Canyon home has blue view

There is always a front-row seat at this Santa Monica Canyon home for the annual Independence Day fireworks shows held along the coastline.

Ocean views from the house stretch from Point Dume to Redondo Beach. It overlooks a stretch of coastline known as the Santa Monica Gold Coast, but its location -- in Santa Monica Canyon -- is also distinctive. Characterized by overgrown foliage and hidden stairways, the 1-square-mile community of beach cottages, haciendas, Craftsman-style homes, cabins and contemporary houses took root in the 1800s.

The original home on the site was built in the early 1950s, but an architect who owned it gutted and rebuilt it in the ‘90s and it’s now contemporary in style. The house has vaulted ceilings, marble floors and a granite kitchen.

About the owner: A retired dentist, who wants to live in France, has owned it for a dozen years.

Asking price: $3.7 million

Size: There are five bedrooms, including a master suite with an ocean-view deck, and four bathrooms in 3,298 square feet. The lot size is about 5,040 square feet.

Features: There is a fountain in a garden off the kitchen and breakfast room. Next to the kitchen is a family room with a fireplace. There are walls of glass and high ceilings in the living room.

Where: Santa Monica Canyon

Listing agent: Cecelia and Cliff Waeschle of Sotheby’s International Realty, Malibu, have the listing at (310) 317-4995. They plan to hold an open house at 101 Ocean Way on Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send color interior and exterior photos (copies only, please; we cannot return the pictures) and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail homeoftheweek@latimes.com.