It’s the sound of water that greets visitors first at Marty and Tina Sarafa’s hillside home in Manhattan Beach. Not the crashing surf of the Pacific below, but a quiet, meditative trickle guiding guests across floating steps toward the front door. Water surrounds the entrance, creating a moment of calm before you step inside.
Then the door opens, and the house reveals itself. Light pours in from every direction. The entry splits upward and downward in a graceful architectural gesture, revealing multiple levels at once.
Suspended overhead is a breathtaking installation of hand-blown glass droplets cascading through the center of the home like raindrops. It’s the kind of entrance that makes you pause, and it was entirely Marty’s idea.
From the beginning, he imagined a home where the entry would feel open and connected rather than hidden behind a long flight of stairs. Interior designer Phil Norman says that openness created both an opportunity and a challenge for the design team.
“We wanted to create uniqueness and personality while still keeping everything cohesive,” says Phil, whose solution was to treat the house as a series of experiences rather than one large open space. “People love the fact that things are open and flowing, but you still have to create moments of discovery from one room to the next.”
Architect Louie Tomaro approached the structure with a similar philosophy: “The house was designed to feel like it’s rising out of the land. Board-form concrete anchors the base, while warm materials like wood create a layered texture above. And the top-level glass layer creates the sun-drenched crown.”
The result is a home that feels grounded yet light-filled, modern without ever feeling cold. For Marty, this vision had been quietly forming for years. After living on the lot for more than two decades, he knew exactly what he wanted to capture.
“The whole point of tearing down the original house was to take advantage of the views and open it up,” he says. “We wanted indoor-outdoor living and flow.”
And what views they are. Because of the home’s elevated position, the Sarafas enjoy something rare in Manhattan Beach: sight lines that stretch above neighboring rooftops toward the Pacific. At sunset, the sky becomes its own daily spectacle.
“I’m such a cornball,” Tina laughs as she describes calling friends and family outside to watch the colors change. “The sunsets here just take your breath away.”
Louie explains that the building achieves its sense of balance through strong horizontal elements and its anchoring to the land. Combined with the symmetrical façade, these elements create the home’s striking composition.
Inside, the home balances architectural precision with warmth, something Tina felt strongly about from the beginning. “We wanted contemporary,” she says, “but warm and timeless.”
The interiors layer clean lines with texture, art and thoughtful materials that soften the modern architecture. Phil says creating that balance always comes down to understanding how people live in their homes. For the Sarafas, that meant designing a house meant for gathering.
Despite its striking architecture and state-of-the-art amenities, the home never feels formal. Instead it feels welcoming, a place where friends naturally gravitate.
“We became the house everyone comes back to,” Tina shares.
And the home is designed perfectly for that. The lower level opens to an outdoor cooking area with grills and lounge spaces where friends gather for relaxed dinners. The outdoor area includes a gorgeous pool and a pickleball court.
Upstairs, expansive terraces overlook the coastline. Inside, there’s a state-of-the-art gym, a golf simulator and not one but two wine cellars, one for everyday drinking and another for longer-term aging.
The whole property feels a bit like a private resort tucked into the hillside. It’s the kind of home where the Sarafas’ children love bringing friends to visit and where guests frequently stay.
Dinner parties often begin outside and slowly move through the house as the evening unfolds. The Sarafas love to cook, but they also have friends who happily take over the kitchen. Wine tastings inspired by trips to Bordeaux and Tuscany are a regular occurrence. Tina even hosts mahjong nights that stretch late into the evening.
“We have a revolving door of friends,” she says.
Despite the many spaces designed for entertaining, Tina admits she still has a favorite corner of the house. “The nest for me is the living area between my office and the kitchen,” she says of the space where she spends most mornings, sipping tea and looking out toward the ocean.
Every room in the home feels personal, none more so than the spaces filled with Tina’s art collection. An avid collector with a passion for supporting emerging artists, she regularly introduced Phil to creators she discovered online or through friends. Phil loved collaborating with her on the art throughout the home.
That generosity extends well beyond her walls. A longtime volunteer and active member of American Martyrs Church, Tina dedicates countless hours supporting immigrant communities and advocating for those who often don’t have a voice. Her compassion is woven into everything she does, including the art inside her home.
One of the most memorable pieces sits downstairs: a life-size black sheep sculpture that immediately sparks conversation. Phil says the symbolism felt perfect: “She’s always rooting for the underdog.”
Tina loved it instantly, but Phil didn’t stop there. With a playful sense of humor, he quietly hid small black sheep references throughout the house: books, objects and subtle nods tucked into shelves and corners like little surprises. Those thoughtful touches help give the home its personality.
While the Sarafa residence is architecturally striking, what truly defines it is the life inside. After raising three children in Manhattan Beach, Marty and Tina now find themselves in what Tina calls the “sweet spot” of life, when the kids are grown, friendships run deep and there’s time to enjoy the home they’ve built.
“This is our last house,” she says simply.
With the ocean breeze drifting through open doors and the quiet sound of water still echoing at the entrance, the home feels like more than just a beautiful place to live. It feels like exactly where they’re meant to be.
