The Sophisticated Snoop tour ranges from a beach bungalow to a modern masterpiece
Perhaps nobody knows homes in the South Bay better than Debbie Walmer.
For 39 years, Walmer has helped organize the Sophisticated Snoop Home Tour, which annually allows participants to see some of the area’s most interesting and architecturally representative homes. She spends each year hunting for a half dozen homes worthy of snooping in and homeowners willing to open their doors for a weekend.
And so when Walmers says that the 39th edition of the Sophisticated Snoop tour may be the best yet, it’s worth taking notice.
“Every year, the homes have really been special,” Walmer said. “We’ve had just wonderful homes in the past, but this year all six homes are going to be astonishing. I am so excited about this year’s selection of homes.”
The event, which benefits American Martyrs School, includes a bold new modern home designed by architect Patrick Killen; a lovingly restored 1910 beach bungalow; a South Carolina-inspired beach house influenced by a family’s visit to Hilton Head; a cleverly designed modern home that includes a yoga studio, a mediation room, and kitchen built for demonstrating healthy cooking; the Nantucket-inspired modern home built by architect John Starr for his own family; and a newly built Monterrey Colonial home whose owner doesn’t buy anything retail – the entire interior design was furnished through visits to swap meets, garage sales, and websites such as Craigslist.
Each year, Walmer tries to assemble a tour with great variety. This year she has wildly succeeded.
“Each home is so special,” she said. “People come on this tour mainly to get decorating ideas, or, if they are building, to see innovative ways of doing things that are practical and make sense. There’s so much to see in these homes.”
Home descriptions by Rebecca Foster
Photos by Liz Chalmers
The Strickfadden Home
652 31st Street, Manhattan Beach
Completed in 2009, this home was inspired by the architecture and casual lifestyle of the Coastal Carolinas. Throughout the home the owner imported indigenous materials such as crushed Tabby stucco (crushed limestone, sand and oyster shells) to consistently anchor the entrance, front door foyer and both fireplaces. This coastal theme is continued with the main family room and kitchen ceilings treated in dark stained beams and clean lines of white painted beadboard. Throughout the three levels, the floors are wide planked hand-scraped walnut. The family room and kitchen were designed to flow to the outdoor living room extending both the design and ambience of this home. Careful attention to the outdoor living space was made to include a seating area, fireplace, exterior draperies, and Bermuda shutters which can be closed to create a warm environment. The downstairs level houses a media room, study area, mud room, wine cellar, and an artist’s studio. The South Carolina Coast inspired every detail, and after this tour you will be dreaming of your own vacation to the Low Country.
The Lester/McAfee Home
2523 Valley Boulevard, Manhattan Beach
This Monterrey Colonial home is not your typical Manhattan Beach home. It was built in 2006, but with the use of vintage fixtures, arched doorways, and beautiful details throughout, you feel like you are walking into a beautifully restored 1920s home. The floors are hickory pecan, and the kitchen backsplash was handmade in Mexico. Each tile is hand-painted concrete. The current owner added the center island. The family room opens onto a beautiful bricked courtyard perfect for entertaining. There is even a potting shed with a half bath. The upstairs is light-filled thanks to skylights in the hallway. The bathrooms are finished in beautiful tile, and the clawfoot tub in the master bath beckons you to relax after a long day. Each bedroom is filled with treasured antiques and repurposed flea market finds. The owner is an avid collector, and the special collections can be found artfully displayed in all corners of the home. This gem of a home brings the famed Carmel Coast to our very own backyard.
The Ettley Home
1148 Fisher Avenue, Manhattan Beach
This home is the breathtaking result of a glass company owner and a renowned contemporary architect joining forces. Mangaris wood is used to create a “lazy-l” to support this home’s glass structure. The entry level is complete with a theater, outside garden and a unique water feature. Up the glass and mangaris wood stairway, you are on the bedroom floor. The master bath has a unique tub and shower combo with glass windows and an ocean view. The glassed-in sitting room makes you feel like you are walking on air. There is colored glass in both doors leading to the girls’ bedrooms. Upstairs, the walls of glass continue, and the views go on forever. The outdoor glass firepit is a warm and welcoming refuge. The modern kitchen is open and airy, and the center island is a chef’s dream. The study room off the family room is cozy and warm. The last stunning feature of this house is the garage. With 14-foot ceilings and features galore, it is the envy of the neighborhood.
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The Starr Home
2119 Power Street, Hermosa Beach
This home was conceived and designed as a modern interpretation of classic East Coast architecture. The typical elements seen in the Nantucket style, like shingles and the screened porch, are utilized but in an interpretive way. The “screened porches” become elegant living spaces; shingles are used to define architectural volumes, while an expressive timber trellis helps organize the geometry of the design, the ceiling beams and the flooring pattern. Designed for the Southern California beach lifestyle, this home features expansive glass, large open spaces and a connection to the outdoors. There is a great sense of volume and light which exaggerates the generous size of the home. Each room is distinct, but is always visually connected to the other spaces, allowing for great entertaining. Hosting family and friends comes easy with this home because it offers so many opportunities to gather in a comfortable and relaxed setting. Once you see this home, you may never want to leave.
The Vitta Home
1918 Manhattan Avenue, Hermosa Beach
This newly built modern beach home is filled with amazing details. The floors are European white oak. The beautiful grey tone is soothing to the eyes, and also hides the wear and tear that comes with living only a block from the beach. The entry floor houses a jaw-dropping master suite. The fireplace is surrounded in stainless steel. The bathroom is tiled in floor to ceiling modern porcelain tiles. The three additional bedrooms all open onto the “teen” gathering space complete with a private courtyard. Downstairs is a haven of tranquility. There is a private meditation room in addition to a huge, private Kundalini yoga studio. When you leave the peacefulness of the downstairs, you can head upstairs to the main living area where you are met with views from Malibu to Catalina. While the downstairs was designed for mindfulness, the upstairs is a haven for gathering and eating. A visit to this home will leave you feeling inspired and peaceful!
The Unser Home
50 16th Street, Hermosa Beach
This 1910 beach bungalow has been remarkably transformed into a family home for five with special touches at every turn. The owners used only local craftsmen for all aspects of their remodel. For a family with deep ties to the South Bay, the home is a tribute to family members near and far. The granite counter in the kitchen is Hawaiian Bordeaux to remind them of family in Hawaii. The seahorses are a nod to a childhood home, which prominently featured carousel horses. Throughout the house, the original windows have been hand-painted and are now used as unique pieces of art. Because of local building codes, only 500 square feet of additional space could be added. To make the rooms feel bigger, they maximized natural light and pitched the ceilings upstairs. Once the kids leave home, the wall between the two front bedrooms can be removed to create a larger master suite. With thoughtful building and family touches everywhere, this is a classic beach cottage restored and updated for 21st Century living.
For more information or tickets by mail call (424) 212-7800
Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 18, 19, 20
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Donation: $30; $25 presale
Tickets may be purchased at the following locations:
American Martyrs School, 1701 Laurel, Manhattan Beach
Banner Stationers, 415 Main St., El Segundo
Bristol Farms, 1570 Rosecrans, Manhattan Beach
Card de A, 1769 So. Elena, Redondo Beach
Christie, 1209 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach
Fran’s Hallmark, 703 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach
Le Garage, 717 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach
Pages Bookstore, 904 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach
Complimentary coffee & gourmet homemade cookies will be served at 2119 Power, Hermosa Beach
Sponsored by: American Martyrs Parent Association
