Venice, CA is a buzzing beach town with its own unique vibe. Not far from the free-spirited Venice Boardwalk, Muscle Beach, funky shops, stylish boutiques and foodie hotspots, is a quaint, new-construction modernistic home designed by architect
Matthew Royce. This envy-inducing split-level rental home, which is also owned by the architect, melds indoor living with the beautiful outdoors through the incorporation of a custom-made Schweiss one-piece hydraulic designer door.
The 13'-8" x 10'-8" door is clad with reflective glass that prevents heat gain and provides plenty of privacy for tenants when closed. The door is equipped with photo eye sensors for safety. The door is fitted into the endwall of the living room and opens to bring in fresh air and natural light.
“I chose the hydraulic door because of limited space and the hydraulic door gave more of a clear opening,” says Royce, who also served as the general building contractor. “I also chose it for headroom and I like how the highly reflective
glass becomes a sun shade for the living room.”
Royce painted the cylinders and the door frame black to match the window frames.
Also included in this 1,530-square-foot two-bedroom home is a fully integrated kitchen featuring the latest Miele appliances and HenryBuilt kitchen cabinets. Entering on the main level through a sleek pivot door, the open-concept layout boasts an incredible
SoCal indoor/outdoor living experience.
The full third-floor master bedroom suite offers a walk-in shower with separate soaking tub and extra-long vanity. The lower level features a second bedroom suite with a walk-in shower and retractable sliding glass doors leading to the private patio.
High-end finishes blend to create a warm modern feel, including concrete floors downstairs and walnut hardwood floors upstairs. Although there is abundant street parking for guests, the home has a basement level garage equipped with hydraulic car lift. The pump for the glass hydraulic door is in the basement as well.
“The door is great, well-built and works very well, as advertised,” Royce says. “I go and show it to people all the time. It makes for a great rental point, people love it; no one has ever seen anything like it on a house. I researched
different types of doors online and looked at different examples on the Schweiss Doors website. It seemed like they were the only ones who could do this type of door. And they have a good reputation.”
Royce added that the people at Schweiss Doors were good to work with and the door arrived on time and in good condition.