Architecture Wednesday: Malibu Midcentury Beach House

Yes, it’s a lot of white but look at the spaces and the views and the property; that’s the magic.

This 1958 midcentury on a cliffside perch situated in the chic Malibu enclave of Big Rock and owned by actress Emma Stone is anything but modern and sterile. There are unobstructed views of the Pacific and Catalina and coastline city lights. And with almost nothing but native plants and the ocean in sight, this three bedroom and two bathroom bluff-side retreat feels like its own private Malibu.

As always click to emBIGGERATE …

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Architecture Wednesday: Ravenseye

Harry Gesner was called the Modern Maverick of Malibu, and of his greatest designs, Ravenseye, perched one a 1-acre hillside lot, with views of the Pacific, is up for sale … at a bargain; it has been marked down from $14million to just $9.5 million. But it’s not the house for just anyone …

Ravenseye features a unique arched doorway that opens to a sweeping staircase leading down into the great room with its 30-foot-high vaulted ceilings , wall of windows and incredible views. Gesner designed the arched doorways, and the arched ceiling in the great room as a nod to the tip of a surfboard since surfing was another of his passion, but he was also inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright—of whom he was an apprentice—and Wright’s design for the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California [right, top]. But Gesner’s Ravenseye, along with his other Malibu design, the Wave House [right, bottom], then inspired Danish architect Jorn Utzon who took some ideas from Gesner when he designed the Sydney Opera House.

The interior of the 4,000+ square foot home features stone floors and fireplaces, wooden floors boards and exposed timber ceilings. There are three bedrooms—with direct access to the outdoor spaces—and four bathrooms. Out back, there’s a large wooden deck, a pool, and built-in lounges sheltered by the living room balcony. A private outdoor shower allows for washing off salt and sand before entering the house, or just for skinny-dipping. There’s even a restored 1957 Airstream trailer to use as a small guest house.

It's wild, yes; but the views and the huge open great room, and all the oddities, really call to me. If I can’t have Bette’s house, perhaps I could afford Harry’s?

The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: Point Lechuza

This architectural beachfront masterpiece is in a league of its own. It sits at the northern tip of Malibu and is the last home to have been designed by the renowned mid-century modern architect Pierre Koenig.

Gated and private—because, you know, Malibu—it is located at the end of a cul-de-sac. But private doesn’t mean simple; no detail has been spared in the composition of this peaceful beachfront retreat.

Built of glass, steel and concrete, the tri-level home bridges the gap cool contemporary architecture and the warmth of nature with breathtaking ocean views. And, as well as being a significant home, it is also environmentally conscious, it  runs on an innovative system with radiant heating and solar power.

However environmentally friendly it is, there are also luxuries. You enter the home to a car lift which leads to a gated underground garage.  On that same level is the theatre and a guest bedroom.  The middle level features the living areas, dining room and kitchen, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. The upper-level houses three bedrooms, all of which exhibit captivating views, while the master suite features a fireplace and floating walkway leading to a private balcony floating above the ocean.

Surrounded by beautiful Palm and Cyprus trees, the lower deck includes ample oceanfront entertainment space, a dipping pool/spa, and leads to a private retractable drawbridge to step directly onto the sandy beach.

It’s practically a work of art.

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