Lower Hermosa La Jolla home sports Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture and ocean views of Windansea Beach

Wright student Frederick Liebhardt constructed it for his parents

The living room exemplifies the indoor/outdoor flow that drove the original concept.

Listing materials promise this week’s property “is pure California real estate gold” — “sited prominently on over one acre of oceanfront land.”

On a promontory point that pushes closer to the waves below than surrounding neighbors, the 6300-square-foot home at 6266 Camino De La Costa in La Jolla’s Lower Hermosa neighborhood sits almost entirely below street level. The unique lot configuration “affords the home a rare combination of direct ocean views that span from the southwest over the Big Rock surf break up to world famous Windansea Beach,” while still promoting an “immensely private” living experience.

The modernized, beach-vibey kitchen.

While sporting an official build date of 1970, photos of the home exist dating back to 1958, when it was designed and constructed by Frank Lloyd Wright student Frederick Liebhardt for his parents. The home was later remodeled by fellow Wright acolyte and award-winning local architect Henry Hester.

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A more recent refresh was performed by custom builders Hill Construction and New York-based designer Eddie Lee, “who modernized the interior to accentuate the clean lines, inviting spaces, and indoor/outdoor flow that drove the original concept, while adding details to further the comfort and beach vibe of such a sophisticated home.”

A winding staircase leads downward from the street to the home’s main upper level, which houses the master suite with his-and-hers master baths and walk-in closets, kitchen, and living areas. Three more en-suite bedrooms are tucked into the cliffs on the house’s lower level, each given its own private bath. In addition, there is a full guest bath and three powder rooms.

Spaces for outdoor entertaining include a pool housed in a central courtyard “protected from cool ocean breezes” and “an expansive teak ocean view deck.”

Inside, glass walls and multiple French doors span from floor to ceiling, inviting in views of “the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and rocky coastline that creates drama with mesmerizing waves.” There’s also a “sea spray that refreshes your senses,” but which the swimming pool was placed to avoid. Elevated ceilings with exposed beams, a sunken wet bar, and an oceanfront private office are “just the beginning of the amenities that enhance the enjoyment of the lifestyle that comes with such a phenomenal location.”

The Liebhardt estate last sold for a reported $14.3 million in early 2015 to Sea Spray Holdings, a limited liability company with a New York City mailing address. The property had previously been owned by Herb and Donna Boynton, health food entrepreneurs who purchased the property in 1995 for a comparatively scant $2.5 million.

Following the latest round of remodeling, the Camino De La Costa property was re-listed for sale in early March. The initial asking price of $18.9 million remains unchanged to date.

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