You don’t have to fly all the way to the Mediterranean to find a dreamy European villa. In Malibu‘s ritzy Serra Retreat enclave, the $29.9 million Villa di Vita Bella offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Listed with F. Ron Smith, David Berg, and Edward Hutchinson at Compass, the estate is being sold by media professional Susan B. Noyes, who founded the Make It Better Media Group and the Make It Better Foundation.
Originally built in the 1970s, the mansion was previously owned by DeeAnna Staats, a developer and the ex-wife of 7 for All Mankind co-founder Peter Koral. Going back even further, the home once housed the singer-songwriter Roy Orbison during his time in the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup that also included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Tom Petty.
Delicate chandeliers are found throughout the home, including in the primary bathroom.
Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios
That history makes it sound like a very L.A. home, and the design was partly inspired by the iconic Hotel Bel-Air. But Noyes and her husband also drew on Italy and the South of France as touchpoints for design and decor. The couple enlisted Harrison Design to spruce up the abode after they bought it in 2020, with the firm emphasizing decadent interiors and lush exteriors.
RELATED: This $30 Million Malibu Estate Was Designed to Look Like a Four Seasons Resort in Hawaii
On the inside, that means a double-height foyer with a marble staircase, a chic La Cornue chef’s kitchen, and chandeliers throughout—even in the primary bathroom. The lower level of the five-bedroom, nine-bath residence is dedicated to hobbyists, whether that means putting on your favorite film in the plush home theater or pouring a glass of wine from one of the labels in the 800-bottle cellar.
Stone pathways lead down from the pool to the championship-size tennis court.
Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios
Outside, stone terraces wrap around the house, with flower-lined pathways taking you from the pergola-covered dining area to the large swimming pool. The permaculturist Tommy Teeple designed edible gardens full of seasonal produce, fruit trees, and citrus groves—all ingredients you can cook up at the outdoor kitchen. From the basement level, you can access the “secret garden room,” wrapped in a mural by the artist James Goldcrown. The spray-painted hearts contain secret messages that the Noyeses designed for their grandchildren to find. Elsewhere, a greenhouse has been turned into a gym, and there’s a championship-size tennis court that’s also set up for pickleball, shuffleboard, and basketball.
Click here to see all the photos of Villa di Vita Bella.
Authors
-
Tori Latham
Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…