The luxury real estate market is seeing the entry of the largest cliffside residential property on Malibu’s Point Dume with a staggering price tag of $90 million according to the Wall Street Journal.The 1.16-acre property, beyond its architectural grandeur, comes with pop culture status, having served as a backdrop for Hollywood movies and series including The O.C. and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
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Historically known as Venezia Pacifica, the custom-built mansion was completed in 1991, following the couple's 1988 land purchase, and is being offered for sale for the first time by its original owners. Property records cited by the paper show the property was acquired in 1988 by the late real estate developer Ken Harges and his wife, Lorelei Harges, for $1.7 million. Since the passing of Ken Harges in 2016, and his wife later on, their daughters Bonnie Furgurson and Wendy Geweke have decided to list the multi-million-dollar asset due to immense logistical challenges required in managing an estate of this magnitude. The couple's daughters said their parents wanted to leave inland life for the California coastline.
Mediterranean architecture and interior design
The primary residence incorporates a floor plan which is strongly evocative of classic Italian architecture, and inspiration from the couple’s historical travels through Italy has been etched directly into its structure. This sentiment for the region was echoed by their daughters, who wrote in a joint email cited by the Wall Street Journal: "Our mother was proudly 100% Italian," they said, "and together my parents drew inspiration from their many travels throughout Italy.
The exterior is defined by classic columns, a signature terracotta-tiled roof, and an expansive circular motor court centered around a custom water fountain. Embracing 176 feet of direct bluff frontage, the estate’s perimeter overlooks the Pacific. Outside, the ocean facing grounds are landscaped with gardens and a sunken pavilion with columns to frame views of the immediate coastline.
