Black Stallion author Walter Farley owned this beachfront Florida property, now for sale for $1.9m – but it needs some TLC.

The Venice city home and writer’s studio was built between 1953 and 1956 for the Farley family by architects Jack West and Ralph Twitchel. The Sarasota Modernism pioneers worked with Rosemary Farley – who loved architecture – on its simple cubic design, which is typical of the Sarasota School’s aesthetic.

Inside, the four-bedroom midcentury property has original terrazzo flooring, direct views of the beach via floor-to-ceiling glazing, as well as wooden ceilings, brick walls and a Paul Rudolph-designed fireplace, initially intended for the Revere Quality House.

Walter Farley’s detached studio – where he wrote his horse-themed children’s novels – is surrounded by tropical plants and trees.

The Gulf of Mexico property is on sale with Martie Liebermano of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty and includes two acres of land. Its owners have not lived there for many years, and the modernist home requires repairs, but buyers should note rules are governing its restoration due to its prime waterfront location.

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