Del Mar artistic vision, sea views, private pool and spa

My house is popular with families with children and groups of related mature adults, but is not suitable for younger unrelated adults who might bring many vehicles, party with alcohol or stay outside late. The beds (2 Kings, 1 Queen etc.) are best suited to families. The house primarily faces over a little used back alley and is quiet and private. It has a complex layout that is much liked by children, with a play loft, a fixed crib, a portable pack-and-play, two highchairs, a large collection of children's books, and there are bolts 5 feet up on all exterior doors.

Del Mar's best beaches, parks, restaurants, shopping and the main 5 freeway are all 1 mile away. We are about equidistant from the main popular destinations: racetrack & fairgrounds 2.1 mi North, Del Mar Horse park, Surf Sports Park soccer fields 4 mi North, Torrey Pines Golf course 3.7 mi South, Birch Aquarium 6.5 mi South, SeaWorld 16.2 mi South, Legoland 16.3 mi North, Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo and Airport 19 mi South, North county coastal towns and beaches 3 – 17 mi North, Safari Park 25 mi NE.


My 2800-square-foot, split level architectural house from the 1970s has been mostly updated. From the sidewalk directly in front of the house where you can park on a busy road, there is a spectacular view downhill to the ocean 0.4 miles away. From several rooms and the rear deck there are scattered glimpses of ocean between an overgrowth of trees, bushes and plants. The living room, dining room, kitchen and master bedroom all have high or very high open-beam ceilings. The décor is a mix of the traditional (marble floors, 5 chandeliers, 25 hanging pendant lights, antique furniture and lights), artistic (silver nickel bathtub, track spotlights illuminating original art) and eclectic. It is not the standard in-style manicured hotel with neatly mowed short lawns, and it is not a property newly furnished specifically for rent. There is fast internet, and you could stream from your own satellite or cable service to two smaller TVs, but the seating is not set up for TV viewing. Please do NOT ask to stay if the house does not match your preferences.


We get cooling ocean air nearly every day, but occasionally the wind comes from the hot inland deserts. The high-end metal roof is heavily insulated and shaded by a huge tree, while skylights open to vent hot air from the high ceilings. But the house has NO AC and gets hot inside a few days each year, especially if lower doors and windows are left open.

Please do NOT ask to stay if the house does not match your preferences.

The pool is 3 - 6 feet deep, about 42 feet long, and is heated most of the year, but unfortunately there will be an extra charge if you want it heated during the colder months from October to March; please ask. Neither the pool nor spar can be used after 8pm, and because of noise restrictions, there can be no music played or heard outside at any time. Kids playing is not a problem.

The two full suites are upstairs, each with a small ocean view between trees, and private full baths. The master suite has a king bed, a small child sized fold out full sofa-bed, lots room for an air-mattress (we may or may not have any since they do not last long - please ask), private balcony and a marble floor in its private bathroom. The guest suite also has a king bed and pull down Murphy twin bed. A smaller bedroom downstairs has one queen bed, and French doors to its own small private patio. A ladder loft at the top of the house, with four twin beds, serves as a fourth play area for kids. It can get hot. There is a twin bed in the large study room.

It is easy for large groups to spread out in the house. You can cook and feast in the oversized old kitchen, equipped with a six-burner, two-oven Wolf commercial-style range and a large prep island. The kitchen table can seat 8, and the island has 3 stools. The dining room is bright and its table seats 8 comfortably, 10 with a squeeze. The big living room has 2 couches, a marbled floor and tall double French doors leading to the pool and the adjacent elevated deck. Or you can retreat upstairs to one of the two very private suites.

The land slopes gently down towards the back of the house. House comprises 4 half levels with 3 short stairs. From the road in front of house, where you can park, there are three 4-inch steps down to the level of the front door, dining room, kitchen and kitchen patio. Down 6 steps takes you to the living room, small bedroom (queen bed), large study (twin bed) and a small bathroom (with bathtub), and outside rear and pool. Down 12 steps more takes you to the rear alley, and one parking place on loose stones. These steps are beside a wall with no railing. Going up 8 steps from kitchen takes you to the guest suite with its private bathroom, laundry and large closet with extra bedding. Going up a further 7 steps takes you to the large master bedroom and its private bathroom.


There are two areas to gather outside, on either side of the house. Neither is fully enclosed. Outside the kitchen and dining room there is a French style white wooden dining table and BBQ, on a tiled area adjoining the kitchen. There is a small "lawn" like area of tall local grasses and natural wild plants and weeds that are adapted to the shade under the huge tree - very little will grow there. You hear vehicles on the main road from here.

In the rear by the pool, it is very quiet and you can sit on the deck to talk, or splash in the lap pool, or soak in the attached spa, but not after 8pm. We do not have a sun lounger - the frequent overnight ocean fog and daytime sun destroy most materials. You can eat by the pool on a Balinese teak dining table.

My house is near the top of a steep hill facing the ocean, about 0.4 miles straight downhill to the beach, so you hear waves at night when the surf is up, but there is a steep cliff there. It is 1 mile from house to either of two popular beaches. The North beach is a walk-able distance north of the shops and high-end restaurants of Olde Del Mar on Camino Del Mar from 11th to 15th St. The very north tip of this beach is for dogs. The South beach is inside the Torrey Pines State Beach and is much more beautiful because it lacks ocean front houses. It is accessed from the coast road with the best views in the county. You can park next to the beach for free if you arrive outside peak times and walk over the large breakwater rocks, or you can pay for one of two large parking lots with restrooms, but no shops. You could walk to the south beach via roads or a wilderness trail but almost everyone would drive because you will want to have towels, water, snacks, clothes etc. The amount of exposed sand varies year by year, so we prefer to go near a low tide.

This is usually a very quiet neighborhood; hence when outside, no shouting, screaming, and never any music or radios. Do not open gates to neighbors’ houses and do not knock on their doors. Make sure all people arriving know the house number. No events, parties, receptions etc. You must never drink alcohol to point where judgement or actions are impaired, or speech becomes loud. No people on the property other than the guests specified at time of booking. Do not use the spa or pool after 8 pm.

This is the house I live in when it is not rented. It contains my personal property, including clothes. It is NOT a hotel. If you are looking for convention, and all new decorations please stay in one of the 8 excellent nearby hotels including two of the best in the county. You have responsibilities and duties similar to those of any homeowner (keep sand out of the house, strip beds you used and begin one cycle of washing, wash and put away dishes, put trash bins out on Sunday, clean up and put away things you moved, leaving house as you found it...). Only when you help in this way can we complete the cleaning in a few hours before the next group arrives.

There is room from one car or truck (but not RV) on loose stones off the quiet alley behind the house. The garage is not part of the rental. You can also park directly in front of the house on the busy road, from where there is a 60-foot path with three separated 4 inch steps down to the house. The house is set back from and faces away from the road. There is unlimited unrestricted free parking on the road downhill from the house, but NO parking uphill, in front of mailboxes or in the rear alley.

Please make sure everyone in your group is aware of the house rules. Your deposit will not be returned if anyone complains about a violation of a house rule. We have not had trouble with kids playing; it is always adults who cause problems.

Keywords: large house, 2 suites, pool, spa, hot tub, some ocean views, trees, Del Mar, kids