We traveled back to Mendocino, California yesterday from Portland, Oregon, a twelve hour drive with stops for gas, rest rooms, and a picnic lunch. The three cats in their cages were so well-behaved this time. I think they knew they were headed to the place they love most. I took this photo just as we arrived at the Pacific Ocean on Highway 1 around 8:00 PM. From here we had about another 55 minutes before we pulled up in front of our little house.
From time-to-time I am asked about life here in Mendocino. I have never really shared the story of how I came to live here, so I decided I would describe the house and a little personal history. When people who are familiar with the area realize you live in Mendocino, a small town on the Pacific Ocean about three and a half hours north of San Francisco, they always ask if you live “in the village.” Well, we do, on a street directly east of the ocean.
This is a partial view of the village from my husband’s upstairs study.
I met my husband about 14 years ago, after I had moved to San Francisco from Ashland, Oregon. Shortly after our meeting, he brought me to Mendocino so he could introduce me to the town and see the house he owned. At the time he was working in Oakland just across the bay from San Francisco, but he would travel north on weekends to this coastal town whenever he could manage. I had never been here, but had heard of it and recalled it as a regular location for some famous movies as well as a well-known hippie town. My first visit was a bit underwhelming. I loved the beauty, but the town itself seemed a bit rough around the edges. Now, over time, it has become a little too refined, and I long for the days when it seemed less trendy.
Over the years, I have put much into the house and garden. I have wallpapered every room with the exception of the tiny kitchen, bathroom, my husband’s study, and what we call “our reading room.” Wallpaper is my weakness, and I think this is because it is so close in appearance to textiles. This room above is the main living area with the kitchen just behind.
This is the downstairs bedroom, and we use it as a guest room. Our stairs are pretty steep and not conducive to easy access for guests to the only bathroom we all share which is downstairs off this bedroom.
The dining room actually was the living room when I first visited. Later we remodeled and what was once the large kitchen became the living room, and the laundry room became the small kitchen.
When I was deciding on the kitchen colors I was inspired by a room I had seen in The World of Interiors that used many colors in the small space. I chose seven colors, but my favorite is the blue that frames the window looking out on the back garden.
The stairs, as I have said, are a bit treacherous. I think we have all taken our turns falling down them at one time or another without injury, and that is quite remarkable.
This photo was taken in the morning without the flash.
This photo was taken late afternoon with a flash. The sun is always brighter in this room in the late afternoon.
This is our bedroom off my husband’s study upstairs. Of all the bedrooms of my entire life, this is my favorite. It is so immensely comforting going up here to bed. It reminds me of sleeping in a gift box turned outside in. There is not a place on earth that could compare to its coziness, comfort, and enveloping cocoon quality. This brings me to another distinction of this house. It has never been pretentious, particularly as seen from the street. I think this is why people love to stay here. It has this warmth and a kind of soft feeling, an embrace, once you enter. This has nothing to do with decorations. Any one who has ever lived here, even when it was in its most pared-down state, has always commented on the “heart” that one feels here. And I have to admit when family comes to stay, we all have a hard time getting out of our pajamas much before noon or even sometimes by three in the afternoon. We joke about it whenever we congregate here, but we are always quick to defend our right to melt into the rooms.
This is a view of the back out the bedroom window. In the distance is the little house I have shown previously and the garage that is off to the left. It was moved further back off the street before my husband bought the house, and now we use it for our laundry area as well as gardening tools and storage.
This was once a third bedroom, but when my husband retired and we moved to Mendocino full-time some years ago, we turned it into a “reading room” because it faces west and the quality of the light in this room is so breathtaking, we simply wanted to spend more time there. For years it had been painted white over layers and layers of wallpaper. A few years ago, I peeled and stripped the paper off and painted it the original color that it had been many years ago.
A watercolor of Mendocino by A. Stump 1994.
How we came to live here full-time and eventually moved to Portland is another story, but one story stays the same. Mendocino is the longest I have lived anywhere in my entire life, and coming back here always feels like coming home, a true coming home.
Oh sweet little house. I have stairs about that steep!
One time my family was watching an old movie (would have to have been made in the 60′s) filmed in Mendocino. There was a street scene and my mother exclaimed, “That’s your dad and I in that car!”
Well you have to tell me what the movie was and how to look for them! We have a book of all the movies that were filmed over the years in the town. What year was your house built? I think old, steep stairs have such character. I did this post thinking of your mom too.
I thought so! I don’t remember which movie…wasn’t a super popular one. My house was build in 1914 if I remember rightly. I still want to paint my steps in a rainbow of colors like that picture you posted once.
If the stairs in this house were not carpeted, I certainly would have painted them like the photo from the magazine. I thought it was great! I think I would be like Christopher Robin’s A.A. Milne poem and sit in the middle and just day dream amidst all the color.
Enchanting! I love it! Thank you for sharing
your beautiful seaside cottage. I felt as though
I was walking through the house as you described
it so beautifully and the “warmth and heart” of it
could be felt. This little house has so much character
and the garden is magical. It would be hard to
leave…
: )
Thank you. It is hard to leave, but then I guess that is what makes it a special place to stay, bittersweet to leave, but heaven to arrive.
