It's rare when a home built by one of America's hottest home design firms arrives on the market, so when this sleek Venice residence hit the market for $4.75 million, design aficionados raised a toast.
The designer of note is Ron Radziner, co-founder of the award-winning Marmol Radziner architectural firm. The firm's chic modern homes have been prized by the likes of Jane Lynch, Ashton Kutcher, and Demi Moore. Clothing designers -- folks who center their lives around style -- including Tom Ford, James Perse, and Trina Turk, have commissioned Marmol Radziner homes.
"Marmol Radziner homes are so special, they seldom come up for resale," says Tami Halton Pardee, the founder of Halton Pardee and Partners, the brokerage representing the home. "People like to buy them and keep them and live in them. Some even collect them. Marmol Radziner are among the greatest architects of our time."
In the trendy Abbot Kinney area of Venice, a popular neighborhood in Los Angeles, many old bungalows have been purchased and razed to make way for mod spec homes. So what sets this new four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home apart from other rebuilds?
In addition to the overall exquisite design, the home's central courtyard takes everyone's breath away. "I designed this house conscious of the fact that there were two-story houses to each side, so I wanted to really create a home that was very inwardly focused," says Radziner. The house is private from nearby neighbors, yet "light and sunny and filled with nature."
The designer put a mature sycamore tree right in the center of the courtyard, and incorporated its natural colors in the surrounding structure. Large sliding glass doors, windows, and balconies open to the courtyard on all sides.
The result of the focus within is seamless indoor-outdoor living, affording almost complete privacy from the neighbors. And privacy is no small feat when you have a two-story, 3,644-square-foot home sitting on a 5,170-square-foot lot.
Almost every room is saturated with natural light and looks out onto the courtyard, including the 530 square feet of finished bonus space that can be used for an office or studio. The dining area and chef's kitchen, with its generous cabinetry, large island, and top-of-the-line European appliances, also open up to the courtyard.
On the second floor, the four bedrooms overlook the courtyard, with the master suite situated at the rear of the property, separated by a hallway bridge. The upstairs floors are made of natural oak and much of the custom cabinetry is blond walnut.
"This is a classic home that will never go out of style," says Pardee, noting many contemporary homes have a tendency to be outdated in a number of years.
"Ron's attention to detail is exquisite, yet the house is soft, inviting, and warm. I want to live there myself!" That's really saying something for Pardee, whose brokerage handles many of the area's most elite properties. But it looks like even Pardee, as well as a multitude of other architectural enthusiasts, may have to stand in line.