LOCALLA

Life on the top of Saddle Peak is different. You feel it the moment you arrive: the sense of living above it all. This is the high ground above Fernwood, near the top of the canyon. The views are the first thing and the last. Santa Monica Bay opens up across the front of the house, the coastline runs south past the city, and at night the lights come on all the way to the water. Decks wrap both levels, so the view stays with you through the day.Inside, the home is wood and glass, built to take it all in. Wide-plank white oak runs through the main level, under high, beamed ceilings. A fireplace warms the great room, which opens through glass walls to the deck and the view beyond. The kitchen is streamlined and contemporary, made for real cooking and easy gathering. The primary suite has its own fireplace and its own quiet, and a separate bonus room works as a media room, an office, or a fourth bedroom. Outside is where the canyon really lives. The decks step down to an outdoor kitchen, a hot tub, and an outdoor shower. Native plants and wild hillside surround it all, the way Topanga is meant to look. The lot is large and usable, just over an acre, with room to garden, gather, and roam, and orange, lemon, avocado, and peach trees on the slope. A detached garage is ready to become a studio, a workshop, or a yoga space. This is one of Southern California's most beautiful settings, minutes from the Westside and the beaches, with award-winning Santa MonicaMalibu schools and about twelve minutes down to PCH. Quiet at the top, the whole coast in front of you.