A Piece of California Beach History is On the Market. Del Mar’s Last Sandlot is now a Stealth $75 Million High-Performance Beach House

Here on a rare 30,491 square-foot parcel, award-winning architect Studio William Hefner transformed the last Del Mar sandlot into a stealth 7.5-bedoom, 7.5-bath oceanfront retreat with multi-generational flow and marine-grade durability. The property is listed by Rande Turner of Rande Turner Collective —Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty. 

“This house was intentionally built like a superyacht with luxurious marine-grade materials. The goal is to spend your time using it, not maintaining it,” says Turner.  “This is more than just a residence; it is an opportunity to steward a piece of Del Mar’s history. The new seawall and seamless indoor-outdoor architecture create a sanctuary that invites effortless enjoyment for generations to come.”

The last sandlot was acquired by a fifth-generation California family who first purchased it in the 1930s. Here, Hefner and designer Jeffry Weisman optimized the legacy property as a modern-day beach house to reawaken après-sea rituals. With a sprawling 75-foot-wide beachfront patio, the house is seriously playful and richly restful.

“Whether the kids are coming in from surfing or you’re hosting 40 people for cocktails, the house is set up for it,” says Weisman, who chose materials that are practical and poetic. 

Designed in tandem with a third-generation Del Mar beachfront resident, the house is intensely functional. Beeline from the beach through your private gate and hit the outdoor shower — roomy enough to accommodate kids and dogs; ditch your boards and fins in the nearby storage. Warm up by the firepit. Cue the soundtrack on the indoor-outdoor speakers.

The high-performance haven has been crafted with connection as a design cornerstone. The layout intuitively unfolds from public beachfront to private spaces, creating soulful nooks shielded from the beach. Take the indoor-outdoor oceanfront dining room: Slide open the pocket doors and suddenly there’s an abundance of space to entertain guests. Close them shut, and it’s an intimate dining experience. Voila. 

By the beach, open space is revered as true luxury. Here, an interior courtyard is an invaluable design element, establishing privacy from public view and breathing room between the main house and guest houses. The pool and spa are flanked by a sprawling grassy lawn. Also primed for play: A ping-pong pavilion and grill area. The covered outdoor living room is an informal gathering and dining space, serving as a social hearth anchored by a wood-burning fireplace. 

“This property is 1 of 1. It took over 12 years from concept to completion and current replacement cost is aligned with the list price if one ventured down this path today. We are extremely confident in the depth and demand of the North County coastal market in 2025. Ocean House is a legacy property; once sold it may not be available for generations to come,“ says Turner. 

Tonally subtle, the sandy-hued exterior reinforces a sense of place while creating a visually soothing environment. Deliberately selected to be marine-grade and hard-wearing, materials have been scrutinized to provide whole-of-life performance, allowing the buyers to confidently take stewardship of the home far into the future. There’s Arriscraft Walnut brick, a DaVinci Shake roof, Hardie Artisan Siding, and copper downspouts and gutters. 

“This is a long-term, low-maintenance concept that was invented for the site and very much inspired by Olde Del Mar,” says Hefner, who prioritized livability alongside longevity. “We saved someone a decade with the seawall timing alone.” 

Inside the 5-bedroom, 5.5-bath main house, scale and intimacy are essential. A floating staircase connects the main living space to the private primary quarters on the second story. In the main living room, light plays a vital role, actively engaging spaces as it shifts with the sea. Motorized shades are highly customized, shielding slivers of light with the touch of a button. A fireplace is a centerpiece while the card table gets a starring role at the picture window. 

Materials add depth and allure to the oceanfront kitchen. There’s black leathered Quartzite counters, custom cabinetry with Ashley Norton Hardware, a Wolf 60-inch dual fuel range, two 36-inch Subzeroes, a walk-in pantry, and a full bar with a fridge. An island counter has seating for three while the dining room breezily embraces the 75-foot-wide patio courtesy of Fleetwood pocket doors. 

White oak is featured on the floors and ceilings in the common areas and all the bedrooms, recalling the design of early beach cottages. Here, though, the ceilings are high and vaulted with custom chandeliers and fixtures throughout. 

A light-filled guest wing includes three ensuite bedrooms, equipped with operable skylights and accessible sea breezes. The swoon-worthy oceanfront guest suite has private access to the beachfront deck with lounge chairs.  

Upstairs, the primary suite is cocooned from the rest of the house. The cantilevered office is inspired by the crows nest of a ship. At the desk, 180-degree ocean views are framed by the American flag, illuminated nightly. A corner library and reading chair are your invitation to linger. The primary bedroom is profoundly private; solely designed for two humans coexisting in these oceanfront quarters. There’s seating for two, both at a fireplace and on the oceanfront patio. Meanwhile, there’s two walk-in closets and a lavish marble bathroom with dual sinks, a deep soak tub, and shower. 

There are two private guest houses on the property. The 1-bedroom, 1-bath guest quarters feature a kitchenette and laundry room. The two-story 1.5-bedroom, 1.5-bath pool house makes a statement. The ensuite guest room includes a darling bunk room, and a large ocean-view deck with space for lounging and dining. 

On the main level, the media room goes for bold, bathed in a punchy terracotta hue. There’s a wraparound-couch, custom built-in cabinetry, blackout curtains, and a fridge.  “We wanted it to feel really dramatic at night with these saturated colored walls playing off the illuminated pool out front,” says Weisman.

Mission accomplished. It’s the perfect hideout after a long day at the beach.