Rare Frank Lloyd Wright home in California sells for $22M – SFGATE

It’s such a special property — and also on the National Register of Historic Places — that it never even made it on the open market. As the house was being prepared for listing, the buyer heard about it and arranged a showing. “[The buyer] got wind of the possibility of it,” said Jessica Canning from Canning Properties Group of Sotheby’s International Realty, which represented the sellers. “We hadn’t even put together marketing materials yet. It’s a landmark in this area, and there are just some people who have always wanted a crack at it. The second that word leaked that it was coming [to the market] was all it took.”

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house was built to look like the front deck is the bow of a ship, Canning said. The home is in its original condition down to the smallest detail, showing the family’s dedication to preserving the home’s unique style over the years. She said that’s an impressive feat given the home’s oceanfront position since these homes weather quickly due to the salty air. It’s the only home on Carmel Beach, she said, but it also has a small private beach and views of Pebble Beach.

The home was custom-built for Della Walker, the widow of lumber executive Clinton Walker, according to historical reports provided to the Wall Street Journal. Walker wrote to Wright in 1945 asking him to consider building her a home: “I am a woman living alone — I wish protection from the wind and privacy from the road and a house as enduring as the rocks but as transparent and charming as the waves and delicate as the seashore. You are the only man who can do this — will you help me?”

The design considers the beachfront surroundings and celebrates the home’s proximity to the ocean, with small sliding vents underneath the main windows that let in the sound of the ocean as well as a small breeze without having to open the windows fully or have screens that could obstruct the view. Wright homes typically have shorter ceilings, but this one has an uncharacteristically tall ceiling in the main room.

While other coveted luxury homes like the nearby Butterfly House languish on the market, this prized home sold exactly for its asking price without even hitting the Multiple Listing Service — another good sign for a sales market that’s starting to trend upward after a rough end to 2022.