74 DIGS.NET
| 7.1.2022
S W E E T D I G S | 5 7 7 T H S T R E E T
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ead south along Hermosa Avenue—
past the bustle of Pier Avenue—and scenes of
Old Hermosa start to open up. There are casual
eateries and places to have a cold beer, as well as
inviting walk streets lined with idyllic bungalows
that lead to the warm sands and cool waters of
the Pacific Ocean. But along the 7th Street walk
street there's new flourish in the form of an inviting contem-
porary home, approximately 4,200 square feet in size—a
4-bedroom and 6-bathroom designer haven that's defined by
its beach and ocean views, low-key glamour and generous selec-
tion of sunlit gathering spaces.
Walk streets, with their neighborly atmospheres and homes
located steps from the beach, are highly desired. In Hermosa
Beach nearly all walk streets are pleasingly flat and intimate,
about a block long, but there's typically little turnover in terms of
real estate. "I've been doing this for 22 years," states real estate
agent Lauren Forbes, "and there's not been in recent memory
a new construction house available for sale on a flat walk street
in Hermosa Beach. So it's a very unique property in that regard."
Completed in 2021, this home was purchased by its current
owners, who upgraded several features, including sound and
lighting, while briefly in residence.
Boosting its special location is the residence's thoughtful
design and construction, created by architect Charles Belak-
Berger (CBB Architects), longtime Beach Cities builder Mike
Davis (Mike Davis Custom Home Building) and designer Kathy
Barone of Barone Designs. "With windows we captured and
preserved the views and light," points out Davis, who shaped key
living areas towards the ocean's electric landscape of palm trees,
blue skies and blue waves. And the natural setting informed
Barone's selection of the luminous, beach-friendly hues and
textures she used throughout, from the gorgeous, creamy porce-
lain cladding on the front of the home, to the sand-hued planks
of European white oak on the floors. "Driftwood," says Barone,
"was one of my key inspirations."
