A certain style in home design took Manhattan Beach by storm the past few years.
It's got an island feel, a beachy combination of white, bright open spaces. Generous use of white siding, white cabinetry, white marble (please say Carrara, not Carrera), and lighter-stained, wide-plank, flooring... for starters.…
A certain style in home design took Manhattan Beach by storm the past few years.
It's got an island feel, a beachy combination of white, bright open spaces. Generous use of white siding, white cabinetry, white marble (please say Carrara, not Carrera), and lighter-stained, wide-plank, flooring... for starters. The style has drawn the informal, but consistent, label: "Plantation."
It's taken a lot to shake the antebellum South connotations of that term.
Mostly, it took time and repetition. Variously, builders have come to call this style "Beach Plantation" or even "Coastal Plantation." And there's a (slightly) different history to such terms – think of parts of the British West Indies or Hawaiian islands that were once, indeed, plantations, and are now playlands for the wealthy.
It's not the history so much that concerns us here at MBC, it's the future.
Is this home design trend timeless, or played out?
In conversations the past several months with buyers, agents and even sellers, it has become clear that the "Plantation" design trend is nearing the end of its arc.
How could styles and features so sunny, open and beachy get old? Say it ain't so!
We won't call this an obituary. Too early. You just run the risk of a Mark Twain (or Bill Murray!) type figure coming in and saying, "Reports of the death of Plantation style have been greatly exaggerated."
But let's take a look at this year's crop of homes declaring themselves to be in the "Plantation" style, and then watch to see if they keep making more.
Below, click on any address or on any photo to get more photos & details on the property shown. (Viewing details on pending/sold properties requires a free registration.)
2001 Oak Ave. (5br/5ba, 3150 sqft.), sold for $2.800M
![2001 Oak Avenue Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/2001-oak-avenue-manhattan-beach-ca-580f7ea321c93sb16197644-rlkfu2-l.jpg)
304 3rd St. (4br/4ba, 2635 sqft.), in escrow with list price of $4.499M
![304 3rd Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/304-3rd-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f8598ad37asb16726038-16grfz5-l.jpg)
1400 23rd (6br/6ba, 4800 sqft.), in escrow, listed for $3.775M
931 Boundary Place (5br/5ba, 3300 sqft.), sold for $2.870M
3521 Laurel Ave. (5br/5ba, 3350 sqft.), sold for $3.100M
516 4th St. (5br/6ba, 4300 sqft.), sold for $5.250M
![516 4th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/516-4th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f811cbb9e6sb16089792-cl20me-l.jpg)
756 36th (6br/7ba, 3600 sqft.), sold for $2.945M
![756 36th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/756-36th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f8238eefa3sb16128034-16nv75t-l.jpg)
814 Highland (4br/4ba, 2500 sqft.), sold for $3.800M
![814 Highland Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/814-highland-manhattan-beach-ca-580f82bd63d5asb16145709-1wtkcz-l.jpg)
873 9th (5br/5ba, 5100 sqft.), sold for $4.200M
![873 9th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/873-9th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f839c4a48esb16001413-lqxae7-l.jpg)
868 27th (5br/6ba, 3575 sqft.), sold for $3.520M
![868 27th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/868-27th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f84498f804sb16084115-xhl595-l.jpg)
2500 Maple (4br/5ba, 3900 sqft.), sold for $2.900M
![2500 Maple Avenue Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/2500-maple-avenue-manhattan-beach-ca-580f84c2a3584sb16037179-o9q68l-l.jpg)
419 Altura Way (5br/6ba, 3575 sqft.), on the market at $3.495M
![419 Altura Way Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/419-altura-way-manhattan-beach-ca-580f8711ab3bbsb16720237-1i7ajaz-l.jpg)
1771 Ruhland (5br/6ba, 3450 sqft.), on the market at $2.699M
![1771 Ruhland Avenue Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/1771-ruhland-avenue-manhattan-beach-ca-580f879ec0145sb16705503-dm38gt-l.jpg)
132 16th (4br/5ba, 4050 sqft.), on the market at $10.499M
![132 16th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/132-16th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f88111b0e2sb16702498-10eu8hy-l.jpg)
3401 Pacific (5br/5ba, 3550 sqft.), on the market at $2.799M
505 14th (6br/6ba, 3850 sqft.), on the market at $3.950M
![505 14th Street Manhattan Beach CA](/uploads/505-14th-street-manhattan-beach-ca-580f891dcb103sb16061012-e0g5p5-l.jpg)
Please see our blog disclaimer.
Listings presented above are supplied via the MLS and are brokered by a variety of agents and firms, not Dave Fratello or Edge Real Estate Agency, unless so stated with the listing. Images and links to properties above lead to a full MLS display of information, including home details, lot size, all photos, and listing broker and agent information and contact information.