The Wild White Aluminum Wave House by Mario Romano in Venice, CA.

Wave House Mario Romano

Venice, California has been undergoing a resurrection since I first moved to LA over 28 years ago. Whereas the area was an artsy enclave with its Gehry homes and modernist architecture in the 70s and 80’s, it fell into disrepair and became a relatively scummy and unsafe beach side community in the 90’s and early 2000s. However, since then it has become one of the most expensive and desirable areas in which to live. And like it or not (and several do not) Mario Romano’s $6.5 million dollar Wave House is an example of some of the city’s outrageous new homes.

Wave House by Mario Romano in Venice

Architect Mario Romano in front of his Wave House

Located on Morningside Way, the Wave House by Mario Romano is a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom family home that is 5,700 square feet of fluid space and contemporary design.

The Exterior
wave house venice ca

On the outside, the front and sides of the home are clad in undulating aluminum with a wood inlaid garage door and front door.

The home’s aluminum skin is skillfully orchestrated and intended to emulate the beauty of nature’s own eloquent geometry.

aluminum skinned house in Venice CA

Appearing as one massive undulating facade, the painted aluminum flows from over two stories high until finally arriving to touch the ground in one single flow.

painted aluminum facade

“I wanted to unite the sky and the earth in a single move, an architectural element that no one has ever achieved.” – Mario Romano

There are over 300 unique and custom cut aluminum pieces within this skin, organized to form one massive architectural movement. Unable to use traditional architectural jargon like roof, wall and eaves, Romano and his design team created new words to describe what they were creating, often embodying the forms one finds in nature — fins, icing, river lines and feathers.

unique house exterior

In order to achieve the design-build of this rippling rainscreen, specialized computer software was used – the same used to design automobiles, aircrafts and boats.

Using parametric tools like Rhino’s Grasshopper, Romano and his design team were able to digitally script the “rule set”, then freely adjust hundreds of individual pieces until the rippling affectation was met.

Ornamenting the courtyard wall is an intricate overlapping of “feathers” rising two stories high, keeping the house drier and cooler by allowing more air to circulate. Pitched at 30 degrees, the shadows cast throughout the day are constantly changing.

residential pool design

modern home venice ca

Designed to host a rich coastal life, central living areas remain ever-open to generous outdoor spaces—a swimming pool courtyard, lush backyard and outdoor theater — by way of 9.5-foot sliding glass walls.

modern residence Venice, CA

The Interior
custom wood front door

An impressive 9-foot front door pivots to reveal the living room, 14-foot ceilings towering above.

inlaid wood door

Inside, Mario’s carved white walls and white flooring are punctuated by their unique textures throughout the home.

textured wall panels

This is one of the most notable features. Inspired by nature, the patterns, no two of which are the same, give the home an ever-changing feel and allow light and shadow to constantly play and change.

Walls of windows and the intricately-carved surfaces that mirror nature’s unique geometry yield a seamless flow of harmonious indoor/outdoor living.

Kitchen and Dining:

modern kitchen design

From the first level guest suite and intimate family room to the upstairs study and voluminous master suite, the spaces of The Wave House are destined to shape a peaceful, rhythmic life for its inhabitants.

Three of the Bedrooms:

Two of the Bathrooms:

Architect Mario Romano talks about the Wave House:

Architect: Mario Romano
Price: $6,498,000
Bedrooms: 5.00
Bathrooms: 4.00
Property Size: 5,700sqft
Lot Size: 10,862sqft
Year Built: 2016
Location: 1234 Morningside Way, Venice, CA

Interested? Contact the Agent:
David Berg: 310.500.3933
F. Ron Smith: 310-500-1373
Mark Kitching: (310) 902-0221

images courtesy of the architect, CA Home+Design and the dedicated website