Denise's cottage is nestled in a suburban residential neighborhood. It is a stand alone unit that is located approximately 10 yards from her main home. She has done a tremendous job designing and decorating the unit which also serves as her personal art studio. Communication and check-in was very clear and smooth. She was an extremely attentive hostess the entire time and provided us with light breakfast and just about everything else we required.
Once inside the studio/cottage you can really appreciate her hard work and effort in creating a Tuscan experience. There is a cute fireplace that heats the home, and the red brick bathroom was one of my favorite features. The hot water is "on demand" so you may have to wait a few moments for it to heat up; I found this extremely accurate to my experience living abroad in Europe and it served as a nostalgic moment for me :). The kitchen in the morning is instagram worthy, with its beautiful concrete floor, long sink and large windows. Theres just something special about how the light enters the room! Unfortunately, we did not spend a lot of time using the outdoor patio or table because we were gone all day, but they were a nice addition to the property.
The home is locate approx 25-40 min from Carmel and 20 min from Santa Cruz, which made it perfect for our weekend getaway. There is a small airport nearby and one morning we could hear the humming of the planes over the cottage; however, our sleep was undisturbed. Finally, the fireplace, although cute, is not as effective as central heating. Overall, some of our expectations were not completely met once we arrived at the property. However, Denise is an attentive hostess and she will go above and beyond to address your concerns. Therefore, I would recommend this stay to friends and family, and I hope to return sometime. Thank you for everything, Denise.