The ‘Endless Summer’ House

Winter's chill got you yearning for summer?

Well, here's a slice of paradise that could bring the sun, surf, and sand right to your door.

Designed by the esteemed Southern California architectural team of Buff & Hensman, 'The Endless Summer Malibu Beach House' (originally known as the Brown House) rises up two stories on La Costa Beach, minutes away from downtown Malibu and Santa Monica.

21640 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu is listed by its current owner, Branden Williams of Beverly Hills Estates, at a cool $9.8 million.

Williams, who has owned the single-family home on La Costa Beach with his wife, Rayni, for five years, explains that he completed a full restoration consulting with interior designer Victoria Gillet, he says, "with the idea of transforming it into a '60s Buff & Hensman surf bungalow with the lushness of the '70s."

"This house was built in 1969, during the 'Summer of Love' [era]," he says. "[Actor] Steve McQueen rented it in the '70s, and [singer] Dolly Parton also lived in it for a time."

Far beyond any beach shack we've ever seen, Williams is proud of the "groovy beach vibe" that was achieved by installing New Zealand shag carpeting in period-perfect pea-green wool, a sunburn-orange Onyx kitchen and bathroom, and so much more.

Within its approximately 2,400 square feet sited on a 4,881 square foot lot, there are antiques, decorative objects d'art, and wallpapers from France and Asia. A wall of stained glass, a feature often found in Buff & Hensman homes, adds color and luminescence to the living spaces.

"I also went with Forms+Surfaces," Williams says, "and added the Styleline sliding-window system, because the windows had been redone cheaply in the '70s."

The three-bedroom, two-bath home features pounded brass sinks, bronze mirrors, and wall-mounted black Duravits toilets. The exterior is clad in cedar shingles, with double-height interior ceilings also made of cedar.

Outdoors there's new landscaping, a two-car garage, and a new cedar hot tub with an outdoor shower and fire pit. An exterior deck "jets out further than your neighbors" to ensure privacy, and from there it's just a few steps down to the sandy beach, views out to Catalina Island, and the shimmering nighttime lights of 'the Queen's Necklace.'

Conrad Buff (1926-1989) and Donald Hensman (1924-2002), were among California's most prolific mid-century architects, producing an impressive portfolio during their enduring partnership.