Well-heeled Glamour and Outdoor Living Take Center Stage at 868 9th Street a Spacious New Hill Section Home
“I envisioned the day-to-day life of a family,” says home developer Saeid Shokravi, who “fell in love with the area,” and whose Talmera Properties produced this approximately 5,526 square-foot home. “The focus is not just aesthetics, which is key for us, but also the functionality of the house, down to the smallest details.”
At first look, it’s hard not to be taken in by the sheer glamour of the home, set along the upslope of 9th Street in the Hill Section of Manhattan Beach, a few blocks east of the Valley/Ardmore greenbelt and offered by Nick Schneider and Lauren Forbes of Compass. Step inside the front door and one can see past the soaring ceilings and elegant, window-filled spaces—where an eye-stopping, slender geometric chandelier by FLOS takes center stage at the entrance—to the outdoors, where Fleetwood glass doors, spanning floor to ceiling, revealing a resort-like yard that feels at one with the home’s uber-polished interior.
“In California, we have the luxury of living the outdoor lifestyle,” Saeid Shokravi points out. “So I wanted to make sure people can experience it immediately, as soon as they enter the home.”
Twin waterfalls cascade into the sleek saltwater pool, and lush island landscape dresses the space in green, yellow, and fuchsia. It’s a self-contained private playground where one can grill and dine at the heated dining area, then move to drinks and stargazing on the tidy green lawn. This area is flexible: by day it’s a sunny play spot for kids, complete with an outdoor shower for rinsing off before returning inside. After sunset, dramatic lights and a flickering fire feature dress the area for starry get-togethers, along with built-in seating and a bubbly spa. Sunlit or at night it’s a space cultivated for an instant shot of aha tranquility.
“We designed it to look like a mini-resort,” notes Saeid Shokravi. “You come home from a busy life and you want to feel relaxed. That was the purpose.”
Indoors, the home has been designed to evoke feelings of ease that result from luxurious details twined with convenience, all the way down to the hyper-glossy white tiles covering the kitchen floor—warmed to take the chill out of cool mornings.
“I was adamant that everything had to be the highest quality,” explains Saeid Shokravi.
Tiles are by Haute-makers Porcelanosa, and the sleek cabinets are by award-winning Italian makers Snaidero. To maintain the streamlined, Euro-touch look of elegance in what is typically one of the busiest rooms in a house, there’s an appliance garage to tuck smaller kitchen tools and gadgets quickly out of sight, and a multitude of Miele appliances—two ovens, two dishwashers, a beverage center, and a full-height wine refrigerator—are visually unobtrusive, yet always within arms’ reach. Even the kitchen’s center island follows suit; constructed from a single 9-foot slab, the floating centerpiece is almost sculptural, with a white surface that’s reflective in its high sheen.
The head-turning allure of the home is immediate, while its high functionality becomes more apparent as one settles in. Relevant, convenient, and usable were keywords guiding this project, where Saeid Shokravi sought to create a home that would, at its exterior, be visually simpatico with the rest of the neighborhood—yet would push the envelope in terms of look and features everywhere else. The main hallway of the upper, bedroom level attests to this: dark, horizontal ceiling slats are dramatically lit with a mix of glowing LED lights and beachside sunlight streaming from skylights. (A nice convenience on this level is the sleek beverage center nestled along the hallway.)
In the elevator, walls are uniquely patterned in dark wood; and the master suite features a luxe walk-in closet with smooth Italian cabinetry and a glass-topped display case.
Even the lower level of the home works as a primary space, with a full-fledged cocktail bar that’s a suave design of veiny, high-gloss stone set against matte black, and equipped with a dishwasher and two SubZero bar refrigerators. This level is also home to another en-suite bedroom, the home’s fifth, which can alternately become home to a gym; conveniently since there’s a walk-in steam shower just steps away. The laundry room on this level (there’s yet another one located on the bedroom level) goes beyond function; it’s a spacious place with plenty of storage and is designed in soothing taupe on white.
“We always try to push the edge, in the right way,” says the developer, “but we always make sure it’s relevant to the homeowner of today.” Both of these—good looks and ease of use—are a boon at this desirable location, where new-construction homes are not plentiful.
“If you could actually find a suitable lot in the Hill Section of Manhattan Beach,” notes Lauren Forbes of Compass, who is co-listing the home with Nick Schneider, “a new construction home would be two to four years away from completion. This one is ready to move in tomorrow.”
The Hill Section is lauded for its wide and quiet streets, with bird’s-eye Beach Cities views and a treasured feeling of expansiveness. It’s also a central, and convenient part of Manhattan Beach. From this home, it’s a 10-minute stroll to shopping and dining Downtown, and a 5-minute bike cruise to the beach for swimming and surfing. Amplifying its already pleasant address is this new home—a sleekly elegant place that’s been decked in luxurious features and materials, and warmed by the comforts of sunlight and sculpted fresh-air spaces—to welcome one home.
“You fall in love with these projects and it’s hard to let go of them,” Saeid Shokravi muses. “But at the end of the day, I always feel that every project will find its family; those who are going to go live there and enjoy their life. That pleases me more.”
Nick Schneider | DRE #01867363 | 310.809.4875
Lauren Forbes | DRE #01295248 | 310.901.8512
of Compass
List Price: $9,868,000
Photography by Paul Jonason
