The Best Homes in California

The Dawn Wall

• 10 guests

• 5 bedrooms

San Clemente, Orange County

Go to bed after watching the spectacular sunset over the Pacific and wake up to the sound of the crashing waves at this jaw-dropping beachfront home in the surfside city of San Clemente. Contemporary coastal cool is the order of the day, with plenty of light wood, fresh blue furnishings and pristine white walls, all accentuated by the sunlight that pours in 342 days a year through large windows and retractable glass doors that look out over the ocean.

Smoking Pixels

• 10 guests

• 4 bedrooms

Rancho Mirage, Riverside County

This showstopper is here to attract the architectural fans — so don't tell us you haven't noticed the deconstructed minimalism and the statement furniture to go with it. Smoking Pixels is a treat for the eyes, filling every corner of the home, as well as its considerable exterior with something beautiful.

The Sundial

• 4 guests

• 2 bedrooms

San Bernardino County, California

Set in over an acre of private desert, The Sundial is as characteristic a piece of modern desert architecture as you’ll see. The home is enveloped by the stillness and tranquility that comes with such isolation – evenings spent on the terrace beneath the stars offer a different speed of life to the city.