A Midcentury Home in Malibu Shines After a Radiant Renovation

Dwell Escapes is supported by Genesis. We selected this escape because its long horizontal lines and minimalist spaces reflect the broad possibilities of modern living, and it shares a progressive sensibility with the Genesis GV80.

In 1949, the Malibu Crest house was raised on a hillside knoll with views of Malibu Lagoon to the south and the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. It was the most desirable spot on the hillside, and the first house as far as the eye could see. Designed in the popular International Style of the time, Malibu Crest was built with a flat roof, clean lines, broad overhangs, and lots of glass.

By the time Sam and Emily Mann bought the home in 2008, "it had some really cool bones, but it was kind of a hodgepodge of additions over the years, and showed a lack of rigor with the materials," says Wayne Chevalier of Studio Bracket Architects.

He and Adin Dunning were hired by the Manns to remodel the home to suit a modern lifestyle and serve a perfect vacation escape, as the Manns reside in New Jersey most of the year. To do that, Chevalier and Dunning referenced a set of black and white photographs (provided by a relative of the original owner) of the Malibu Crest residence in its 1949 glory.