Cozy and Colorful Victorian Cottages of Ferndale, California

Victorian architecture lovers, gather ’round. Have I got some eye candy for you today! Ferndale, California has some of the most amazing examples of colorful Victorian cottages and buildings that I’ve ever seen. Walking along the quiet streets is truly unending pleasure. The entire area is filled with beauty and splendor that I wasn’t expecting, but today I’m focusing on the smaller homes in town and we’ll get to the rest later.

Ferndale is a quaint little dairy town tucked between the Lost Coast and the Redwood Forest of northern California. If you haven’t been there, put it on your bucket list of places to visit. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. The homes are stunning, the gardens are gorgeous, and the people are friendly and welcoming.

When we first arrived in Ferndale last Friday, we had dinner at the best little Mexican restaurant ever, and then walked off dinner around the side streets. Every corner we turned produced amazing colorful Victorian cottages, one after the other. Needless to say, I took a lot of photos. I hope you enjoy this walk with me.

You’ll find a few homes built in this style of architecture – box windows in front, dormer windows on the room, and plenty of painted, custom trim.

 

 

 

And the pink houses – there are plenty of them! Most people might not think that pink is a good color for a home’s exterior, but I don’t think anyone can argue that it doesn’t look good on a Victorian cottage.

 

Here’s the space between the house above and its garage in the back. You’ll see plenty of archways when walking the friendly streets of Ferndale.

 

I have to wonder if the owner of this adorable home chose their car because it complements the house so well. Which is cuter, the car or the house?

 

Here’s another angle of the same charmer when the car wasn’t in front of it. You can get a better view of the garden. I love how so many of the homes turned front yards into garden beds.

 

See the bird on the utility wire? It’s a Steller’s Jay. We had one visit us every day at the Airbnb where we stayed. I’ve never seen one before so it was a treat to watch him hop around.

 

This home is more of a salmon color but close enough to being pink. I swear, when John Cougar Mellencamp wrote the song about little pink houses, he had to be talking about Ferndale! Even the fence is wearing a pink hue.

 

Of course, there are plenty of colorful Victorian cottages that aren’t pink.

 

 

 

 

You know I can’t resist a red house! In addition to its architectural charm and details, it possesses a unique fence of stone and pickets.

 

We met a friendly cat at this house which is just steps from the home where we stayed. A lot of the houses had rain chains, which I love. I’ve already made a note to myself to get a couple of them for my own home.

 

Right across the street is this quaint cottage that you can rent via Airbnb. It’s just as charming inside as it is outside. And that cat? We found him hanging out over here a couple days later. He walked down the long drive to let us pet him.

 

On the same property is this second Airbnb rental home that’s just as charming as the one above.

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing these colorful Victorian cottages of Ferndale. I’ll have larger ones to show you soon, along with some of the gorgeous storefronts that call to mind the days of the Gold Rush.

Before you leave, today is the first Saturday of the month which means I’m joining my cozy blogging friends to share what inspires us this month. For me, it was my trip to historic Ferndale. Be sure to see what my friends have to share below!

Victorian Cottages / Chocolate Orange Banana Muffins / Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

 

Marriage Tips / Old-Fashioned Summer Treat