Sunset unfolds its first L.A.-area Idea House in Manhattan Beach
Sunset magazine is opening the doors Friday on its first Los Angeles-area Idea House, a 4,500-square-foot, four-bedroom and 5 1/2-bathroom contemporary residence in Manhattan Beach, described as “the ultimate modern beach home.”
“We wanted a new angle on what a beach house would look like, and we enlisted the creative community of Los Angeles to be part of it,” said Joanna Linberg, Sunset’s senior home design editor. “It’s a modern, two-story structure, but we didn’t lose the rough-and-tumble, indoor-outdoor casual spirit of living near the beach.”
Created by Sunset editors, along with a team of design and construction partners, the Idea House showcases innovations in architecture, construction, design, sustainable building and gardening practices often found in the magazine’s pages.
On Aug. 16, Sunset also will cohost a self-guided tour of nearby Manhattan Beach homes and gardens with Modern Home Tours. The tour is $60 and includes a wine-and-cheese reception and an Idea House tour.
Manhattan Beach architect Louie Tomaro of Tomaro Design Group is the home’s designer. Sunset selected Mike Davis Custom Homes, also based in Manhattan Beach, to build the project. Masterpeace Gardens of Redondo Beach designed the landscape with drought-tolerant plantings, a no-mow lawn, an edible garden, an outdoor kitchen and living room, and a swimming pool.
David John Dick and Krista Schrock, partners in Los Angeles-based DISC Interiors, brought an effortless, contemporary vibe to the interiors, drawing inspiration from the nearby Pacific Ocean and California coastline.
“We wanted the interiors to feel modern and beach-driven but not in the typical Cape Cod motif of seashells or anchors,” Dick said. The designers played up graphic contrasts with oversized black-and-white photography of ocean scenes and selected warm finishes such as natural linens, baskets and white oak flooring. Ceramics, paintings, textile weavings and custom furniture commissioned from L.A.-area makers and artisans give personality to the voluminous interior spaces.
The heart of the home — the adjoining kitchen and great room — features retractable glass doors that open to merge the exterior with the interior, ideal for entertaining.
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Tour the Idea House
Where: 111 S. Meadows Ave., Manhattan Beach
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays to Sundays. Aug. 1 through Sept. 7.
Tickets: $18, online at sunsetideahouse.eventbrite.com or on-site during tour hours
Info: www.sunset.com/home/idea-houses/los-angeles-idea-house