A half-acre Dana Point estate, featuring two unique homes, is on the market for just under $7 million.
The property includes a 1929 Spanish colonial-style cottage, the first of five planned by oil baron Edward Doheny’s son, Ned, as a retreat enclave in Capistrano Beach, along with a 1981 European-style home. Together, the homes offer a total of 4,406 square feet with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Owned for the past 20 years by interior designer Eric Guenther, the estate showcases an expansive garden with nine outdoor living spaces crafted by landscape designer Florence Yoch, famed for her work on the set of “Gone With the Wind.” The landscape connects the two homes, enhancing the property’s appeal.
Lead listing agent Jeff Golden of Coldwell Banker Realty describes the property as a rare find due to its size and proximity to the beach.
“The overwhelming majority of people want a larger lot in beach town areas, such as Capo Beach,” he said. “During Covid and quickly after that, we had this migration from Newport Beach to L.A. buying in San Juan Capistrano. But often that San Juan Capistrano purchase was a second choice because they couldn’t get a decent size lot near the beach. And so, we just love the fact that you’ve got such a rare thing, a half acre.”
Records viewed at PropertyShark.com show Guenther, half of the design duo Guenther and Lane Design, purchased the property in November 2005 for a combined $3.075 million.
Formerly owned by prominent antiques dealer Gep Durenberger from 1969 to 1998, the estate originally encompassed five lots, which were gradually reduced to the current two.
The listing highlights the estate’s charm and character, underscoring Durenberger’s “eye for European craftsmanship,” which Guenther has skillfully preserved and built on.
Both homes offer two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but the similarities end there.
Contrasting Styles
The rustic Doheny cottage features hand-troweled plaster walls embedded with straw, marbleized paint finishes and antique windows and doors. In contrast, the newer home boasts a light-filled cross-shaped great room crowned by a 24-foot-high folly.
Period details abound, from a 15th-century entry door and terracotta tiled floors from France to late 18th-century metal windows and wide-planked 19th-century pine floors.
Guenther, who first learned about the property while participating in a home tour over two decades ago, recalls being captivated by its unique charm.
“I have been in the design field for almost 50 years … so I’ve seen a lot of beautiful houses, but I have never been in a house that completely grabs a hold of you like this one does ,” he said. “It’s not about walking in and going, ‘Wow! You could park three cars in this entry hall or oh my gosh the staircase—Scarlett eat your heart out!’ It’s not about being impressive, it’s about making an impression, which to me is a very different thing.”
Although he didn’t make an offer on the cottage at the time, preferring to wait to acquire the estate as a whole, he later acquired the property when both homes were later listed together.
For his part, Guenther converted a downstairs bedroom into a separate dining room with olive green walls and pink cabinets, ensuring the paneling and cabinets looked old, and the floors had a well-worn appearance—just around the dining table.
He built a butler’s pantry by reconfiguring part of the garage.
“After moving the furnace and the water heater, I created a view through the length of the house and put a curio cabinet in front of the window,” he said.
In the kitchen, with its antique French blue and white-tiled counters, he cleverly concealed modern appliances, ensuring they blend seamlessly with the 19th-century aesthetic.
“You can’t tell one drawer or door from another,” he said. “I even positioned the handles in the middle of the refrigerator so it doesn’t look like a refrigerator, giving you the impression that this is a 19th-century kitchen.”
Outdoor amenities complement the estate’s allure, featuring an aviary, a French spire-turned fountain, a tea house, a pool, and rose bushes. According to the listing, the roses were a gift from the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, the twice-divorced American socialite for whom Prince Edward abdicated the British throne in 1936 so they could marry.
Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker Realty shares the listing.
Furniture and furnishings are negotiable.
