The pearl of Manhattan Beach’s Strand
A sculpted steel-and-glass home, designed with the curved lines of an ocean liner, sits on the Strand in Manhattan Beach, steps from the beach and an ocean view that extends from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to Malibu.
The house, owned by Filmation co-founder Lou Scheimer, who co-created the cartoons “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” and “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” was designed in 1988 by Ray Kappe, architect and co-founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture.
“My parents built it as a weekend retreat, tearing down a funky house that was on the lot back then,” says Erika Scheimer, the couple’s daughter. “The house changed the face of Manhattan Beach because Dad loved to create new pieces of art, and they wanted a round house on the beach.”
The contemporary design features a 12-foot stainless-steel front door with sculptural facade that pivots open to an entry of sand-blasted concrete walls and granite floors. A three-story atrium filled with greenery is paneled in teak and curves around a hidden powder room.
A few steps up is the main level of the house, featuring the living room, a dining area, a built-in 18-foot bar and a kitchen. The front-facing walls and windows are curved, creating the feel of being on a ship.
In the dining area, a Fasar cooktop is built into the counter to keep food warm, supplementing the Jenn-Air cooktop in the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a laundry area, a half-bathroom, a wine storage room and a three-car garage. A sound system pipes music throughout the house.
Below the main level is a family room that offers a ground-level view of the beach. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, separated by the atrium, are off the family room.
Upstairs, a glass catwalk leads to the master suite, a loft-like space that features an overhead retractable screen, an outdoor deck and views of the beach.
A hallway leads to two walk-in closets and the master bathroom, which has a spa tub, two toilets and a steam room with a double-shower and built-in bench.
A spiral staircase leads from the master bathroom area to a pool on the roof and three deck areas.
A bathroom for the pool is tucked behind the spiral staircase. A second staircase from the master bedroom also leads to the pool deck. There’s a one-person elevator from the ground level to the roof.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos on a CD, caption information, the name of the photographer and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek @latimes.com.