A private enclave in Malibu
Built in the wooded canyon area of Malibu’s Serra Retreat, this home combines the appeal of a contemporary loft with the rustic exterior look of a Hamptons barn, using floor-to-ceiling sliding glass pocket doors in many rooms to create an indoor-outdoor environment.
Designed by Los Angeles architect Michael Kovac, the house was built around a silk floss tree that shades the patio by the pool. The interior design was by Vanessa Alexander, who owns the home with her husband, Steve Alexander, a film producer.
“As we had our children, we wanted more land,” Vanessa Alexander said. “We saw this tiny house about five years ago on a big piece of property and fell in love with it. The house wasn’t large enough for our growing family, but we lived in it for three years while we got the permits to build this place.”
Completed in November, the home is part of the Serra Canyon Property Owners Assn., a gated enclave accessed through a private road. Neighbors in the secluded community include actor Kelsey Grammer, director James Cameron and Oracle Corp. co-founder Larry Ellison.
The front entrance leads to a kitchen and living room with fireplace that open onto the pool and patio. Lompoc stone floors in the living room and exterior patio areas are warmed with a radiant heat system.
The kitchen, which features a poured concrete center island with Wolf stovetop, also includes a dining nook with banquette seating, Dornbracht fixtures and views of the landscaped front yard.
At the back of the house is a media room with projection set-up, an office and a half-bath. Opposite the kitchen is a dining room, maid’s room with a separate entrance, laundry room and half-bath.
Upstairs, a children’s wing includes two bedrooms with a shared bathroom that have a view of the Serra Retreat Center run by Franciscan friars. On the other side of the hallway are two more bedrooms and a shared bathroom.
A skywalk over the living room leads to the master suite, which has an open-space bedroom and bathroom with a view of the hillside and fruit orchard below. The bathroom opens to a patio with an outdoor shower. The master bath includes a double steam shower, an Antonio Lupi bathtub and a large walk-in closet.
Outdoors, the pool cabana includes a full bath, sauna and an outdoor kitchen with pizza oven. The three-car garage has a gym on one side.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution photos on a CD, caption information, photographer’s name and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
