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/1390769
66 DIGS.NET | 7.9.2021 S W E E T D I G S | 8 6 8 9 T H S T R E E T M A R K E T It was the mellow atmosphere of the Hill Section in Manhattan Beach that convinced a custom home developer to go ahead with this volumi- nous new five-bedroom home, and inspired its plantation-influenced modern look. The result is a residence ideally suited for life as its lived today, with sophistication and user-friendliness locked in neatly together. "I envisioned the day to day life of a family," says home developer Saeid Shokravi, who "fell in love with the area," and whose Talmera Properties produced this approximately 5,526 square-foot home. "The focus is not just aesthetics, which is key for us, but also the functionality of the house, down to the smallest details." At first look it's hard not to be taken in by the sheer glamour of the home, set along the upslope of 9th Street, a few blocks east of the Valley/Ardmore greenbelt. Step inside the front door and one can see past the soaring ceilings and elegant, window-filled spaces—where an eye-stopping, slender geometric chandelier by FLOS takes center stage at the entrance—to the outdoors, where Fleetwood glass doors, spanning floor to ceiling, reveal a resort-like yard that feels at one with the home's uber-pol- ished interior. "In California we have the luxury of living the outdoor lifestyle," Shokravi points out. "So I wanted to make sure people can experience it immediately, as soon as they enter the home." Twin waterfalls cascade into the sleek salt- water pool, and lush island landscape dresses the space with green, yellow and fuchsia. It's a self-contained private play- ground where one can grill and dine at the heated dining area, then move to drinks and stargazing on the tidy green lawn. This area is flexible: by day it's a sunny play spot for kids, complete with an outdoor shower for rinsing off before returning inside. After sunset, dramatic lights and a flickering fire feature dress the area for starry get-togethers, along with built-in seating and a bubbly spa. Sunlit or at night it's a space cultivated for an instant shot of aha tranquility. "We designed it to look like a mini resort," notes Shokravi. "You come home from a busy life and you want to feel relaxed. That was the purpose." Indoors, the home has been designed to evoke feelings of ease that result from luxurious details twined with convenience, all the way down to the hyper-glossy white tiles covering the kitchen floor—warmed to take the chill out of cool mornings. "I was adamant that everything had to be highest quality," explains Shokravi. Tiles are by haute-makers Porcelanosa, and the sleek cabinets are by award-winning Italian makers Snaidero. To maintain the streamlined, Euro-touch look of elegance in what is typically one of the busiest rooms in a house, there's an appli- ance garage to tuck smaller kitchen tools and gadgets quickly out of sight, and a multitude of Miele appliances—two ovens, two dishwashers, a beverage center and a full-height wine refrig- erator—are visually unobtrusive, yet always within arms' reach. Even the kitchen's center island follows suit; constructed from a single 9-foot slab, the floating centerpiece is almost sculptural, with a white surface that's reflective in its high sheen. The head-turning allure of the home is immediate, while its high functionality becomes more apparent as one settles in. Rele- vant, convenient and usable were keywords guiding this project, where Shokravi sought to create a home that would, at its exte- rior, be visually simpatico with the rest of the neighborhood—yet would push the envelope in terms of look and features every- where else. The main hallway of the upper, bedroom level attests