Carl Maston’s California beach house goes on sale for the first time

A California beach house designed more than 40 years ago by architect Carl Maston is on the market for the first time, with much of its original architecture still intact.

Commissioned by former actress Tracy ‘Babs’ Susman in 1984, the house stands directly on the sand at Faria Beach in Ventura. Maston drew on the modest summer cabins that once lined this stretch of coast, using cedar, exposed structural beams, brick and concrete throughout.

Inside, timber-lined rooms open towards the Pacific through expansive glazing. A built-in window seat overlooks the water, while the house’s stepped roofline and exposed structure give the interiors their distinctive form.

The three-bedroom residence extends across 2,640 square feet and has remained in the same family since its completion. Original materials, built-in furniture and architectural details have been preserved.

In 1985, Julius Shulman photographed the house shortly after it was built. Four decades later, his images offer a rare comparison with a modernist home that has changed remarkably little.

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