Open House Obsession: LA Oceanfront Condo + Minimalist Paradise

We knew there was something special about this Marina Del Rey condominium when it popped up in our email. Because actually, we'd seen it before– the project was extensively published after being completion in 1999, in part because of O'Herlihy's use of channel glass, the slightly-greenish, frosted structural glass he deployed here which was previously only available in Europe, and used primarily in spaces that needed daylight but not views, like stairwells and workshops.

The decor has changed, but the good bones and simple finishes O'Herlihy chose for the original clients are still there– wood, polished concrete, and glass along with framed grids and layering of materials. You get a sense of magical, filtered light throughout the day.

In addition to the open kitchen/dining area and double-height living room, the main level has one bedroom and a bath originally planned to be the client's office which became a child's room when the clients unexpectedly became pregnant during the design process. Upstairs the master bedroom occupies the loft, open to the living room and ocean. To compensate for the new addition to their family, O'Herlihy designed a new office/library pavilion on the open roof deck, linked physically and visually to the master suite with a trellis.

Above a view of the master bedroom from the office structure. The bath's on the left (pictured below.)

Below, the living room with its beachfront deck looking towards the Venice Pier. The stone finish on the fireplace wall is not part of the original design. 

The original owners sold the condo in 2003. Not exactly toddler-friendly but it must have been hard to part with. Resold in 2010, it came back on the market yesteday. Check out the listing link for more images.

1 Eastwind, #303, Marina Del Rey
We knew there was something special about this Marina Del Rey condominium when it popped up in our email. Because actually, we'd seen it before—the project was extensively published after completion in 1999, in part because of O'Herlihy's use of channel glass, the industrial, slightly-greenish, frosted structural glass which was previously only available in Europe, and used there primarily in spaces that needed daylight but not views, like stairwells and workshops.

The decor has changed, but the good bones and simple finishes O'Herlihy chose for the original clients are still there—wood, polished concrete, and glass along with framed grids and layering of materials. You get a sense of magical, filtered light throughout the day.

In addition to the open kitchen/dining area and double-height living room, the main level has one bedroom and a bath—originally planned to be the client's office—which became a child's room when the clients unexpectedly became pregnant during the design process. To compensate for the new addition to their family, O'Herlihy designed a free-standing office/library pavilion (top) out on the open roof deck, linked physically and visually to the master suite with a trellis.

Above, a view of the master bedroom and deck from the office structure, and below, the living area with its beachfront deck. The stone finish on the fireplace wall is not part of the original design, and we suspect the change was a practical one as the firewood available in California is notoriously smoky.

The original owners sold the condo in 2003. Not exactly toddler-friendly, but it must have been hard to part with:

Resold in 2010, the condo came back on the market yesteday. Check out the listing for more images and a floor plan, plus Lorcan O'Herlihy's site for more about his firm's projects.