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/1507097
S W E E T D I G S | 2 1 6 0 M O N T E R E Y B LV D ''I t's a personal Zen-like resort," says Geoff Yarema, describing his fami- ly's cleancut white Hermosa Beach residence poised on an elevated and oversized wedge above the corner of Monterey Boulevard and Park Avenue: "I have not seen another home quite like it." True for this historic four-level architectural property that's flush with lush landscaping, panoramic ocean views and, by luck of its location, is ideal for someone who's keen to toggle between the beach and cafe lifestyle of downtown, less than a 5-minute stroll away—and the peaceful world you enter when stepping into its scenic grounds, filled with fragrant native plants and old-growth trees. "You've got to get behind the walls to appre- ciate it," says Yarema. But there's also plenty to appreciate from the sidewalk. The silhouette is pleasingly geometric, with juxtaposed angles, curves and terraces native to its pedigree—as a carefully preserved example of International Style architecture. A design mode that, in the States, took hold in the 1920's and 1930's, International Style has roots in the German Bauhaus School and Frank Lloyd Wright, among others, and its expression reflected in principles such as Less is more and Form follows function. With a sunlit open floorplan and the seam- less presentation of indoor/outdoor spaces, the 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom home was born in 1938 with the design of notable West Coast architect Earl Heitschmidt, whose works include the 24-room Wrigley Mansion in Phoe- nix, as well as LA's Biltmore Hotel and CBS Studios in Hollywood. Yet so freshly au courant is the look of the home, nearly 4,000 square feet, and so tangible is its atmosphere of light- filled sophistication and oceanside ease—it's hard to fathom that it's been in existence for 85 years. Contributing to its contemporary feel and longevity is the influence of large-scale commercial works: Heitschmidt often worked on such projects, and similarly equipped this home with an industrial-grade strength that Yarema would subsequently build upon. "So many different attributes coming together on the same property is rare," points out real estate agent Ed Kaminsky. "There's its historic architectural aspect. Also, it's in the Sand Section—yet it has a yard. And, the lot is on a unique corner angle with southwest-facing views." Due to its grandfathered status, which protects its lofty height and far-flung views, the home would be impossible to replicate under current codes. "The whole combination makes it quite special," says the agent. Soon after purchasing the home in 1987, Yarema commissioned local architect William Burch to refresh and expand the property while staying true to Heitschmidt's design. The land- scape, viewed by Yarema as integral to the property, was attended to by Ben Oki, founding curator of the bonsai collection at The Hunting- ton, who designed the home's free-flowing map of shapely mature trees, while the award-win- ning San Diego firm of Deeter Buckner Design A R C H I T E C T U R E + D E S I G N 50 DIGS.NET | 9.8.23