Awash in Rustic Charm, 1970s Seaside Cabin Surfs Onto the Market for First Time Ever

Given the exceedingly rare occasion of its appearance on the market, here’s a listing that had us reaching for DIRT‘s dog-eared copy of “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” to see if a blue moon was on the rise. Now seeking its second ever owner is one of the earlier residences constructed in Sonoma County’s ruggedly beautiful Sea Ranch.

For the unfamiliar, The Sea Ranch is an unincorporated planned community located 110 miles north of San Francisco on a ten-mile-by-one-mile stretch along the Pacific’s coastal shelf. First developed in the mid-’60s, it was envisioned by its planners and architects as a community guided by the overarching principles of respect for nature and living in harmony with the land. As the community’s website explains: “Each landscape element should be recognized and nurtured, reinforcing natural forms and scale. The specific site provides the identity, establishing a ‘territorial partnership’ with any structure placed within it, not upon it. Building materials should be drawn from nature: rough and simple.”

Known as “Third Bay Tradition,” Sea Ranch’s distinctive architectural style — simple timber-frame structures clad in wooden siding or shingles — is a hybrid of California ranch and traditional farmhouse vernaculars, designed both to withstand the near-constant coastal winds as well as to blend in unobtrusively with the natural surroundings.

The home now up for grabs was designed by Don Jacobs, an award-winning architect and AIA Fellow who based his practice within the Sea Ranch community between 1970 and 1986. Jacobs was also the coordinating architect for the community’s non-denominational chapel, working with sculptor James Hubbell.

Built circa 1972, the rustic residence measures in at a compact 978 square feet, within which are two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and a semi-open-plan living room/dining area/kitchen. While the half-century-old cabin’s age is showing in a few spots, it’s not hard to imagine it being picture-perfect after a little sprucing up.

Highlights include vaulted Douglas fir-beamed ceilings, wood-paneled walls, a freestanding wood-burning fireplace, clerestory windows, a substantial kitchen island, built-in window seating, and glass doors that slide open to a small wind-protected deck with hot tub. Besides the trails that wind through the development and along the bluff above the ocean, community amenities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, a dog park, and a playground.

Located on a .58-acre lot next to Walk-On Beach, the bucolic property is listed with Kristen Winant of Liisberg & Company. Asking price is $1.295 million, plus monthly HOA fees of $292.