Smartest home in Coronado

Local real estate broker Scott Aurich designed and built his 4500-square-foot custom “Hill Country Coastal Contemporary” home from the ground up, and the attention to detail that he, his wife, and a host of local contractors put into their work is evident throughout.

Aurich bought a small 1950s two-bedroom home at 1041 G Avenue in Coronado for $1.5 million in 2010, then spent the next two years designing and building a new luxury estate on the 7500-square-foot lot.

Unique touches begin with the front entry, where a floating concrete slab staircase is surrounded by a glowing water feature, with a small pond and waterfalls cascading down on either side of the stairs. The oversized front entry door is fashioned from frosted glass and copper, and takes the form of a large “G.”

Once inside, a flush-mounted fireplace and television in the living room are flanked by two large columns that also appear to be made of burnished copper, but Aurich explains they’re actually made of iridescent tiles laid in a woven pattern.

Between the living area and the kitchen sits the home’s showpiece attraction — a fully stocked U-shaped bar with backlit onyx counters. A formal dining area features a custom built-in buffet made from Madagascar Ebony wood, and the kitchen itself has custom tile work, a professional-grade appliance package, and an oversized granite slab island with bar seating for five.

Copper-backed doors “fold open seamlessly, transitioning into a covered outdoor patio” with built-in barbecue, stone fireplace, and covered lounge seating. At the edge of the yard sits a lap pool with custom-designed lighted water wall and a spa with limestone decking.

Other home amenities include a second large patio upstairs, accessible via the master suite and the office, which could be converted into a third bedroom. Next to the glass-walled wine room, a hidden door covered in stone leads to the private gym and “man cave,” currently outfitted with a wall-mounted big screen, poker table, adjacent bathroom, and a second wet bar.

The home also features one of the most advanced digital automation systems to be found in San Diego. Via an iPad, one can operate the garage door and gates, lock and unlock the home’s exterior doors, control a set of security cameras mounted around the property as well as the alarm system, switch on or off lights around the house and in the yard as well, operate the exterior water features, adjust the climate control, and use any of the home’s televisions or stereo components.

“I can’t think of anything else you can do to make the house more electronically operated,” Aurich says. “It’s about as ‘smart’ a home as there is out there. I built the home for myself without any plans to sell it, we’re just looking for something with a little bigger yard.”

The property hit the market for the first time in late March. The asking price is $5,890,000.