A Malibu, California property that was once home to the late musician Tom Petty is on the market for $9.85 million, according to listing agent Chris Cortazzo of Compass. Located on Escondido Beach, the property comprises a cabin-style main house as well as a separate guesthouse that Petty used as a music studio.
Loaded with abundant views and a cabin-like ambience, the oceanfront compound with 66 feet of beach frontage is one of a kind in wood, brick and stone. A separate guest house, private brick patio, full-width ocean-view deck and frontage on Escondido Beach are highlighted with high wood ceilings that uplift the area with welcoming character and style, lustrous paneling, wood plank floors and an open flow conducive to indoor-outdoor gatherings.
The central living area comprises a living room and kitchen divided by a large fireplace and floor-to-ceiling brick chimneypiece. A wall of glass on one side of the living room opens to the ocean-view deck, with ample room for lounging and al fresco dining, plus steps down to the sand. The well-equipped kitchen has generous counter space and a wide bank of garden windows. Off the kitchen is a separate formal dining room with library shelving and a sliding glass door to the oceanfront deck.
The home’s two bedrooms include a lovely primary suite with a tiled fireplace, walk-in closet, ocean-view bath, and a private beachfront deck. A stairway in the living room leads to the lower level, where there is a spacious recreation room and office with a door leading to the beach. This area provides additional room for entertaining, relaxing and star-gazing.
At the front of the house, a rose garden patio offers private outdoor living and dining space with a barbecue. Off the patio, the guest house, which has a celebrity pedigree, is currently used as a studio. It features chandelier-height truss-and-beam ceilings, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Equipped with security, air conditioning, and solar power, this is Malibu beach living at its most charming.
‘When Tom first walked into the home, he just loved the essence and the spirit,” said Cortazzo. “He loved its originality. It was unpretentious, which was very much his spirit. Every holiday was celebrated there. What a luxury for a massive celebrity to walk on the beach and not be bothered. Its location right off Pacific Coast Highway, its dry, sandy beach in front and 66 feet of frontage, it’s all a huge luxury that the market just doesn’t have.”
A trust tied to the late musician paid about $6.8 million for the roughly 2,200-square-foot home in 2010, property records show. Petty, a three-time Grammy winner known for hits like “American Girl” and “Free Fallin,” died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 66.
“Tommy loved that the beach house was pretty much all original, built in 1950, with a cabin feel,” said Petty’s widow, Dana York. “We spent a lot of time there with friends and family. Tommy always had his recorder and guitar, as he was always writing and creating. I remember him writing so many songs there.”