California-Listings-Magazine-June-7-2023 - Flipbook - Page 28
Photo courtesy of Mike Helfrich
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Famed Malibu Sandcastle House
Hits The Market For $27.5 Million
An iconic piece of Malibu real estate has just come to
market with the listing of the Sandcastle House. The
hand-built home by visionary architect (and surfer) Harry Gesner, boasts 122 feet of beachfront and is listed at
$27.5 million.
Offered for sale for the first time, the six bed/six bath
property is known for its roofline inspired by a sandcastle, with textures determined in part by the materials
Gesner salvaged as an early evangelist of sustainable
construction: telephone poles, reclaimed bricks, wall
panels made from aqueduct pipes, birdseye maple from
a high school gym, old-growth redwood harvested in the
1800s, and windows and doors saved from one of Hollywood’s silent film theaters.
With massive spoke-like beams and a wood-plank ceiling, the heart of the main house is a window-wrapped
space that comprises living and dining areas with an
enormous brick fireplace at its hub. Inspired by the Hollywood Bowl, Gesner built the fireplace as a stage for his
wife, actress Nan Martin, with a huge polished concrete
hearth.
A solarium with stained glass panels flanks the dining
area, and the ocean views enjoyed from the interior areas extend to the wraparound deck just outside. Echoing
the cylindrical shape of the house itself, the kitchen wraps
around a circular island and has tile countertops, stained
glass lunettes fitted into the beams overhead, a fireplace,
updated appliances, a breakfast bar, and a walk-in pantry.
On the home’s main level are two ensuite bedrooms, one
with built-ins suitable for an office. Upstairs is the primary suite tower, with high ceilings, huge beams, charming
eyebrow windows, a brick fireplace, an ocean-view sitting area, and a spiral staircase with handmade driftwood
treads leading up to a studio/loft/meditation space.
The property’s additional structures include an oceanview “tree house” apartment with a kitchenette, living
room/dining area, bedroom, bath, and wraparound deck;
a “boat house” with a full kitchen, ocean-view living/dining room with a built-in table and porthole windows, a full
bath, and a bedroom; and another one-bedroom apartment “nest” with ocean view and stained glass above an
indoor/outdoor cabana.
There is also an open-air living area, deck, and teepee-covered daybed. The property is also home to a
three-car garage and additional parking platform, a covered deck, a brick patio, lawn, an outdoor shower, surfboard and other storage areas, steps to the beach.
Malibu expert Chris Cortazzo holds the listing along with
his colleague Zen Gesner, also with Compass.
See the inside at CaliforniaListings.com.
Keyword search: SANDCASTLE.