Malibu's La Villa Contenta Listed at $75 Million, Estate of the Day

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed)
Dec 14th 2010 at 1:02PM

We can't even look at this house without weeping at the thought it might be sold in pieces. Breaking up is hard to do and all that... Yet this Malibu eight-acre ocean-view estate is in the MLS twice: Once, as a buy-the-whole-enchilada for $75 million and then again as buy just the main house for $35 million.

Let's dispense quickly with the 12,000-square-foot main house. Yes, yes -- gorgeous and all that. There is a two-story hand-carved limestone entrance-way and the floor is hand-laid Pietra-dura mosaic made from antique reclaimed marbles.

The double living room is paneled in pale maple and a private covered loggia overlooks the lawn and sea. The dining room seats 24 and has an intricate hand-carved limestone ceiling. There's a Hermes marble fireplace in the library and 18Th century reclaimed floors in the kitchen. The lower level houses the English pine billiards room, a wine cellar, a 14-foot screen home theater and a full gym. The home has an elevator.

The upper level is home to the master suite, with a fireplace, large terrace overlooking the Pacific and his-and=-her bathrooms and closets. There are three additional bedroom suites on this level.

There is an outdoor infinity pool that is chlorine-free. and the pool area has a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen. There is a championship quality north-south facing tennis court and an organic kitchen garden planted with a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and cutting plants.

And then there's the rest of the estate -- the parts that make this a $75 million estate.

There is a carved marble natatorium -- an indoor pool that is Romanesque in style with a frieze over the doorway. It's a regular underwater baroque fantasy inside made of a million seashells. The two changing rooms are paneled in rare onyx and decorated with seashells. Each has a large steam shower and every spa amenity you could want.

The lap pool is tiled in Murano glass and has swim jets to provide the necessary resistance. The glass ceilings are 20-feet tall. Just outside is a covered loggia with hand-painted whimsical sea creatures and yet another swimming pool.

The estate has one of the largest private greenhouses in California, designed to accommodate several thousand orchids and other delicate exotics. There is also a desert garden between the pool pavilion and greenhouse, connecting the two buildings via a walkway of travertine slabs that "float" on water.

Chris Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker, Malibu West, has the listing.

Gallery: La Villa Contenta