A view to the horizon, because there are no more worlds to conquer nearby.

Sometimes picking a property to share on this page is a painstaking process that involves a lot of second-guessing. Have we been to La Jolla and Del Mar too many times already this year? (Actually just once and twice, respectively.) Is it time to mix in some old, funky properties with the in-your-face but still somewhat tacky modern luxury? It’s been a long time since I’ve written about a condo, hasn’t it?

On other occasions, circumstances — say, being a day and a half past deadline and not having identified a subject yet — are such that a single photo grabs my attention and we’re good to go. Not to say that’s the case this week or anything, but the lead picture for the listing at 1864 Crest Drive in Encinitas really does entice: the massive pool with a beach entry that seems to turn a corner and wrap around the house, the backlit waterfall flowing into it, the winding staircase flanked by a wall of rock leading up to a second level complete with arches and a glass-lined turret... After seeing all of this, I think I’m going to like this house.

Okay, let’s have a look around: with five bedrooms and ten baths scattered across nearly 8500 square feet of interior living space, there’s going to be a lot to see here. After the opening shot of the pool, we move briefly to the kitchen, which Zillow remarks describe as featuring “a large Calacatta marble top island, Sub-Zero refrigerator & freezer, custom Woodstone pizza oven, La Canche 84” range & dual dishwashers, Miele espresso maker, True professional ice maker, truly a dream kitchen.” A seven-foot-long range? That’s nearly three times as big as a standard 30” unit, and while it’s probably overkill, I’m still intrigued.

From there, we progress to what I believe is the entry, featuring a lot of column-supported arches and custom lighting shining from all angles in order to illuminate the covered patio and stone stairs. Huge glass double doors lead into a circular foyer with a chandelier dangling from an absolutely enormous set of crossed wood beams. Next, we’re in an open concept living room, where the exposed timber ceilings do their part to add warmth to a home that, despite having just undergone what’s described as a two-year, $2 million renovation in June, avoids the “gentrification gray” monotone we see all too often with these newer builds. The “flooring made from 14th century reclaimed 2nd-cut limestone from the Island of Cypress[sic]” also does its part; the tiles seem a bit on the small side (perhaps because the room is so large), but the variety of hues on display is certainly welcome. Moving on, we take a deeper dive into the kitchen, where the marble island is certainly impressive but not as interesting to me as the custom arched enclosure over the range that hides what looks like a commercial vent fan. You’d need one if you were really using this beast, which looks to have as many as four ovens, who knows how many burners, and what looks like a stainless steel flat-top grill — albeit one that’s currently being used as a wine display.

This lovely loft apartment...oh wait, it’s a master suite.

Let’s head back outside to a patio, where a large window opens like an accordion to join the kitchen with a built-in grill and sitting area with a fireplace. From there, we’ll continue to a couple of different dining areas; I think one of them is off the kitchen, but the more interesting of the pair is in a rounded nook, with a door leading to the temperature-controlled wine room. The listing doesn’t say how many bottles can be stored here (which is something this kind of property usually would brag about), but it looks like the answer is “very many.”

We see a powder room with an interesting slab of rock for a counter, and a vessel sink with a gold faucet. I’m normally not a fan of gold/brass finishes (although I understand they’re making a comeback), but I’ve got to appreciate the attention to detail here: even the exposed drain pipe and p-trap are finished in shiny yellow, and the listing assures us that what we’re seeing is indeed “Phylrich 24k gold plumbing fixtures and bathroom glassware.”

What I assume is the primary suite features another fireplace, a sitting area, and access to a private deck. Then, before moving to its bathroom, we’re back outside and looking at a second outdoor kitchen, this one much better-equipped than the first. Is this part of the bedroom suite? I hope not, because this is where I’d want to do my entertaining. Then it’s a bunch of secondary bedrooms and baths; they’re fine, really, but there’s not much novel to say here. Onward, to the “professional home theater with 100” SONY TV, reclaimed French vintage oak herringbone flooring, Cinema Tech power reclining leather seats made in Germany, [and] full bar,” which I assume is one of the “seven beverage centers throughout the property.”

The wood-paneled office with fireplace is pleasant, and we’re told it comes with a private entry and its own full en-suite bathroom. I continue to be a fan of these kind of spaces making a comeback in modern mega-mansions; they make me feel like I’m visiting the lair of the wealthy patron (or villain) of a Raymond Chandler novel from the last century.

Continuing on, we get a private gym and a few more shots of different patio spaces. About those: we’re told there are more than 3000 square feet under roof in addition to the home’s interior space. We see not one but two hot tubs, one with a water slide and another housed at the top of that turret we saw in the opening shot, showing off the “stunning ocean views” the listing promised at the beginning but is just now beginning to deliver. We also peek into a guest house and around the 1.16-acre grounds. But there are a host of features listed that don’t make it onto our photo tour. For example: a garage for five cars attached to the main house, another for four more, and one that’s 42 feet deep and tall enough to accommodate an RV for indoor storage. There’s also a wet steam sauna, smart home technology, a workshop, and “a dog spa with pet shower” that I particularly would’ve liked to see. Oh well, we’ve already seen quite a bit, and I’m duly impressed with everything that did make it in.

Public records list a James Woods as the owner of the Encinitas compound. It hasn’t changed hands since before construction of the estate was completed in 2010 — that means the home was barely 10 years old before the two-year remodel began! That could be because a couple of attempts to find a buyer between 2019 and 2021 failed to bear fruit with asking prices of $8.5 to $9 million. After the renovation, the property hit the market again in early July with an asking price of $11,950,000 that remains unchanged to date.

1864 Crest Drive | Encinitas, 92024
Current owner: James Woods | Listing price: $11,950,000 | Beds: 5 | Baths: 10 | House size: 8500 sq ft