Wonderful sunny property in a quiet part of Mendocino on the edge of the Pacific Ocean

Just returned from a month spent in the Totem House. We relished the location and views of the ocean as we spotted whales from the deck and the dining room.

I feel super lucky Lisa opened up her thoughtfully appointed super cool home to me for almost six weeks this past July & August while I worked nonstop from home. Even though I had to work long days from this home on my computer, I always felt like I was part of ‘it’ all. Her inviting home has the best most perfect Mendocino Village location with everything in the village being a 30 second to 10 minute walk away while still feeling totally private. The views across the Mendocino headlands as well as to the ocean are incredible (my favorite spot was the massive 2nd floor deck!). Whale watching from the deck ✔️ Sunsets ✔️ Hiking right from my door ✔️ This home is located on the leeward side of the headlands providing calm conditions and wind protection to enjoy the huge upstairs deck & lovely ground level gardens and decks to enjoy my morning coffee, outdoor lunch, or outdoor sundowners. For work from home office areas...I set up one ‘office’ upstairs and reconfigured the dining room downstairs to my ‘main’ work from home office - the WiFi was very reliable... for video calls too. After logging long hours all day for work, I would put on my hiking boots and walk right outside the door to a new walking or hiking adventure every day. The beautiful and directly adjacent Mendocino Headlands park provides so many trails right outside Lisa’s home. In addition, the stunning fine white sand & calm waters (leeward side!) of Mendocino Bay / Big River beach (more hiking trails!) are just across the street. The village of Mendocino takes its flowers and flower gardens seriously and Lisa’s flower gardens are dreamy pretty and are admired by everyone. The home had everything I needed and was very thoughtfully arranged providing cool spots in the home to work and chill out. The beds were awesome, three bathrooms w/showers in all, and ground floor laundry room & ground floor bathroom with shower made for easy living when I returned from my supercharged hiking. Parking was convenient, it made carrying bags of groceries from my car into the house and ground level kitchen a breeze. Lisa was super wonderful to work with and super responsive to any questions I had about the house or providing guidance on spots to check out in town or beyond. I’d definitely stay here again and highly recommend it. Lisa’s funky cool beautiful home allowed me to focus on my long hours of work while allowing me to be a part of the magic & beauty that is Mendocino..Thank you so much!

This house has plenty of space for a family group or a group of friends. I stayed there for a couple of months while I was in the area looking for a house to buy. At different times, I had my daughter's family with two kids visit, as well as three friends from the bay area. In fact, one is coming back for a visit before the end of my stay. There was plenty of space for everyone and plenty to do without getting in our cars. The beach and the headlands across the street are great, and everything in the village is a quick walk from this house. I would highly recommend this vacation rental to anyone who wants a nice relaxing stay in Mendocino with everything you need nearby. Lisa was extremely responsive to my requests and made sure I had everything I needed. Go there! You won't be sorry!

perfect location

Nice home, spectacular views, joyful gardens, wonderful host who responded to every need AND respected our privacy.

Such a beautiful and relaxing place to be following a crisis we are still trying to comprehend. We were in serious need of R&R and everything about this place was healing and relaxing from the first moment we got there. Amazing views and delightful community all around us too. Can’t wait to come back!

This charming home in the historic town of Mendocino provides an ideal home away from home for anyone wanting to enjoy the rugged beauty and countless treasures of California’s North Coast. The property is perfectly located in the heart of Mendocino Village and is just steps away from many fabulous shops, tasty restaurants, art galleries and picturesque walking trails. The panoramic ocean views from the house and deck are truly stunning! This unique “totem pole” house is warm and cozy! The downstairs living area includes a fully equipped kitchen with breakfast bar, comfortable living room and spacious dining room, which opens up to a lovely garden. Two private bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and a large sun deck, accessible from both bedrooms, are located upstairs. The floor plan is functional and practical, and the entire house is adorned with touches of tasteful artwork, including original oil paintings. You won’t regret staying at this amazing vacation home in the heart of Mendocino. We can’t wait to return!

We were blessed to stay a month at the Totem house and loved every moment. We'd been to the town of Mendocino many times with great stays at the Hotel, the Mac house, and a couple of B&Bs in the area but we thought it would be relaxing and fun to stay longer if we could find a comfortable place with an ocean view near all the conveniences of the town. We had walked by the Totem house and its beautiful garden many times over the years so we were excited to find it on VRBO and took a chance booking it for the month of July. We were not disappointed. We spent every morning having coffee in the downstairs garden, and every afternoon meditating on the expansive views of the Mendocino coast from the upstairs deck. The location is perfect for daily walks to the headlands, and along all the shops in town, and exploration of all the restaurants and watering holes. The owner stocked the home with all the basics needed to arrive and enjoy our stay; she was conveniently available for information but respectfully unobtrusive. This was exactly what we hoped, a perfectly situated home away from home with fantastic ocean views, right in town, awesome location, super comfy accommodations, peace and quiet, with fantastic coastline and fun and shopping and great food all literally steps away. We’re coming back!

