3141 E Palmyra Avenue

About this home

Built in 1963 by Eddy Meredith and The Meredith Company, this California Contemporary carries midcentury proportions and Colonial-inspired detailing, arriving at the moment Orange was turning from citrus groves into neighborhoods. Meredith was building around a new Southern California idea: more room to live, gather, and stay awhile. That idea is still visible here. Broad rooms, parquet floors, wood cabinetry, a paneled family room with a brick fireplace, and a full-width second-story balcony give the house a character that belongs unmistakably to its era. Out back, mature trees frame a long yard made for dinners outside, afternoons in the garden, or simply watching the evening settle in. This is a house that makes gathering easy. Rooms are generous, spaces connect naturally, and more than sixty years later, much of what defined the original home is still here. The house has changed less than most from its era, and that is part of its appeal. Some of the less glamorous work is already done: a new roof, freshly painted eaves and fascia, and completed termite work. What comes next is more personal. Old Towne Orange is minutes away, with its restaurants, antique shops, and streets made for a slow evening walk. Chapman University, Orange Lutheran and St. John's are close enough to feel woven into everyday life. A piece of early suburban Orange, still standing much as it was intended.