more photos of the Carmel residence.
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