Where Life Is But a Dream

Whenever we leave the everyday world to behold something extraordinary, that experience oftentimes becomes one of life's cherished moments. Movies can provide that uplifting feeling, and architecture too.

We'll never forget that classic film, 'A Summer Place,' shot in and around picturesque Carmel‐by‐the‐Sea in the late '50s. Though the movie had its share of notable stars, perhaps the most unforgettable was Frank Lloyd Wright's Walker House, from 1948, which was featured prominently.

Now let's fast‐forward six decades to one of today's most cinematic West Coast fantasy escapes—'Bien Sur' in Big Sur. Just imagine, 43 acres of dreamland‐by‐the‐sea can be all yours…for the out‐of‐this‐world price of $21.5 million.

"Bien Sur truly is breathtaking," says Carmel Valley realtor Nicole Truszkowski, who says that experiencing the property, poised above the Pacific Ocean, in person is "really soulful, and feels like a spiritual experience…you're kind of one with nature."

Truszkowski and Zak Freedman of Sotheby's International Realty are the listing agents for this prime oceanfront parcel at 53810 Highway 1, considered the 'crown jewel' of Big Sur properties.

With 19 of its acres bordering waterfront, Bien Sur, built in 1971 in the modern style, includes four combined parcels of land that have been carefully curated over the years to create a secluded indoor/outdoor sanctuary.

Philanthropist Peter Mullin, who passed in 2023 at age 82, held the Big Sur property in his portfolio, along with Big Sur's Coastal Gallery, a legendary art gallery and café on Highway 1, which Truszkowski and Freedman also have listed.

"Bien Sur was one of his residences, probably where his heart was," comments Truszkowski. "He used to say, 'It feels like church, so serene and so beautiful.' Mr. Mullin was a huge philanthropist who was very involved, and was one of the biggest Bugatti automobile collectors in the world.