There are waterfront homes, and then there are homes that seem determined to use every possible inch of their waterfront setting.
A contemporary mansion on Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula falls squarely into the latter category.
Completed in 2023, the approximately 12,749-square-foot residence sits along nearly 100 feet of Newport Channel frontage, with passing yachts and sailboats forming an ever-changing backdrop to its glass-heavy interiors.
But the water views are only the beginning.
The $57.5 million home has its own dock for multiple vessels, two swimming pools on two different levels, a roughly 3,200-square-foot rooftop entertaining deck, a movie theater, VR racing room, substantial wine storage and an entire wellness center.
Located at 1220 W Bay Avenue, the six-bedroom, 7.5-bath residence is now on the market with Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker Realty.
Designed by famed architect Paul McClean
Architect Paul McClean, whose portfolio includes some of Southern California’s most recognizable contemporary estates, designed the home, with Gallo Builders handling construction and Lynda Murray Interior Design overseeing the interiors.
The result is decidedly modern, but not minimalist in the sense of being sparse.
Glass, marble, metal and wood are layered throughout, beginning with Italian veined white marble cladding and custom rain glass at the entrance.
A landscaped garden sits beyond the gate, where a glass bridge leads to a pivoting glass front door. And the home’s relationship with Newport Channel becomes apparent before anyone actually steps inside: water views begin at the entrance and continue through all three levels.
Sliding glass doors open up to the views
Some of the most dramatic engineering is reserved for the glass walls.
Sky-Frame sliding glass pocket doors extend up to nearly 50 feet, allowing large sections of the house to effectively disappear into the outdoor spaces.
On the main level, that opens the interiors directly onto a bayfront terrace equipped with its own kitchen.
The private dock sits just beyond, with room for multiple vessels and immediate access to Newport Harbor.
Inside, the great room is organized around a see-through fireplace shared with the covered outdoor patio, another detail that makes the boundary between house and terrace deliberately difficult to pin down.
The kitchen setup is equally ambitious.
There are separate front and back kitchens fitted with Poliform Italian cabinetry and appliances from Miele, Sub-Zero and Liebherr, giving everyday cooking and behind-the-scenes preparation their own spaces.
The adjoining dining room keeps everything connected for larger dinners and entertaining.
Wine gets considerably more room than the typical cellar tucked beneath a staircase.
A walk-in wine room accommodates approximately 750 bottles, while a separate temperature-controlled wine wall holds another 192. Together, that’s storage for close to 1,000 bottles without counting whatever might be chilling in the kitchen.
A sculptural spiral staircase with mirror-polished rails connects the home’s three levels, accompanied by a custom elevator for a more direct route upstairs — or down to an entire lower floor devoted largely to having fun.
There, a lounge and bar lead into a private movie theater complete with a starry-night ceiling and its own concession stand.
A dedicated VR racing room takes the entertainment setup in a rather different direction, while a fitness center comes outfitted with Rogue equipment and Pavi Gym rubber flooring imported from Spain.
The lower level features a private wellness center
The lower level also houses one of the home’s more elaborate luxuries: a private wellness center.
Instead of simply adding a sauna beside the gym, the owners created a collection of dedicated spaces that includes a massage and meditation room, light-therapy room, steam shower and sauna.
There’s also a swimming pool on this level.
And, unusually, it isn’t the only one.
A second pool awaits on the rooftop
Head all the way to the roof and a second pool awaits, this time surrounded by one of the property’s most impressive entertaining spaces.
The rooftop terrace spans approximately 3,200 square feet, an enormous amount of outdoor space for a home occupying a roughly 0.16-acre waterfront lot.
From up here, the outlook expands well beyond the immediate channel.
Views take in Newport Harbor and the Pacific, along with Saddleback Mountain, Lido Isle, the coastline and the towers of Newport Center and Fashion Island.
The rooftop also gets a full outdoor kitchen with a grill and pizza oven, plus an island with seating for 10. Between that setup and the pool, it’s essentially another entertaining floor — only without much of a ceiling.
The primary suite occupies the top level as well, taking advantage of unobstructed water views and opening to a large private balcony.
Its bathroom includes heated floors, adding another wellness-minded detail to the private quarters.
Five additional en suite bedrooms bring the total to six, allowing guest accommodations to remain integrated into the house without sacrificing privacy.
Technology is woven throughout the residence via an integrated smart-home system, while the four-car garage gets an architectural flourish of its own: a single hydraulic door conceals the entire opening.
Yet for all the theater equipment, wine storage, wellness rooms and rooftop amenities, the property’s biggest luxury remains the one outside its glass walls.
With the Newport Channel right in front of the house
Nearly 100 feet of frontage places Newport Channel directly in front of the house, with boats gliding past throughout the day and harbor lights taking over after dark.
And thanks to those enormous disappearing glass doors, a private dock and two separate pools — including one three stories up — this $57.5 million Newport Beach mansion doesn’t exactly let that location go to waste.
The property at 1220 W Bay Avenue is listed for $57.5 million with Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker Realty.
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