Light Fills 458 19th Street a Soaring Six-bedroom Home, Located Within One of Santa Monica’s Most Exclusive Neighborhoods
Though outsiders tend to lump Santa Monica into one luminous city, locals understand the nuances of its sparkling mini-neighborhoods. Gillette Regent Square, a pocket that extends from 17th street to 21st Place, circumscribes one of its most coveted portions.
Developed by King Gillette, the razor blade manufacturer and established in 1913, its wide lots, mature street trees, large homes, and quiet, congenial streets commandeered by kids on bikes and skateboards, with neighbors nodding to one other while walking their dogs, is an oasis of calm in the middle of active Los Angeles. Within this enclave is the home at 458 19th Street offered by Loraine Silver of Pence Hathorn Silver at Compass.
Bordered by a white stone fence, the home’s clean-lined facade, punctuated by generous windows and a black-glass fronted garage, sits back from the sidewalk, discrete and unprepossessing in its conversation with the older homes on the block. In fact, it’s not until you step inside the front door that you realize that the adage about the deceptive nature of first impressions is an apt one.
Its low-key contemporary exterior belies an expansive, light-filled interior. From the grand sightline that greets you at the front door and extends all the way through to the back of the home, to the high ceilings, three floors, and walls of sliding glass, everything about this home reads as elegant, spacious, and welcoming.
Sophea Interior Design hand-selected this home’s dramatic details—book-matched marble used for fireplace surrounds, sinks, and the master bathroom, solid hardware, finely finished closets, textured walls, and sparkling light fixtures—to amplify its feeling of soaring beauty.
A well-thought-out floorplan corrals two sets of Fleetwood doors to showcase the flexibility of the first level, the skilled use of a courtyard atrium and a central staircase to bring light to the lower floors, and the creativity engendered by incorporating its various entry points highlights the home’s ability to accommodate the many moods and demands of modern post-pandemic life.
With work from home recast from fantasy to reality, a home office is a necessity. This home provides space for two distinct areas that take into account the demands of a serious daily work area.
One, tucked just inside the large main door and with French door windows overlooking the street, is positioned to oversee the daily deliveries now part of everyday life. Beautifully detailed wood-lined walls are not only attractive, but they also provide a measure of soundproofing, ensuring quiet when deadlines loom and focus is paramount.
Directly below, on the home’s lower level, a second office (which could also be used as a bedroom), can be accessed via a stairway from the home’s southern gate, enabling clients to come and go without disturbing the family. That atrium acts as a light well, guaranteeing both lower and upper levels are beautifully illuminated. Outdoor areas connected to each space provide the setting for meetings or the occasional change of scenery needed to recharge.
One benefit of our new normal is the short commute. When the workday is done, close the door and join the family in the main rooms around which daily life revolves. The last year emphasized the need for multiple communal spaces drenched in outdoor light against which to perform the dance of privacy and togetherness that allow a family to share space. This home has aced that function, offering the answer in a trifecta of inviting spaces.
At the rear of the home, the family room centers around a gourmet kitchen whose full suite of Miele appliances is enhanced by custom cabinetry imported from Spain, double islands, and glass-fronted shelving. Fit for a family, it easily welcomes the services of a professional chef for times when future cocktail parties or a catered sit-down dinner are once again on the agenda.
This space partners with the lush backyard, which, centered around a beautifully designed pool that proffers a waterfall feature and an incorporated Jacuzzi, an outdoor kitchen, and a covered patio spanning the entire width of the lot, is a stunning example of indoor/outdoor living.
The formal living and dining room is another option for entertaining or just relaxing. Fully open the sidewall to the exterior to reveal a second deck, shaking off the seriousness of these rooms in the rejuvenating warmth of nature. The home’s northern gate allows direct access to these areas.
Downstairs, the lower level’s great room is yet another option. Natural light, coaxed inside by the interior patio, turns this floor into an enticing space. Two en-suite bedrooms (one set up as the aforementioned second home office), a bar, gas fireplace, climate-controlled wine cellar, mirrored gym, and tiered theater offer a relaxed alternative to the rooms on the main level.
The uppermost floor boasts four en-suite bedrooms, including the generous master suite. Here, amidst the luxurious details that bring to mind your favorite hotel suite—a fully appointed walk-in closet, fireplace, spacious bathroom—is your escape.
For certain, while you’ve come to appreciate the family togetherness of the last year, you’ve also learned that navigating it successfully demands alone time. A stolen hour on this room’s balcony, hidden by its dark glass fence, and a vision emerges: you, eyes closed in the warm sun, listening to your family as they go about their day. It’s the picture of a perfect life.
Loraine Silver • DRE #00800114 • 310.261.1595
Pence Hathorn Silver|Compass
List Price: $9,995,000
Photographs by Paul Jonason
