Ahead of an extensive world tour to commemorate and capitalize on fifty years in show business, Neil Diamond has picked up a bright Malibu beachfront home in Blue Whale Estates, a quiet gated Encinal Bluffs community of five homes on the Western side of the point. The selling price to the veteran singer-songwriter was $7.25 million.
Measuring 4,692 square feet, and containing five bedrooms and seven baths, the house is a quirky mix of contemporary styles, and was constructed in 1996. Depending on whether or not one prefers an open concept, its layout might confound or inspire curiosity: quite a few nooks and crannies, and the home’s structure is a little compartmentalized.
But it is also a bright interior, with a huge amount of glass, and a nice variance of textures, angles, corners and materials, from traditional to modern to post-modern industrial. The slab granite-capped kitchen island, which breaks off into symmetrical wings, makes the kitchen a sort of passageway, and may set the tone of the house. Ceilings are recessed, vaulted, or skylit, flooring is white oak, slate, or tile, and hard angles blend freely with the softness of arches.
Most interesting is the master suite, which features a glassed-in lounging alcove, and another for the soaking tub, that become promontories, looking out over the Pacific, and secreted away from the rest of the house. There are, of course, many sets of French doors opening onto the second-floor terrace, as well as outdoor plantings, some artful landscaping on the property, and private beach access.
For twenty years, Diamond’s main residence has been in Beverly Hills. His 50th anniversary tour will begin with a date in Fresno, with dates throughout North America, before moving to Europe.
