Location: Big Sur, California

Price: $2,650,000

High in the sparsely populated hills of Big Sur, California, this small three-bedroom cottage makes a beautiful, serene getaway, provided buyers like redwood. Almost every inch of this place is covered in the indigenous softwood, from the floors to the rafters to the decking to the siding. A stone fireplace provides a break from all the wood and some heat for cool fall days. All told, this house measures just 1,650 square feet, which doesn't sound like much when one considers the $2,650,000 price tag, but at least the designer managed to squeeze three bedrooms into that space. The cottage is surrounded by 5.7 acres of tall trees that provide privacy but don't seem to block the view of the Pacific.

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