On Balboa Peninsula, a new bayside building is a collaboration between architect Paul McClean and interior designer Lynda Murray and is a study of grace, light and views. Most unusual for this Newport Beach community? This three-level contemporary home has plenty of space to stretch out, thanks to a rare triple lot.
“Most of the houses here are on very narrow lots that are perpendicular to the water,” McClean explains, who is based in Orange County and noted for his spectacular modernist residential designs. “The original home on this site was developed in the 1950s and straddled three lots. There are only a handful of these larger properties on the peninsula, so this gave us an opportunity to design a house with a garden and plenty of light.”
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The clients, a couple with young children, had seen one of McClean and Murray’s Los Angeles collaborations on TV and asked the two design professionals to create a primary residence for their family on the spacious bayside property. The couple requested a house with a “wow” factor, recalls Los Angeles-based Murray, also known for her luxe contemporary designs. “They wanted a house that had all the bells and whistles and spared no expense,” she says. “They also wanted something livable, where the kids had full access.“
McClean created a 12,700-square-foot, three-level floor plan, anchoring it with a great room, dining area and kitchen on the main floor, which overlooks the bay and private dock. The upper level includes the primary suite and secondary bedrooms. In contrast, the lower level has guest bedrooms, a home theater, gym, bar, arcade and race-car simulator, all of which open onto a pool patio. A large roof deck includes a full outdoor kitchen, a smaller pool and plenty of space for seating and dining.
“Even though this is a big house with glass walls, my aim was to bring sunlight deep into the house, including into the lower level, which is technically a basement,” McClean says, who worked with Gallo Builders and landscape architect Michael Wilkes on the project.
McClean placed the garden and garage toward the street but provided privacy by installing a textured glass wall around the garden. “From the street, you can see movement and the colors of plants through the glass wall,” he points out. “Once you walk through the garden gate, you have a view all the way through the main level of the house to the bay.”
“The forms were inspired by the shoreline” - Lynda Murray
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Detailed with operable glass walls, the residence also features cedar decking on the roof overhangs, marble-patterned porcelain cladding on exterior walls, and porcelain tile flooring throughout much of the interior. “You have to be careful with materials here,” McClean notes. “Things like natural stone don’t hold up in a harsh marine environment.”
Murray approached the interior with a light touch and an eye for family living. “I’ve worked with Paul before, and his projects have incredible views and clean lines,” she remarks. “My approach is not to take away from the views and the architecture. You wouldn’t see an interior here that’s packed with furniture. Crazy, busy furniture is not my style, and it’s not appropriate to this house.”
Working with a neutral palette—highlighted by ocean blue hues and mossy greens—Murray specified a mix of custom and designer pieces for the interiors, using performance fabrics that could withstand salt air, bare feet and the family dog. Comfort, simple lines and spaces for entertaining were at the forefront of her design approach.
Murray included many show-stopping details in the interiors, such as a custom Alison Berger chandelier complementing the McClean-designed metal and stone spiral staircase that links the three levels. “It’s a one-of-a-kind piece made with hand-carved crystal globes,” Murray describes. “The forms were inspired by the shoreline.” In the bar, the interior designer clad the wall and bar front in dramatic backlit onyx and chose sleek, lacquered Poliform cabinetry for the kitchen, which subtly reflects water views.
Recently completed, the home has a front-row seat to sailboats and pleasure craft that ply the bay’s waters, as well as the annual Christmas boat parade and nearby Fourth of July fireworks. And, even more recently, the spacious, dazzling home is on the market for a cool $58 million.
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