I can see why you enjoy your special house and I think that you have captured its embracing quality. The kitchen really deserves a closer inspection. It seems like it is right out of England.
The whole place is charming.
The magazine that featured the kitchen was either from New England or England. I will have to go and dig it out and post it. Thank you for your special and appreciative words. You should make a trip up here with your niece sometime.
Oh, I love this wonderful little house! I can see why you feel at home in it and love to be here. There is something about a slanted ceiling that makes a room feel so cozy and safe. And going upstairs to a room always makes it feel special, too, as if you are going up into a place more rarified than the world below. Your wallpaper adds so beautifully to the old-fashioned look. The storybook look. This takes me back, back, back to my grandmother’s house that I loved so much as a child. Oh, thank you for letting us see your home sweet home! xo Kari
Thank you Kari. I think it is so nice to have memories of a grandmother’s home. I recall tearing little bits of floral wallpaper off while waking up one morning in her guest bedroom. Wonder why I did? Did you ever do that? Storybook lives, I think this is what I strive for constantly in so many ways and I think you might do this as well.
The movie Deb mentioned is The Spirit is Willing made in 1966, the year i graduated from Mendo High. My favorite movie made in Mendocino is East of Eden , i still remember seeing James Dean walking on main street. Love the picture of the ocean … always a welcoming sight after the ride over the hill.
Especially if you have motion sickness.
My favorite is “Frenchman’s Creek” or maybe “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.”
How about “Summer of 42″ with Jennifer O’Neill?
You must have so many great memories of Mendocino from so many years back when the town was truly the best as seen in all the movies. I have never seen James Dean in East of Eden, but I would love to rent it and watch it. One never tires of seeing the ocean! I graduated from high school in 1967 in Stockton, Calif. My father and brother used to go over to Mendocino to escape the heat in the valley during the summers sometimes.
I can feel the warmth from here! I will go pack my bags and be there for tea tomorrow…
I have stayed in a house on Cape Cod that had stairs like that…it was almost as steep as a ladder!
I wonder why they built some of these older homes with such steep stairs. Yes, they were like ladders!
I think the house on the Cape had been added to, as in ‘up’, and the only place for the stairs was in a closet!
Summer of 42 was filmed there? How about “The Russians are Coming”?
The closet?? This reminds me of the Winchester Mystery House in Santa Clara where the woman who owned the house just kept building room after room that ended with doors stepping out of the house to nowhere.
Yes, The Russians are coming was filmed in Mendocino. One of my favorites when I was a child.
I will have to see that. The movie The Birds was filmed south of here, but I think some of it was filmed in and around Mendocino too.
One set of my great-grandparents lived in the house “The Birds.” was filmed in (before the movie was made). Really.
I always marvel at the history that you and your family have had in this area. I would love to hear more about all of it. Where was the house?
Had to check with Mom…neither of us could remember exactly where. It was my father’s grandparents that lived in the house and he wasn’t around when I talked to Mom. It was south of Mendocino. I’ve been trying to create a map of who lived where and when because I can’t always keep it straight. I need to get back to that.
Do you think that it might have been in Elk?
I will never forget seeing the movie, The Birds!
I will have to watch that movie again
I was just a young girl and it scared me to pieces.
After I saw that movie and was confronted with
a flock of birds I would run for cover lol!
Ha, but now I am happy to say I sort of, in a distant
way know someone whose grandparents lived
in the house
and look at the scenery.
I agree. What a scary movie that was! I am not sure I could watch it again, but it would be fun to watch it from a different perspective as someone familiar with the scenery too.
Someday I will have to visit that area…it looks so restful and beautiful. And your house is charming! What a wonderful place!
Stella xx
Thank you Stella. Mendocino is definitely worth a visit. Let me know if you ever decide to come!
Thank you for sharing your lovely and magical little house. How lucky you are to have this lovely home in such a wonderful area.
I love your kitchen…in my last house I had open shelves like your’s…I loved them. I have been tempted to remove some of the cabinets in my current kitchen.
You have done wonderful things for this house and the garden is charming.
I have a thing for small houses…I pass one on may way to my parents home. The owners always have lovely flower boxes and decorations on and around their door. This past Christmas season they were part of a house tour. Once I went inside the house I fell totally in love and ready to buy it on the spot…of course it was not for sale.
I was happy that the owners were as charming as their house…I think the same thing can be said about you
I think one of the reasons that small houses are appealing is because they seem to communicate a humble, accessible kind of message, safety as well as acceptance. And they are easier to clean! Thank you for your lovely thoughts and appreciation as well as compliment. I am also guessing maybe Mendocino just might be a little like Maine. Have you been up there? One of these days I would love to travel there and compare the two.
Phyllis – found your website while searching for travel info. I will be staying in Mendocino in June and traveling to Ashland OR – the trip youmade but in reverse. I am looking for the quickest route to Ashland from Mendocino with approx. travel times.
We’re really looking forward to our time in Mendocino – though it will be primarily overnight as we are traveling from LA to Salem OR. with stops along the way.
Appreciate any info you can provide.
Holly,
I will send you a separate email with instructions. Sounds like you are planning a great trip!