601 Paseo del Mar a Steel-framed Modernist Residence is Imbued With an Uber-airy Floorplan, Relaxing Palette and Abundant Glass That Lets Its Unobstructed Pacific Ocean Panorama Speak for Itself
About 20 years ago, Peter Field’s father created a captivating Modernist residence along a plum spot of Palos Verdes blufftop.
“He saw the potential with the view and the land, and he knew he could make something of it,” says Peter Field.
It was a time when ornate Mediterranean-style architecture was in vogue, and few were erecting the kind of streamlined, steel-and-glass-dominated residences like the one Field would create in collaboration with his friend, architect Corwin Eberting.
A notable local architect, Corwin Eberting opened his practice in Redondo Beach in the late 1950s, and for decades he was responsible for shaping the look and design of community landmarks like the Redondo Beach pier and harbor, along with a slew of commercial buildings and private residences in the South Bay.
Field was an engineer, and the two made a great team. Both were generational peers who knew the philosophy and aesthetic of mid-century design personally—having experienced and practiced it during the most pivotal years of the age.
“He didn’t want a typical, Palos Verdes-looking house,” Peter Field says of his father. “He wanted something super sleek, and he wanted to take advantage of the views as much as possible. He didn’t want any seams or anything breaking up the view, so he built the home with steel and glass. At one point he told me, ‘It might end up looking like an airport terminal, but I just want as much glass as possible.'”
An intimate ocean view
Field and Eberting applied their engineering and architectural bona fides to the design and execution of 601 Paseo del Mar, and the result was a head-turning residence of approximately 4,715 square feet, with 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.
About the lot, which is about .39 acres: Though Paseo del Mar properties are of the A-list variety, featuring unblocked and exhilarating views of the Pacific Ocean and coastline, this address sports a couple of features that make it notable even in a sea of fine addresses.
“Malaga Cove is a really small, exclusive enclave of homes,” points out real estate agent Chris Adlam of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty.
Within the Malaga Cove community, this home is located along a particularly mellow stretch of Paseo del Mar and is flanked on one side with open acres of ocean blufftop and scenic walking trails.
Add to this is 601 Paseo del Mar’s location along a curve, with no neighbors to the east, and the result is an utterly unblocked panorama of ocean to savor from nearly every room in the house.
“It’s one of the best spots on the whole Peninsula,” Chris Adlam explains, “there’s nothing in front of you but intimate ocean, coastline and city lights views.”
Like a cruise ship
Field and Eberting clearly thought ahead. 601 Paseo del Mar remains a quintessential blufftop residence; crisply modern, filled with coastal light and high-definition views of the ocean. The floorplan is open and airy, with common spaces situated on the second floor, where the main entrance is situated. (The home’s entire entry sequence is a welcoming, elegant one, starting with lush green and palm tree landscaping at the curb, and an automatic gate that leads into a brick-paved car park.)
Given that Field and his wife intended to age in place at the property, this main floor is designed to be all-encompassing for a person who wishes to live on a single floor: From a bright kitchen decked in custom cabinetry, wonderfully streamlined and arranged for efficiency, its wood-grain finish giving off a mellow sheen; to a majestic primary suite where glass walls slide away to connect you with the ocean.
“They were so forward-thinking,” Peter Field points out. “They built extra-wide doorways so a wheelchair could get through.” And in the luxurious primary bathroom, he adds, “There’s a roll-in shower that looks really great.”
Glass is a constant of 601 Paseo del Mar, along with spacious decks that link generous indoor spaces with the outdoors. Upstairs, glass walls roll away to expand upon al fresco gathering and dining spaces. The effect is not unlike being at sea.
“It feels like you’re on a landlocked cruise ship,” remarks Peter Field.
A floating central staircase with steps of thick aqua glass separates the two floors. The staircase is a centerpiece of 601 Paseo del Mar and was inspired by one that the senior Field encountered on a trip to Turkey.
Head to the ground level, which is home to three of the residence’s five bedrooms, all with ocean views, and more gathering spaces. It’s an ideal configuration. These interior spaces readily connect to a generous pool deck where you can swim and lounge while immersed in a scene of only ocean and sky.
Surrounding it is a colorfully landscaped yard where you can count stars after dark or wander along the sandy blufftop paths, taking in the ocean air. A charming touch is a private terrace that juts over the cliffs.
“It’s like the Titanic scene on the front of the ship,” says Peter Field.
It’s a special corner of the property where one can feel suspended over the ocean, and alone in the best sense.
“There’s something extra special about that,” he says.
Though he’s talking about a niche where you can watch whales and dolphins coast by, he can just as easily be describing the property at large when he adds: “It’s paradise. It really is.”
Chris Adlam | 310.493.7216 | DRE#00967574
Vista Sotheby’s International Realty
List Price: $11,999,000
Photography by Peter McMenamin