For Ryan and Brita Wald, establishing a home in one very specific area of Manhattan Beach was a longtime dream. “I moved to Manhattan Beach from Texas in 1999, and it became a goal of mine to live on The Strand someday,” says Ryan. “I started out in a triplex in El Porto, and Brita had grown up going to the beach.”
When they initially found the site of their home a few blocks from Bruce’s Beach several years ago, they knew they wanted to start from scratch. “We bought it as a teardown,” says Brita of the pseudo-gabled, Mediterranean-style house with plaster columns. “It was a 1930s original build, and it had been remodeled over the years.”
Gaining inspiration by driving and walking through the neighborhood and seeing homes they liked, they ultimately settled on KAA Design Group to assist with the approximately 7,000-square-foot home. The firm’s projects include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and residential designs for notable, high-profile clients.
Together they developed Ryan and Brita’s vision for a comfortable, private, indoor-outdoor home with a tropical feel. The couple—who have two sons, ages 14 and 11—wanted a yard for their active lifestyle, spaces for relaxing and entertaining, and ample storage. The overall design approach was equally important to them as the firm selection.
“You see homes you like in the neighborhood, and all of them were done by KAA, so that part was easy,” explains Ryan. “But once we got into their process, we loved sitting down and having to think about questions like: ‘What do you want out of this home?’ and ‘What’s important to you?’ They took all of that and synthesized it.”
“When our friends and family come to stay, they always say they feel like they are on vacation.”
This aspect of the initial planning process is key, says Grant Kirkpatrick, founding partner of KAA Design Group. “We start every project with what we call our ‘vision process.’ We’re trying to create a story with them. We have a proprietary way of mining the story, with the clients’ lifestyles and what this property affords and restricts. It’s like making a movie; you have to develop the script and assess what is this about.”
The final design, which Grant calls “an ode to the beach and coastal lifestyle with a hint of tropical influence in materials and landscape,” was a calculated amalgamation of their expressed interests, ideas and ingenuity utilizing the additional square footage of the rare oversized lot.
The exterior of the four-level, five-bedroom home is clad in weather-resistant wood called sapele, Nevada Gold Texas limestone, and painted aluminum louvers and metal accents. The interior features an elevator, a dog run, a basement-level spa and wellness space with a gym and dry sauna, and a theatre for movie nights. There’s also a beach game room with a pool table and full bar, and an open-air terrace adjacent to the primary bedroom with heated floors, a fireplace and a wall-mounted TV.
“What I cherish about this project is it allows you to live an outdoor lifestyle on the beach but with comfort and sophistication,” explains Grant. “I love how it all connects, and I think it really will stand the test of time.”
The outdoor space, enveloped by a lush landscape with plants like Kentia palm and Ficus rubra, is multifunctional and offers privacy from The Strand. The lawn and multiuse courtyard are perfect for lounging, entertaining, and the boys’ sports and activities.
A clever solution for both Brita’s desire for a yard and Ryan’s wish for a swimming pool is the hydraulic, 12-by-15-foot pool discovered by the home’s builder, Matthew Wachtfogel, and constructed by Canadian company AKVO Spiralift. The high-tech pool features a mobile floor that seamlessly converts and transforms into a hard surface and basketball court or a splash pad at the push of a button. “When the floor is up, you would never know a pool was there,” says Brita.
Inside, local interior designer Lynn Pépe of Pépe Studio, Inc. opted for a palette of soft blues, greys and sea-inspired tones to complement the ocean views and custom touches including bathrooms appointed in different styles of custom tile. “She did a fantastic job,” says Brita. “Everything is custom. I’ve had people ask where they can buy things—basically everything was made.”
In the primary bedroom on the top floor, sentimental touches include a photo Brita gifted to Ryan with significant dates for the couple, including their first date and wedding. On the opposite end of the top level, the two boys’ rooms are a creative, personal nod to both of them—bunk beds and a rock climbing wall in one and a custom-built loft bed with a thatched roof in the other.
“I’m obsessed with this room,” says Brita of the latter. “We built a surf shack with stairs that lead to his bed. The bottom level is an oversized playhouse that’s currently being used as a reading nook/library or sleepover bed.”
The home has now become a hub for just about every family need imaginable. “We were able to accomplish having multiple entertainment and party areas, and we were able to accomplish having a yard and a pool that we wanted,” says Ryan. “It’s also accessible for our parents. We packed a lot in. When our friends and family come to stay, they always say they feel like they are on vacation.”
For Brita, it’s become a haven for peace and comfort. “I’m a homebody, and I’m very happy here.”
