57 Marguerite Drive a Blufftop Coastal Views and a Sunlit, Classical Residence Add Up to One of the Most Exclusive Properties in Palos Verdes by Gerard Bisignano
Pacific Ocean waves break against rocky Palos Verdes Peninsula shores, and the endless blue sky shifts in electric colors throughout the day, ending with color-soaked sunsets. Given the street’s front-row position along the ocean, it’s not often that one of these big, classic properties along Lunada Bay in Rancho Palos Verdes comes to market.
“There are only about thirty homes in this community,” says real estate agent Gerard Bisignano at The Bisignano Group at Vista Sotheby’s International Realty about the exclusive niche: “And of the approximately eighteen properties perched along Lunada Bay’s bluff top, only two have come up for sale in the last decade.”
Add a third to that list. Gerard Bisignano recently represented and sold this bluff-top estate, approximately 6,200 square feet, and perched on over one acre of land. At one time it was the personal residence of the original developer of Lunada Bay, and it’s the second such property in this community—out of the three sold in total over the last 10 years—sold by the longtime local real estate agent. (Last year Gerard Bisignano sold an $8.8 million dollar bluff-top home located right down the street at 41 Marguerite Drive, designed by “Architect to the Stars” Richard Landry.)
For Gerard Bisignano, whose specialty is representing luxury coastal properties and architectural gems, with works by Richard Neutra, Ray Kappe, Pierre Koenig, and Thom Mayne in his portfolio, the property at 57 Marguerite Drive is a familiar one.
“I’ve been involved in selling this home two times in the past,” he remarks, pointing to the exclusivity of the location as a primary driver in its sale.
The home is a traditional, Colonial Revival-style residence, down to its red brick exterior and creamy white columns. Approximately 6,200 square feet, with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, it features rooms that are classically outfitted in parquet floors, corniced ceilings, and arched windows and doors.
“You don’t see this style very often in Southern California,” Gerard Bisignano points out. “Colonial-style homes are rare, especially in the South Bay. But it’s a timeless style that has a wonderful architectural sense to it, and it fits in well at the beach.”
In this case, spacious rooms are bathed in natural light and coastal views by way of soaring ceilings and a generous fenestration system, which includes oversized windows and glass doors at every turn. Balconies and patios are plentiful, including a second-floor balcony that extends across nearly the whole of the home, and links together key private spaces, like a marble-clad master bathroom, with ocean air and glorious sea views. Such features overlay the proper elegance of the home with a warm, contemporary atmosphere not usually associated with such a traditional architectural style.
The property’s classic imprint extends to outdoor spaces, which are sculpted in classic garden landscaping, from box hedges and a tiered garden fountain to bushy palms wafting from Italian urn planters. Fresh-air pleasures are everywhere. The oceanview deck features an elegant pool deck where you can swim, lounge, or soak in the bubbly spa before enjoying drinks and barbecue at the alfresco kitchen and bar.
Steps away is a perfect spot for intimate, after-dark dinners, with orange flames flickering in the red-brick fireplace. The rolling green lawn is a spacious and fitting part of the manicured scene, as is a pebbled deck carved into the bluff top—a picture-perfect spot for tea or cocktails at sunset. One of the most exclusive features of the property is the private path that leads down along the bluff to the picturesque beachfront below; a poetic place to hike and enjoy the splendor of sand and ocean life in seclusion.
As much as the home and grounds are suited for quiet moments and privacy; they’re also ideal for entertaining. The spacious front courtyard and soaring, chandelier foyer provide a high-style welcome, and the roomy scale of public spaces invites get-togethers ranging from formal dinner parties to casual gatherings where guests can mingle outdoors, or step inside a sunny kitchen with ocean views and a scene-stealing cooking range that’s majestically framed in white stone and ornate wood. (A nice touch for staff or out-of-town visitors is the sunny, one-bedroom guest quarters with private entrance, located atop the three-car garage.)
Unblockable coastal views and privacy aside, the neighborhood is a high-end residential gem with wide, peaceful streets. You can step outdoors to stroll and jog along majestic bluff-top trails, or golf at your choice of four award-winning courses, all located within 10 minutes by car.
“The person looking to buy here is looking foremost at the location,” Gerard Bisignano points out. “They want a bluff-top property and are willing to expand their thinking on the sort of home they would like because the amount of inventory for oceanfront or bluff-top homes is limited.”
In this case, the ideal bluff-top location happens to be home to a sunlit, elegant residence with a spacious floorplan and sculpted green grounds. It’s a recipe that beckons today as much as it did to the original developer of Lunada Point, who once called 57 Marguerite Drive home—just like its lucky new buyers will do soon.
Gerard Bisignano | 310.990.4727 | DRE# 01116110
The Bisignano Group at Vista Sotheby’s International Realty
List Price: $8,650,000
Photographs Courtesy of The Bisignano Group