The second-priciest home in La Jolla

This week’s home, the second-priciest in the already exclusive neighborhood of La Jolla, sits at 6114 Camino de la Costa on an oceanfront lot along a stretch locals have nicknamed the “Street of Dreams,” as real estate broker and neighbor Peter Corrente noted in a past column.

The mansion was designed by the local firm House & Dodge and built in 1999 by Encinitas-based Sharratt Construction, which boasts involvement in “some of the most prestigious and unique estates in Southern California.” It features 6 bedrooms and 11 baths spread across 8512 square feet of interior living space (according to county records), including a two-suite guest house. Builder plans say the house is even larger, with 9862 square feet of living area.

“Entering through the exquisite gated courtyard, you’ll immediately recognize the marriage of one-of-a-kind location and the utmost in quality of architecture,” the home’s listing materials promise.

Interior features include “intricate inlaid radiant heated marble floors, custom hand-carved Mahogany archways, moldings and windows throughout,” a curved-glass window looking onto the ocean from the living room, and three interior fireplaces.

The master suite includes a 550-square-foot bedroom in addition to his-and-her bathrooms and walk-in closets. In addition to the main kitchen, there’s a second catering kitchen for entertaining including “top of the line appliances such as three Dacor convection ovens, four Subzero refrigerators, two Bosch dishwashers, four stainless steel sinks, two Dacor microwaves and warming drawer.”

Outside, numerous patios and decks are situated to capture views of the ocean below (and a small beach that appears at low tide). The pool area is surrounded by the home, guest house, and a gazebo for privacy. Several water features are placed around the grounds, including at the front courtyard. A five-car garage accommodates off-street parking.

Public records show the owner to be Gary Barber, chief of the film production company Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, responsible for, among others, The Hobbit movies and the recent RoboCop reboot.

Barber bought the house in 2009 for just over $16 million, though the asking price at the time had been as high as $29,950,000. No notes are available indicating whether any significant changes or upgrades have been made during his ownership.

It was most recently listed in late August with a price tag of $26,950,000, putting it just more than $1 million shy of the highest list price in La Jolla and coming in good enough for the sixth most expensive home currently offered for sale in San Diego County.