Property Watch: Cozy Cabin in Manzanita on the Oregon Coast for $675K

The Oregon coast has more than a few grand, multimillion-dollar getaways, but we are partial to the vintage cabins, A-frames, and whatever you want to call this house. Let’s add this cute number in Manzanita to the group. On first glance, with its asymmetrical, stacked form and vertical cedar cladding, it reads treehouse. But once inside, it’s all cozy cabin, complete with sunken living room, freestanding stove, and oh-so-much delightful wood detailing throughout.

Custom-built in 1982 by the highly respected local contractor Mark D. Lemley, the home has only had one owner, so this is its market debut. With 978 square feet over two floors, the layout is efficient, but does not feel cramped, thanks to vaulted ceilings, a loft, big windows and skylights, and a split-level arrangement. The latter locates the single full bathroom off a generous stair landing, midway between the two bedrooms upstairs, and the living spaces on the main.

Despite this being a classic ’80s-era build, there’s no glitz or glam to the finishes, which are rather straightforward. Other than laminate counters, a sprinkling of tile in the kitchen, and carpet, it’s all about the wood covering the walls, ceiling, floors, cabinets—even wrapping the lights in the kitchen so they blend in better with their surroundings. The porthole-bedecked door and the anchor-shaped brass knocker are about as flashy as it gets here.

There are also a few purposeful nooks woven in, for working, reading, and napping, maximizing the square footage. This includes two built-in desks, one in the foyer and one in the dining room, bookshelves, an upholstered bench on the stair landing, and the upstairs loft, which is big enough for a couch and TV—all of which can stay, as the sale comes turnkey with the home fully furnished.

At the heart of the home is the freestanding fireplace, around which all the main social spaces revolve. This is in keeping with the guidelines in the 1977 architectural handbook, The Pattern Language, which says, “Build the fire in a common space…where it provides a natural focus for talk and dreams and thought.” Exactly what this cabin seems made for.

• Address: 763 Madrona St, Manzanita, OR 97130
• Size: 978 square feet/2 bedroom/1 bath 
• List Date: 3/20/2025 
• List Price: $675,000
• Listing Agent: Patti Spreen, Oregon First

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. Contact Dalton here. 

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].