Actress Kim Novak's stunning beachside Carmel home is on sale for $12.5 million

One time Hollywood actress Kim Novak’s former home in California’s upmarket Carmel has gone on sale for for $12.5 million.

The star, who was known for her roles in the award-winning films, Picnic, Strangers When We Meet, Pal Joey, and her twin roles in Vertigo, lived in the home until 1973.

The home enjoys a stellar position on a rocky outcrop in the upscale resort of Carmel, boasting vast sea views, where you can watch migrating whales and pelicans soaring close to the water.

The main house oozes a rustic aesthetic, with a stone-clad, wood-burning fireplace offering inspiration for cozy living room ideas, and a statement wood-clad, beamed ceiling.

The living room furniture is neutral, relying on the building's architecture and materials, including the natural stone floors which complement the stone just outside the doors.

The rustic appeal – and magnificent views – continue in the bedrooms, with whitewashed wood-clad walls. One also boasts a balcony where you can sit and soak up the ocean scene.

The bedroom, like the living room, is subtly decorated, allowing the views beyond the windows to steal the show.

The wraparound deck out side the bedroom has a sheer drop to the cliffs below.

If you're looking for timber kitchen ideas, this one is for you; it also has granite countertops, slate flooring and those incredible ocean views. 

Love a nook to cozy up in? This home is not short of them and, with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows, you can choose to read or simply take in the spectacular surroundings.

Come nightfall, there's plenty of spots outside to sit and breathe in the sea air, too.

As enchanting as the existing structures are, planning has been approved to build a 4,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath main house on the site should a potential buyer need a larger retreat for family and guests.

The area of Carmel has long been a celebrity hotspot, with long-time resident Doris Day ensuring the town is fully dog-friendly. Clint Eastwood was Carmel mayor twice and also owns a restaurant in town, while it's also been the home or getaway of the likes of John Steinbeck, Salvadore Dali, Jimi Hendrix among others.

The listing agent for Kim Novak’s former home is Jonathan Spencer of Jonathan Spencer Properties, Carmel. 

Photos courtesy of Top Ten Real Estate Deals.

Who is Kim Novak?

Born in Chicago, Kim, who is now 88, was a movie star in the 1950s and 60s. In her mid-30s, Kim semi-retired from acting to focus on her talent for drawing and painting and to escape the artificial Hollywood environment.  

During this time, she painted, wrote poetry and song lyrics. Her lyrics were so good that they were used by both Harry Belafonte and the Kingston Trio. She made a few short forays back into acting with her last major film in 1969, The Great Train Robbery. 

In addition to Carmel, Kim also lived in another of California’s prettiest areas, Big Sur, where she raised horses. In the late 1990s, Novak bought a ranch on the Rogue River in Oregon with her veterinarian husband. Though he died several years ago, she still lives there and still rides her horse and enjoys her art.