The Sten-Frenke House by Richard Neutra has attracted the talents of numerous restoration experts over the years—from Biber Architects to the renowned firm of Marmol Radziner and designer Mark Haddawy. Most recently, the firm Johnston Marklee jumped on the opportunity to design an adjacent structure, one that harmoniously responds to Neutra's original work.

Ukrainian film actress, Anna Sten, and her producer husband Dr. Eugene Frenke. The residence has since been through two subsequent renovations—first led by Biber Architects and later by the renowned firm Marmol Radziner in partnership with designer Mark Haddawy. " layout="wide" credit="Photo by Marc Angeles" photoUserId="6133569829908283392"/>

The home, originally built in 1934, is among the early designs that helped to kickstart Neutra's career, winning him the House Beautiful award the year of its construction. Numerous owners over the years sought to preserve Neutra's vision, including the current owner: director, writer, and producer Marc Forster, who is behind such films as Monster's Ball, Quantum of Solace, and Stranger than Fiction.

Johnston Marklee to design a stand-alone office suite and guest quarters. The detached structure seeks to complement Neutra's design by emulating its smooth surfaces and distinct rounded section." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Marc Angeles" photoUserId="6133569829908283392"/>

Forster, who purchased the property in 2009, turned to Johnston Marklee to design a detached guest house and office suite. Called the 'Ark House,' this two-bedroom abode mimics a distinct curved section on the main house, visually tying the two structures together. Since the Sten-Frenke House was built to occupy only one half of the double lot, Johnston Marklee also used the opportunity to balance the site by placing their new structure at the opposite corner of the lot.

In total, the property now offers five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, along with approximately 4,000 square feet of living space. Forster's updates, which include on-site geo-thermal generators, and the Ark House addition totaled a whopping $4M. Now, the entire estate is up for sale with an asking price of $15,000,000. Keep scrolling for a look around the property and inside both structures.

During the initial renovations, Biber Architects relocated the pool to its current location to take fuller advantage of the large lot." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Marc Angeles" photoUserId="6133569829908283392"/>pergola. However, that change was later reverted to make way for the guest house." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Marc Angeles" photoUserId=""/>

he original wood paneling was replaced with an upgraded veneer to replace the original ‘tobacco stained plywood’ walls."" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Marc Angeles" photoUserId="6133569829908283392"/>

Editor's note: This article previously misstated the team members involved in renovating the Sten-Frenke House. Designer Mark Haddawy worked with contractor Mármol Radziner and not Dave Binder.

The Sten-Frenke Estate, located at 126 Mabery Road in Santa Monica, CA, is currently listed for $15,000,000 by Billy Rose of The Agency.

Know of a home for sale or rent that should be featured on Dwell.com? Find out how to submit to Dwell.

Also Appears In

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Ennis House Is Listed For $23M