scorecardA writer on 'The Simpsons' is selling his funky Venice Beach house for $5.8 million. He knows it's not for everyone — and that's part of its appeal.
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A writer on 'The Simpsons' is selling his funky Venice Beach house for $5.8 million. He knows it's not for everyone and that's part of its appeal.

Amanda Goh   

A writer on 'The Simpsons' is selling his funky Venice Beach house for $5.8 million. He knows it's not for everyone — and that's part of its appeal.
The exterior of the house.Eric Staudenmaier
  • A funky, trapezoidal house in Venice, California, is for sale for $5.8 million.
  • J. Stewart Burns, a writer for "The Simpson," and his wife, screenwriter Lillian Yu, own the home.

From a distance, J. Stewart Burns' house in Venice, California, looks like it's upside down. A flat roof rises up from a triangular-looking base. One wall is a nearly unbroken slab of gray, and one side of the home appears to be supported by an all-glass room.

From a distance, J. Stewart Burns
The exterior of the house.      Eric Staudenmaier

"I first saw the house a few weeks before buying it. I loved it," Burns told Insider via email. He initially lived there with his daughters, who moved away when they got older. Soon after, he got married to screenwriter Lillian Yu, and the couple had three children together in the house.

"The house is very flexible," Burns, who's a writer on "The Simpsons," said. "It wasn't set up for a family, but I saw how it could be, and that's what we did."

Now, after eight years of living in the home, Burns is putting it on the market for $5.8 million. This is the first time he's tried to sell the house since he bought it for $2.3 million in 2014, per property records.

Located steps from Abbott Kinney Boulevard and Venice Beach, the house consists of two towers connected by a bridge.

Located steps from Abbott Kinney Boulevard and Venice Beach, the house consists of two towers connected by a bridge.
The primary living area downstairs.      Eric Staudenmaier

The Venice, California home, also known as Tectonic House, was completed in 2001 by Viennese architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, per the listing.

"Venice is filled with all different styles of homes, from cutting-edge, architecturally significant residences to beach cottages that date back to the 20s and 30s," Sandra Miller, the listing agent from Engel & Voelkers Santa Monica, told Insider.

The house fits right into the neighborhood, which is known as a laidback beach community with strong art and cultural ties, Miller said.

Architecture students sometimes gather outside the home to study its design, Burns added.

Houses in Venice, California, have a median listing home price of $2.6 million, per data from real-estate platform Realtor.com. There are currently 95 single family homes for sale in the area, with prices that range from $1.1 million to $12.8 million.

The most striking interior feature of the Tectonic House is a plywood art installation that weaves around the staircase and along the walls of the house.

The most striking interior feature of the Tectonic House is a plywood art installation that weaves around the staircase and along the walls of the house.
The plywood art installation weaves along the staircase and up the walls of the house.      Eric Staudenmaier

The installation, known as Parasite, was not part of the home's original design. Instead, the couple had it added later on.

The couple described it as having high artistic value, but also a practical function: It was, they said, "a way to add some shelving, a bench, a coat closet, an office space, and make our bedroom a lot more interesting."

The original architectural firm, Coop Himmelb(l)au, was not involved in any of the renovations, Eva Jussel, the head of communications for the company, told Insider.

Burns is selling the house because he and his wife want a larger space to accommodate their growing family.

Burns is selling the house because he and his wife want a larger space to accommodate their growing family.
The plywood art installation doubles as a storage shelf.      Eric Staudenmaier

"We had a baby, and then another, and then another," Burns said. "The house is very flexible, but it's not a clown car. We finally had to give up and get something bigger."

The house has an open floor plan that allows natural light to filter in through the windows.

The house has an open floor plan that allows natural light to filter in through the windows.
The kitchen.      Eric Staudenmaier

"I live in the neighborhood and had driven by so many times. When I stepped in, I immediately fell in love with the volume of the space," listing agent Miller said.

The house is designed to allow wind to enter from its base and exit through the openings on the roof, per a press release sent to Insider. Because the house is close to the ocean, the natural sea breeze keeps it cool without air conditioning.

For the couple, the house is like a living piece of art that changes every time they look at it.

For the couple, the house is like a living piece of art that changes every time they look at it.
One of the four bedrooms in the house.      Eric Staudenmaier

"We kept seeing new things in it the entire time we lived there," the couple said. "We could go on and on about our interpretations, but don't want to rob the next owner of getting to experience the house the way we did and forming their own ideas."

The house is not for everyone, and Burns and Yu know it.

The house is not for everyone, and Burns and Yu know it.
One of the three full bathrooms in the house.      Eric Staudenmaier

"If you're into puzzles or art or sci-fi or history and want to live in a place that's an experience, this house could be for you," the pair said. "But if you buy Legos only to build what's on the front of the box, and then hate how long it takes, it's probably not."

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