Del Mar's "moving meditation"

Listing materials bill the Del Mar estate at 507 Van Dyke Avenue as “a moving meditation.” Originally built in 1985, the four-bedroom, five-bath home underwent an extensive three-year renovation that was completed in 2017 that left no corner of the property’s 3740 square feet of living space untouched.

“Exhale as you enter through a privacy gate into the soothing garden featuring multiple water features and ocean view spaces,” the listing continues. Inside, “custom grand pivot doors lead into airy interiors, seamlessly flowing onto spacious patios offering sit down ocean views from every primary room.”

The residence sits on a one-third acre lot “just over the heart of Del Mar Village, a short walk to beaches, restaurants & boutiques” — maps put it at just under a half mile inland from the city’s Powerhouse Park beach.

Luxury appointments include “Brazilian cherry wood floors, Calcutta marble, lava-stone steps, custom glass accordion stack doors and gorgeous custom case-work throughout.” An ocean-view media room features a wood-burning fireplace, and the open-format dining room and kitchen were designed to accommodate the owner’s penchant for entertaining guests while cooking with “Miele, Bosch and Thermador appliances, walk-in pantry and adjacent gathering room.”

The master suite features a walk-in closet “dressing room” that’s nearly as large as the secondary bedrooms, and a private patio outside leads to the spa, perched on a hillside above the pool. The whole home is controlled by a Savant automation system that “makes it easy to manage music, lighting, and mood of this gorgeous space.”

Outside features include “an endless exercise pool, heated alfresco dining pavilion with glass enclosure and chic rectangular fire pit are surrounded by private gardens and a magnificent Moreton Bay Fig tree,” along with a detached sauna/steam room and outdoor kitchen featuring a built-in barbecue with surrounding bar seating that reportedly had to be placed via crane.

“With gorgeous ocean views, stunning clean design and a private, quiet location, this home offers a private, tranquil retreat. The natural outdoor elements, peaceful gardens & layered terraces offer space for personal reflection while the openly designed interior blends effortlessly with the outside entertaining areas.”

The home is owned by Ken Baca, a wholesale floral supplier who ships fresh flowers to retailers across the West Coast. After buying the house in 2012 for a reported $3.8 million, Baca and his partner Isabelle Guy got to work in 2014 with designer John McCully and landscape architect Marcie Harris to give the home a complete update.

“Although it looked good, it just didn’t feel good,” Baca told San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles, which profiled the home last fall before it was listed for sale. “I decided to do it all and do it right.”

Now that it’s done, Baca appears ready to move on. The Van Dyke estate hit the open market in early March, carrying a price tag of $8,950,000 that remains unchanged to date.