Perched precariously on the jagged sandstone cliffs of the Carmel Highlands, there is a house that doesn't really look like a house. It looks like the earth just got tired of being flat and decided to sprout a castle.
Most people know it now as the place Brad Pitt bought for a staggering $40 million back in 2022. But before it was a celebrity trophy, it was known simply as "Seaward," or more formally, the D.L. James Seaward house. It is arguably the most obsessive piece of architecture in the United States.
Honestly, calling it a house feels like an insult. It's a 100-year-old experiment in stone, ego, and the Arts and Crafts movement that nearly drove its architect to a spiritual breakdown.
The Architect Who Refused to Quit
Charles Sumner Greene was one half of the famous Greene and Greene firm. You’ve probably seen their work—the Gamble House in Pasadena is the one everyone studies in school. It’s all dark wood, Japanese joinery, and "ultimate bungalows." But by 1918, Charles was done with the Pasadena social scene. He moved to Carmel to pursue "artistic growth" (which is often code for a mid-life crisis).
Then came Daniel Lewis James.
James was a wealthy businessman from Kansas City who sold fine china and silver. He had a lot of money and a very specific plot of land. He wanted a vacation home on a cliff that was so steep it seemed impossible to build on. Charles saw the site and basically said, "Hold my sketchbook."
Construction started in 1918. It didn't finish until 1922.
💡 You might also like: Finding Obituaries in Kalamazoo MI: Where to Look When the News Moves Online
Think about that for a second. Four years to build a house in an era before heavy machinery could easily navigate the Monterey coast. They used horse carts to haul golden granite from a quarry near Yankee Point. Charles didn't just design it; he was the contractor. He was there every day, micromanaging the way the stones were stacked to make sure the transition from the natural cliff to the man-made wall was invisible.
Why the D.L. James Seaward House Looks "Wrong" (In a Good Way)
If you look at the house from the Pacific Coast Highway, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. It doesn't follow the typical Craftsman rules. Most Greene and Greene homes are defined by wood. This one? It’s a "rocky citadel."
Charles Greene was inspired by the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall—the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. He wanted the house to look like it was emerging from the soul of the cliff.
- The Stone: He used granite of varying thicknesses.
- The Roof: The tiles are a muted terra-cotta. Each one was chipped by hand to look like it had been there for centuries.
- The Windows: These aren't your standard Lowe's special. We're talking "Siam" teak and white Vermont marble sills.
The floor plan is shaped like a weird, crooked "V" to hug the coastline. Inside, it's surprisingly orderly compared to the wild exterior. There’s a 32-foot-long "great room" that sits a few steps down from the entrance, designed specifically to frame the crashing waves of the Pacific. It's a masterclass in what architects call Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art where every door handle and light switch is part of the story.
The Weird History of the James Family
The backstory of the owners is just as strange as the house itself. D.L. James Sr. was actually related to the outlaw Jesse James. His father was first cousins with the legendary train robber. Naturally, the "proper" side of the family didn't talk about the bank-robbing cousins much.
When Senior died, the house went to his son, D.L. James Jr.
📖 Related: Finding MAC Cool Toned Lipsticks That Don’t Turn Orange on You
Junior was a character. He was a writer and a bit of a rebel. He became friends with Charlie Chaplin (who stayed at the house) and even worked as an assistant director on The Great Dictator. Later in life, he wrote under the pseudonym "Danny Santiago" and got himself in hot water with the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Scare.
He was also tight with Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne. Imagine the conversations happening in that library overlooking the ocean. The house has always been a magnet for people who are a little bit "outside" the mainstream.
Brad Pitt and the $40 Million Question
In 2022, the property sold off-market. Brad Pitt, a known architecture nerd, snapped it up from the estate of Joe Ritchie. People balked at the price tag, but in the world of architectural history, it was a steal.
Why? Because you literally cannot build this today.
Modern coastal commission rules and environmental protections would never allow a stone fortress to be etched into a cliffside like this. It is a functional fossil. Experts now estimate the value is closer to $60 million, mostly because of the "Brad Factor" and the fact that it’s a one-of-one masterpiece.
What You Should Know If You’re Visiting Carmel
You can't go inside. It’s a private residence. Don't be that person trying to hop a fence; the security is intense.
👉 See also: Finding Another Word for Calamity: Why Precision Matters When Everything Goes Wrong
However, you can see it. If you head south on CA-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) about three miles past Carmel-by-the-Sea, look for the vista points near the Highlands. You'll see the stone walls blending into the granite. It’s the house that looks like a Mediterranean castle that somehow got lost in California.
Real Insights for Architecture Fans
If you're looking to understand the D.L. James Seaward house beyond the celebrity headlines, focus on the "Law of Rhythmic Diminution." Charles Greene was obsessed with theosophy and nature. He carved wave forms and spiral shells into the wood and stone to mimic the math found in nature.
- Look at the way the stone gets smaller as the walls go higher.
- Notice the arched bottle-glass openings.
- Check out the "cloud lift" details in the joinery—a signature Greene and Greene move where a straight line subtly bumps up, inspired by Chinese furniture.
It's not just a big house. It's a 3,000-square-foot sculpture that happens to have a kitchen.
Practical Next Steps for Your Coastal Trip:
To get the best view of the D.L. James house without getting a trespassing ticket, park at the pull-outs just south of the Highlands Inn. Use a pair of binoculars to spot the hand-chipped roof tiles. If you want to see the "other side" of the architect’s brain, head back into Carmel-by-the-Sea to Lincoln Street. You can see Charles Greene's personal studio there—he used the leftover marble and bricks from the James House to build it. It’s a much smaller, humbler version of the same obsession.