Renting this house will bring days filled with eye candy and quiet nights listening to the ocean waves. The totem house is a gem. Perfectly located near the Mendocino Headlands and I feel it’s the best spot to rent a house in town. I spent many days watching the waves crashing on rocks from the living room. The weather is always changing and keeps one from getting bored of the views. If you love birds get your bird guide out! Not to mention the endless parade of flowers both on the streets of Mendocino and in the garden of this wonderful house. The road itself is quiet, which was a pleasant surprise. Most importantly the neighbors and the people of Mendocino are the friendliest I have ever met. The house has everything one would need, so happy to have found it, and hope to be back one day with my dog to continue our explorations.

We found heaven for the first time when we had the opportunity to stay at this wonderful, amazing property for two months in the fall of 2014. Understand that we are lucky to live in Carmel, California and spend many afternoons enjoying the beaches, going to Big Sur, hiking the mountains as well as visiting all the other famous sites. And yet when we arrived at this property in Mendocino Village, we stood on the deck and were speechless. And this awe never left our minds or hearts for the entire 60 days we were blessed to live here. Every morning found us anxious to get up and enjoy the marvelous views, sounds and smells. The house was spacious while very peaceful and relaxing, with a full kitchen to prepare wonderful meals we usually enjoyed outside on the deck as we had better views than any restaurant in the Village. The beautiful and captivating garden is hard to describe with words but is something one never gets tired of walking through and looking at. The fresh cut flowers my wife would gather would often be displayed in the kitchen along with the organic hand-picked fruits and vegetables the owners would often drop off for us to enjoy. We became quite fond of the owners as they treated us like great friends and helped make our stay unforgettable. I have never been so content and peaceful as when we stayed at this property. But when we did venture out, we were always rewarded with great adventure and beauty. On foot, the walking trails right out the back door guided us to some of the most amazing encounters with the Pacific Ocean we have ever had. The Village has everything one could ever need to be completely satisfied, including great restaurants, grocery stores, art galleries, a live theater, live music, spas, outdoor hot tub rentals, farmers markets and even a friendly old-fashioned hardware store. If you venture out a little further, you can kayak up rivers through redwoods, tour an amazing brewery, visit working lighthouses, enjoy estate wines and local cheeses, comb for beach glass and find some of the most inspiring sights nature has to offer. This place is great for entertaining family and friends, but also wonderful to just restore a weary mind or spirit. Almost a year later and my wife and I don't go a week without reflecting back on how amazing our time was staying at this property. You can have San Francisco, as for me, I left my heart in Mendocino. Most likely on the serene deck outside of the master bedroom.

This house was pure magic. We spent seven beautiful months here, some of the happiest, most serene of my life. This large, comfortable and totally unique house is perched on the craggy , gorgeous cliffs of Mendocino, overlooking the Pacific. From our (very) spacious deck, we spent many happy days and nights - watching the sun set and rise, our charming garden (full of quirky fountains and sculptures, as well as native flowers and plants) bloom below us and whales passing daily as they migrated South, not to mention a few meteor showers. We often woke to the sound of sea lions and birds and fell asleep to lapping waves. The house is large with panoramic ocean views from every room, and charming touches left over from the previous owner, an artist and innovator no doubt. I learned to cook in that kitchen, which is fully equipped and easy to use and we loved hosting a house full of guests, all of whom were blown away by the natural beauty and charm of this resplendent spot on the coast. We loved the time alone just as much. The house is right in town, so it's easy to walk anywhere - a slew of restaurants and local haunts, the wildlife preserve, which surrounds the village or down a rocky path to the beach. The house has large rooms with a fantastic master bedroom with walk-in closet, a wonderful garden and unforgettable deck, three bathrooms, televisions, internet, and is fully furnished. The garage made a great art studio. Everyone was friendly in the town, and we found classes and activities to fill our days, from antiquing, art classes and theater to yoga and outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking etc. These beautiful pictures do it no justice. I recommend this place with enthusiasm. It has beauty, heart, history, tremendous serenity and natural wonder. My boyfriend and I luxuriated in this space and truly delighted in this house and quaint village each day we spent there. It is special, unlike any other home i've seen. Everything was clean, comfortable and the owners treated us like family from the moment we arrived. They were kind, attentive and warm.We will never forget this place. It's a place (especially for two wayward New Yorkers) to learn how to enjoy life and nature, to make art and slow down. I would come back and hope to, perhaps for a wedding! Thank you to our friends and landlords!