DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/1191332
150 DIGS.NET | 12.13.2019 M A R K E T T ranslated, the Chumash word Anacapa means "mirage," which one might imagine they've stumbled across when ambling along the same-named street in the Lunada Bay district of Palos Verdes Estates. It's a leisured, seaside spot where schools are within walking distance and bumping into neighbors sipping coffee at the nearby cafe or strolling to the bluffs at sunset is common. "You get a small community treatment and feeling," says real estate agent Tina Phillips of the address, who, together with her father Ed Kaminsky, have listed an elegant, new Spanish-style home found on a spacious corner lot of this family-friendly enclave. e four-bedroom home, approximately 3,500-square feet in size (plus a lower-level area permitted for wine storage, laundry or equipment), is completely Spanish on its exterior from the second-story cantilevered balconies to the dramatic contrast of clay-barrel roof against a creamy-hued façade. Step inside, however, and one finds this California classic has been restyled for contemporary tastes. ere's a sun- drenched, free-flowing floor plan and everywhere one looks, a connection to the verdant property. "I wanted to lighten up the Spanish style and give it a feeling of being up to date," says Susan Johnson, who developed and designed the home in partnership with her brother Larry, with help from parents Larry Sr. and Joan. (As Johnson Coastal Construction, the family has been building custom homes in the South Bay for decades.) e home's architect, Nagy Bakhoum of Obelisk Architects, is "…a master of how to make the best use of all the space a house has to offer," notes Johnson. e idea, Johnson says, was to intermix the home's traditional aesthetic with a current-day look and ease of use in order to achieve the best of both worlds. One is introduced to this theme in the foyer, a striking scene of white, patterned stone floors intermingling with an ornate black rail system. "It had such a feeling of elegance," says Johnson of the features, which were among the first selections she made for the home, and embodied a central thread of design that she continued throughout. "ere's always a lot of contrast," Johnson describes. Light tones—such as the home's pale wood floors, for instance—are very light. Conversely, dark hues, such as the frames accentuating the home's many windows and doors, are jet black. Another area of thoughtful balance is seen in the use of shapes and silhouettes: ere are classic arched doorways, generously sized to signal modernity, that lead from one space to the next; plus exposed wood- beam ceilings and angled ceilings to remind one of the home's pastoral origins. Having a home of high contrasts puts a spotlight on its fine details and elevated materials and finishes—an area of focus for the home's designers. Floor tiles are smooth, bespoke stone. A R C H I T E C T U R E | D E S I G N | B U I L D S W E E T D I G S | 2 4 4 8 V I A A N A C A P A