Splashing onto the market in Malibu is one of the exclusive enclave’s more colorful abodes. Perched atop a bluff overlooking the cinematic sands of Point Dume, where Charlton Heston discovered the remnants of the Statue of Liberty in “Planet of the Apes,” the visually arresting residence was once the home of Gail Zappa, widow of eccentric composer and musician Frank Zappa.
In 2003, Zappa sold the seaside retreat to “E.T.” screenwriter Melissa Matheson. The ex-wife of Harrison Ford, Matheson owned the home for a decade before selling it to real estate mogul Sonny Astani for $9.6 million. Astani, a Beverly Hills-based developer of over 5,000 luxury apartments and condos, is now seeking more than triple that amount for the 1.1-acre property, pricing it at $32.5 million.
Tucked behind Balinese gates, the house itself displays more Arabian than Indonesian influence in its design, beginning with the pair of crescent moons rising from its rooftop. The Islamic-Moorish motif continues inside, with arched and keyhole doorways, latticed screens, coffered ceilings, Moroccan light fixtures, and mosaic tile.
Along with five bedrooms and four and a half baths, the two-story residence contains a sunroom, a dining room, and an emerald-hued kitchen lined with lighted cabinets within its 3,940 square feet. Some of the more unique spaces include a mezzanine library, a tower that’s been turned into an office/writer’s room, and a playroom that is “accessed by a secret door.”
Other notable interior attributes include vaulted ceilings, wrap-around windows, multiple fireplace, a sunken conversation pit with a Frank Zappa signature serpent mosaic in the floor, and a Moorish-style tiled bath with indoor-outdoor shower.
Among the home’s exterior amenities are “a swimming pool of Turkish design with handmade tiles, a blufftop gazebo perfect for coffee, cocktails, and al fresco dining, a two-car garage with driveway parking for a dozen cars, and an abundance of specimen trees, including pines, citrus, peach, apricot, apple, and plum.” The property also comes with 84 feet of ocean bluff frontage and deeded beach access.
Compass agent Chris Cortazzo reps the listing.
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