Late last year, Chris Martin shelled out $12.5 million for a lavish estate on Malibu’s Point Dume, arguably the West Coast neighborhood equivalent of the Hamptons. Once owned by controversial Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh, the one-acre property includes a 5,300-square-foot, Nantucket-inspired mansion and a detached guesthouse, both of them protected by big gates and top-notch security systems. Martin reportedly shared the property with his partner, actress Dakota Johnson.
But times change. Records reveal Martin has now sold that landlocked house. And the English musician reaped the fruits of a red-hot real estate market — his off-market deal closed at $14.4 million, a hefty $1.9 million more than Martin paid for the place just 14 months ago. The spendy buyer is Florence Azria, wife of fashion mogul Serge Azria. (In October, the Azrias sold their custom-built Malibu estate in the nearby Paradise Cove community for $177 million, the most ever paid for a California home.)
Though he still owns three other Point Dume-area properties — a John Lautner=designed home, a smaller cottage and the Malibu Playhouse estate — Martin has taken that $14.4 million and quickly dumped $14 million of it on yet another Point Dume house, this one only a few short blocks away from the place he just sold. Like the just-sold property, the newly-acquired Martin estate is also landlocked and was not publicly available for sale.
Despite being roughly the same price, the new house is significantly smaller than Martin’s old place, weighing in at roughly 3,500 square feet. But the lot is also substantially more private and larger, spanning nearly a full 1.5 acres. Last sold for $7.4 million in 2017 to real estate developer Steve Zimmerman, the place also transferred with a coveted “beach key” that provides easy access to Malibu’s stupendously scenic Little Dume Beach. (While it’s technically public, most of the access points for reaching this particular beach are guarded by locked gates, making it ideal for celebrity sunbathers.)
Take a look at Martin and Johnson’s former lovenest, the place he just sold.
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Image Credit: Zillow Remodeled by prominent Malibu designer Saffron Case Homes just prior to Martin’s purchase, the shingle-sided house includes a two-story living/dining room combo with ample firewood storage and distant ocean views.
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Image Credit: Zillow The interiors are mostly white and flooded with natural light. Warm-toned hardwood floors add an extra dollop of hominess to the place.
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Image Credit: Zillow The kitchen flaunts top-of-the-line stainless appliances, a pantry done up in a trendy shade of navy blue paint, and a large island topped by sturdy quartz.
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Image Credit: Zillow The adjoining family room has magazine-worthy views of the back lawn, swimming pool area and even the Pacific Ocean.
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Image Credit: Zillow There’s also a movie theater/screening room with painted shiplap on the walls and ceiling.
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Image Credit: Zillow Upstairs, the primary suite includes a private terrace and a sumptuous bathroom slathered in marble.
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Image Credit: Zillow As for Martin’s new home (below), that place is a different sort of architectural affair — more modern and somewhat Balinese in its design. The house was built in 1956, per records, though it’s clearly been heavily modified since then.
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Image Credit: Zillow Out back, stairs from raised patios spill down to a lower grassy lawn/swimming pool area. Surrounded by lush tropical landscaping, the estate feels a world away from the hectic bustle of Los Angeles.
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Image Credit: Zillow Out front, the 3,500-square-foot home includes a two-car garage and an abundance of native and/or drought-tolerant landscaping. Tall gates and towering eucalyptus trees shield most of the property from public view.
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Image Credit: Zillow Inside, there are hardwood floors and big windows throughout; the entryway is visually dominated by a dual-sided, stacked-stone fireplace.
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Image Credit: Zillow Though the kitchen is somewhat more compact than one might expect to find in a $14 million house, it includes high-end stainless appliances and an eat-in island.
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Image Credit: Zillow There’s also a spacious family room/media lounge on the premises.
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Image Credit: Zillow The master bath includes a steam shower and dual sinks.
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Image Credit: Zillow Most of the property’s value is clearly in the land, which includes an infinity-edged pool with views that dazzle over a forest-like canopy of Point Dume trees.
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Image Credit: Zillow Hidden on the property well away from the main house is any part-time gardener’s dream: a wee greenhouse with an herbal assortment of potted plants.
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Image Credit: Zillow The grounds are dotted with dozens of species of cacti and other succulents.
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Image Credit: Zillow Decomposed granite and curated pea gravel provide a sort of calming structure to the otherwise whimsical landscaping.
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Image Credit: Zillow