Home of the Week: This $44.5 Million Tuscan-Style Villa in Malibu Sits Above the Clouds
One of Malibu’s most famous properties is back on the market for $44.5 million.
On and off the market for years, Malibu Rocky Oaks is one of those iconic properties you might not think exists in Malibu. A far cry from the laid-back beach town with its vintage surf bungalows and modern beachfront mansions, this hilltop villa looks plucked out of Italy’s Tuscan countryside. The immaculate mountaintop mansion presides over 37 acres at an elevation of 2,000 feet above Malibu.
More from Robb Report
Halsey Buys the Beatles Sound Engineer's Magical Los Angeles Hideaway
This $25 Million Bay Area Home Was Modeled After Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
Reclusive French Entertainer Claudine Longet Lists Her $60 Million Aspen Estate
Atop Malibu Canyon peak in the Santa Monica Mountains, the high-altitude villa lords over Malibu with far-reaching vistas of the California coastline. It’s so high up, in fact, that clouds often obscure the views below. The home was built in 2009 and designed by renowned architect Bob Easton for businessman and real estate investor Howard Leight Sr. Today, his son Howard Leight, Jr., is the CEO and seller of Malibu Rocky Oaks.
Crafted with the highest-quality materials, the 9,000-square-foot abode has five bedrooms and five bathrooms. There’s also an expansive great room with 35-foot cathedral ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows; a well-appointed kitchen and butler’s pantry; a movie theater; a formal dining room; and a cliffside infinity pool and spa. The entire home is flooded with natural light thanks to the oversized windows, and nearly every room connects to the myriad outdoor dining and lounging spaces that offer stone fireplaces, and, of course, the spectacular vistas.
Throughout are bespoke hardwood floors, stone countertops and walls, custom iron railings, imported chandeliers, and wood-beamed ceilings. The heart of the home is the great room, which has a stone fireplace and leads to a stone-clad, arched colonnade. The grand primary suite is one of a kind. The light-filled room has vaulted and beamed walnut ceilings, an interior balcony that overlooks the great room, and tons of private outdoor space with an outdoor fireplace. It also incorporates a marble-lined bathroom replete with a deep soaking tub set in front two windows that frame a relaxing view of the mountains.
“When I think of Rocky Oaks, I see more than a property,” says listing agent Shawn Elliott with Nest Seekers International. “I see a masterpiece—a symphony of luxury and nature playing in perfect harmony. This extraordinary home is the pinnacle of architectural splendor and natural beauty.”
There’s a rooftop observation deck and, as if the home itself couldn’t get any more spectacular, a private helipad. Another of the property’s unique features is the 10-acre vineyard that produces award-winning varietals.
The vineyard, which cascades down the hillside below the pool, grows predominantly cabernet grapes, as well as pinot noir, merlot, malbec, syrah, and more. The property’s volcanic soil and Mediterranean-like microclimate contribute to the award-winning wines, of which more than 15,000 bottles are produced each year.
The seller, who is looking to find a buyer who will take care of the property for generations to come, rents out the estate for private use and also hosts wine tastings and events. The property has additionally been featured in many TV shows, including “The Bachelor,” “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Good Trouble,” “90210,” and” Jay Leno’s Garage.” The home also made a cameo in The Hangover Part III.
Click here to see more photos of Malibu Rocky Oaks.
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.