68 DIGS.NET
| 3.19.2021
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S W E E T D I G S | 2 6 1 8 M A N H AT TA N A V E N U E
Helping to distinguish the home is the judicious smattering
of found and re-purposed objects throughout. "I wanted to mix
the contemporary with the antique," the homeowner points out.
Take the diversity of doors on the interior, which include unique
finds ranging from wood to steel. "She's not afraid to find antiques
and re-purpose them," Starr says of the homeowner. "If it looks
old, it is old." This aesthetic dovetails neatly with the aim of the
home's design overall: to offer a smart-looking, super-usable
house at the beach. The floorplan, for instance, divvies up the
bedrooms smartly for a family. There are two bedrooms and two
bathrooms on the Strand level, which are ideal for visitors and
older children. Another two bedrooms are located on the highest
level, along with an oceanview master suite with a cathedral ceil-
ing and a breezy balcony. There's also an office on this level which,
the homeowner notes, "can very easily be a sixth bedroom if you
don't need an office."
More pragmatism is found in the home's studied use of sliding
glass doors and windows, always framed in black steel, that make
the most of this oceanfront environment. "The light is fantastic
and the views are beautiful," says the homeowner. Skylights and
more windows along the sides of the home welcome even more
natural light to enter the home, and for it to do so evenly. "It's
unusual," points out Stroyke, "to have open space on both sides
of a Strand home." This space, between the home and its neigh-
bors, enables more privacy as well.
For the last 25 years or so, the South End has been the premier
location," says Stroyke of Manhattan Beach. It's the easy access
to the water in tandem with a closeness to Downtown that's sans
drawbacks. "You don't get the congestion of cars and people,"
he states, "and the walkability is amazing." Add to this an inter-
esting new home, which meshes a crisp, custom aesthetic with
the sunlit ease of a beach house. "When I come home I want to
feel like I'm on vacation," says Stroyke. "This house has that
vibe. You park your car in the garage, you set the keys down and
you don't look at them again for days. You're walking and biking
everywhere, and you can get in the water and connect with nature.
It's a very rare offering."
*e
whole
lower
beach
level
has
tongue
and
groove
accents
throughout
the
entire
ceiling
and
walls
