Venice condos have juicy past -- and views
This contemporary condominium on the Venice boardwalk offers up-close ocean views through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a rooftop deck that overlooks the beach.
The newly constructed condo, situated between a hotel and a gift shop, is one of the few single-family residences among the boardwalk’s retail establishments.
The building’s two units can be bought separately or together.
“I love the mix of this beach community,” says Frank Murphy, a Venice developer who lived in the building when it was a juice bar with apartments above. “You’ve got everyone from the wealthy and famous to the homeless, with every demographic you can think of here. I purchased this with the idea of making it into a condo.”
Jim Gelfat, an architect with Equinox Architecture Inc. in Culver City, has created a four-level home with exposed concrete walls and floors in most of the rooms, giving the building an urban, minimalist feel. Stenciled siding by artists Randy West and Nancy Monk wraps around the exterior in a blue wave pattern.
The lower Unit B has a living room/dining area with a fireplace, and a half-bath with storage space. The kitchen features white Caesarstone counters, Jenn-Air stainless-steel appliances -- including stove, refrigerator and dishwasher -- and an open-frame, steel-beam ceiling.
The bottom floor of the unit is semi-subterranean, with windows that look up to the boardwalk. Each of the two bedrooms on this level has a bathroom. The master bathroom has a double shower with two shower heads and pebbled river rock flooring.
Unit A, on the upper floors, is slightly larger, featuring three bedrooms, a media room, den, two bathrooms and two half-baths. A private rooftop deck -- with electrical, gas and water outlets -- is designed for outdoor entertaining, with a panoramic view of the ocean from Point Dume to the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The rooms in the rear are connected by a glass-enclosed walkway to the living room, which features a cantilevered window in the middle of the front glass wall. When the window is open, the sounds of the boardwalk and view create the illusion of being able to walk right out onto the beach.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
