Reggie Parry
For contemporary design lovers, a Chad Oppenheim residence beach front in Malibu is the ne plus ultra. No dream at all, it’s the real thing: a crisp white tri-level dwelling on Escondido Beach not far from the city’s Point Dune. Commissioned homes come to mind first, and they’ve touched down in such far-flung locales as Caracas, Venezuela; the Bahamas; Aspen; Oberwil, Switzerland outside of Basel; and, of course, Miami Beach.
For a seaside meal, reserve a table at Forte dei Marmi, the restaurant not in the much-loved Tuscan town, but closer to home in a 1938 building in Miami’s South Beach.
“I design around the feelings I want to create for the end-user or the greatest common denominator of end users.” Thus, he responds to the obvious initial query of differences between commissioned and speculative work. In this case, it would be, of course, sweeping views of sea and coastline, celebration of daylight, open space inside, and dematerialization between indoors and out.
Retractable glass at side and front opens the interior to wraparound terrace and adjacent garden. Encompassing 7,160 square feet, the dwelling is now organized with a contiguous living, dining, kitchen expanse on the main level, its 74-foot-long glazed front completely retractable.
Same for the glass side opening onto a terrace and adjacent garden, the generous outdoor space a contrast to many of the tight confines of, say, the Malibu Colony. To add a bit of definition to this common living space and set the stage for three seating groups, Oppenheim raised it three steps up at the entry.
Meanwhile, the home’s lower level is designated as the entertainment area, while the upper accommodates four bedrooms with en-suite baths. The pièce de résistance, it is steel framed, fabricated in pieces, and was plastered on site during assembly.
