Peek Inside the Sweetest 811-Square-Foot Victorian Cottage

Thanks to my childhood playhouse, Victorian architecture will always have a piece of my heart. And although when I think Victorian, I often think of a stately manse, like the life-size version of my Playmobil model, I’ve never really pictured myself living in a giant house. So this adorable California cottage, built in 1890 and with the charming trappings of Victorian design, is a splendid solution.

• Where: Alameda, California
• Price: $849,000
• Size:  811 square feet
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 1

A low picket fence and cobalt blue front door attribute to the curb appeal, while inside, soaring ceilings, white walls, and fir floors create a bright, blank slate for your home decor style. A broad bay window carves out a sun-soaked enclave in the living room, perfect for converting into a reading nook or fancy area for your bar cart and colorful glassware.

Two bright bedrooms are canvases waiting for your maximalist decor dreams (think: leopard print throws, velvet drapes, and romantic headboards). The bathroom, meanwhile, maintains a clean and simple look with a black-and-white tiled floor, white tiled walls, and a corner shower with a semicircular glass door.

I love the dining room for its decorative mantel, but I adore it most of all for the high-up shelves that wrap around the room, making ample opportunity for aesthetic vignettes of decor: Display your favorite old books, porcelain pieces, or dark academic candlesticks.

The adjoining kitchen features a lovely vintage gas range, plus a butler’s pantry with lots of shelves and a porcelain sink and drainboard for washing up the old-fashioned way. 

This Property Crush is listed by John-Michael Kyono with Compass.Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.