Seaside Sandcastle for Sale - Page 2

When Harry finished, the Sandcastle was a showstopper from every angle.

The cylindrical home opens into a library/sitting area that looks out to the ocean, and is filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Huge wooden beams fan out in spoke-like fashion, with a planked wood ceiling.

At the heart of the main house is a monumental brick fireplace with a polished concrete hearth that Harry designed as a stage for his wife, actress Nan Martin.

"My father designed the house with a focal point to my mom's acting career, a massive fireplace like a theater shell with a hearth, all in the round," Zen explains. "Occasionally, she'd sit on the hearth, the stage, in front of the fireplace, which looks out to the ocean."

A solarium with stained-glass panels encircles the dining area, and ocean views can be seen from indoors to the wraparound deck outside. The kitchen wraps around a circular island with tile countertops, and is accented by an underwater painting that carries out the ocean theme. Stained glass lunettes are fitted into the overhead beams.

Designed to take in ocean views from every possible vantage point, the Sandcastle includes two en-suite bedrooms on the main level. Upstairs is the master suite in a tower with a high ceiling, and a spiral staircase handcrafted with driftwood treads ascending to a loft area.

There's also a separate treehouse apartment, a boathouse with a full kitchen, and a one-bedroom apartment, all sharing spectacular ocean views on the 0.73-acre property.

Over his 97 years, Harry Gesner lived life to its fullest, a brilliant student of many subjects, from surfing to archeology to architecture, always exhibiting a rare appreciation for life.

Among Harry's best-known architectural icons is the Wave house (1956), which neighbors the Sandcastle. Many are surprised to learn that he also designed the Hollywood Hills Boathouses (1959), figuring out a way to engineer them on a site that had been declared "unbuildable."

"A lot of his architecture was intended for us to live in sync with the environment," explains Zen, who describes his architect-father as a brilliant inventor and engineer who was always looking to make the world a better place. "His houses are pieces of art—functional, warm, inviting, and wonderful for families."

"My father was my best friend," added Zen. "He taught me how to surf before I could walk. When I was growing up, anytime I had any problems, he'd say, 'Grab your surfboard, and let's go paddling out.' We worked everything out, just being out there together with the dolphins and the seals."

And it doesn't get any better than that.

Click here for a virtual tour of the Sandcastle property.