Paradise Cove operates by a different set of rules than most of Malibu. The gated beachfront enclave draws a resident roster that includes Beyoncé and Jay-Z among other high-profile owners, yet functions with the kind of low-key insularity that keeps it largely absent from the neighborhood profiles that dominate coastal California real estate coverage. Properties here trade infrequently, and when they do, the transactions tend to reflect both the physical rarity of direct sand access and the social currency of the address itself.
For nearly a decade, John McEnroe and Patty Smyth have held one of the enclave’s most architecturally distinguished homes. Now, the couple has placed the contemporary oceanfront residence on the market for $35,000,000, marking the end of a chapter that began with a $21 million acquisition in 2015.
The listing is handled by Chris Cortazzo of Compass.
A Bi-Coastal Life, Anchored by Two Coasts
McEnroe, widely regarded as one of the most talented and temperamental players in the history of professional tennis, and Smyth, best known as the lead singer of the 1980s rock band Scandal, met at a mutual friend’s Christmas party in 1993 and married in 1997. They primarily reside on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the rhythms of broadcast schedules, touring commitments, and family life keep them rooted on the East Coast for much of the year.
The Malibu property served as the couple’s West Coast counterpoint: a place to decompress, entertain, and reconnect with the Pacific. McEnroe himself has described the beachfront home as a calming force, a characterization that anyone familiar with his on-court temperament might find both surprising and entirely fitting.
The couple will maintain a local presence in the neighborhood. A more modest inland ranch house in Paradise Cove, acquired in 2013 for $3.35 million, will remain in their portfolio.
Steven Ehrlich and Michael Lee: Architecture Meets Interior Refinement
The residence was designed and built in the mid-1990s by architect Steven Ehrlich, whose practice has long occupied a respected position within Southern California’s modernist tradition. Ehrlich’s approach to the Paradise Cove site prioritized transparency and connection to the coastline, using white stucco and green-tinted glass to create a structure that engages with the ocean from virtually every room.
Interior designer Michael Lee subsequently remodeled the interiors, layering warmth and sophistication over Ehrlich’s architectural framework. The combination of architectural clarity and interior refinement gives the home a character that feels both considered and lived-in, a quality that distinguishes it from newer spec construction along the Malibu coast.
6,445 Square Feet Across Multiple Oceanfront Levels
The multi-level residence spans 6,445 square feet with four bedrooms and six bathrooms, connected by a central staircase, an elevator, and a dumbwaiter. The vertical organization of the home creates distinct zones for living, working, entertaining, and retreat, each calibrated to its relationship with the ocean.
Upon passing through a deep portico entryway abutting an attached two-car garage, a vaulted reception gallery sits beneath a prominent glass atrium that floods the arrival sequence with natural light. This hub transitions down to a combined living and dining area featuring a soaring two-story fireplace and access to an expansive oceanfront deck. The kitchen is outfitted with a central island with bar seating, a five-burner range with built-in grill, double Gaggenau ovens, and a see-through Sub-Zero refrigerator. An adjoining breakfast nook overlooks the water.
The primary suite occupies a privileged position within the home, offering sweeping coastline views, wood floors, built-in shelving, and a dedicated air-conditioning unit. Its spa-caliber bathroom features radiant-heated stone floors, skylights, a freestanding soaking tub, a steam shower, double sinks, and two walk-in closets.
A few steps above the main living area, an open loft office with a glass-railed balcony serves as McEnroe and Smyth’s workspace, its walls lined with platinum and gold records that speak quietly to the careers that brought them here. An adjoining bathroom completes the suite.
From Deck to Sand: The Vertical Beach Experience
The home’s lower levels extend the living experience progressively closer to the water. A bedroom with walk-in closet, ocean-view balcony, and en-suite bath provides privacy for guests on one level, while an expansive living space with floor-to-ceiling windows opens to a covered deck on another.
At the bottom level, a wet bar-equipped family room and second kitchen lead to a covered deck with a hot tub and steps traveling directly down to the sand. This is where the home’s relationship with the Pacific becomes physical rather than visual, a transition from looking at the ocean to being on it.
Outside, an open-air pavilion nestled into lush vegetation provides space for a gym or yoga practice, adding a tropical counterpoint to the home’s architectural precision. A landscaped front yard features a waterfall flowing through dense greenery, creating a sense of arrival that feels deliberately removed from the coastal highway beyond the gates.
Paradise Cove: Scarcity as Value
Paradise Cove’s inventory is structurally limited by geography, gating, and the preferences of its residents. Properties here do not turn over on market cycles; they turn over on life changes. The combination of direct beach access, guard-gated entry, and a neighbor profile that includes some of the most recognized names in entertainment creates a market dynamic where asking prices reflect rarity as much as physical attributes.
At $35,000,000, the McEnroe-Smyth residence represents a $14 million premium over their 2015 acquisition price of $21 million, reflecting both the renovation investment and the persistent upward pressure on beachfront pricing within Malibu’s most exclusive enclaves.
As they approach their 30th wedding anniversary, the bi-coastal couple remains active on both coasts. When they are not managing broadcast and touring schedules, they can be found sharing the stage, most recently at Guild Hall in East Hampton for a collaborative music performance.
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