Inside the Aviator, a $7.5 Million Flight-Inspired Home on a Rugged Mountaintop High Above Malibu

The Woolsey Fire engulfed over 96,000 acres and destroyed over 1,600 structures between Los Angeles and Ventura counties back in 2018. The Copper Dome, a dome-shaped residence that pilots flying in and out of LAX used as a landmark, was one of the lost buildings. Its burned-out lot was revived by award-winning architect Amit Apel after he bought it for $865,000 and built an ultra-modern home that honors the site’s aviation ties. 

Set atop a ridge on Malibu’s Cayman Road, the two-story abode was completed in 2024 with panoramic vistas of the Santa Monica Mountains and Pacific Ocean. It was initially listed for $9.2 million in October 2024, records show, before receiving a $700,000 price chop two months later. The 2.23-acre pad was put back on the market last month at its substantially lower current asking price of $7.5 million. Joshua Altman and Scott James of Douglas Elliman hold the listing for the home, which is known as the Aviator.

Emphasized by geometric shapes and dressed in bold red, white, and black colors, the Aviator stands at the end of a winding driveway. The home’s aerodynamic designs are subtly reflected in the angles created around open-air spaces at the front of the house and more impactfully expressed in the pair of wings created by the sharp juxtaposed rooflines at the back.  

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Nine-foot-tall ceilings lead into the home with a main living area that features custom built-in seating, complete with vibrant yellow cushions, opposite a built-in television center. Stone features span the gourmet kitchen’s backsplash nearby, as well as the cantilevered island with a wood-paneled base and breakfast bar seating. Two bedrooms and three baths are upstairs, where floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to expansive covered balconies.

Sandwiched between two ground-floor patios, the zero-edge pool in the shape of a triangle is one of the Aviator’s most eye-catching amenities. An outdoor kitchen and parking for up to 16 cars, not to mention the epic views, make it an ideal spot to host a party.

Click here for more photos of the Malibu home.