From its perch, the main house takes full advantage of the ocean views. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
The spiral staircase and glass floor. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
The oceanfront living room and sit-down bar. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
The gourmet kitchen. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
An automated circular ceiling retracts to expose the primary suite’s rotating bed to the sky. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
The wine cellar. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
The pool. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
Orange County’s second most-expensive home is this Laguna Beach estate, which just changed hands for nearly $82.6 million. (Photo by Chris Snitko, Modern Take Media)
A blufftop Laguna Beach estate partially suspended above the shoreline with front-row ocean views on three sides just sold for nearly $82.6 million.
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The Oct. 14 deal is the second-most expensive home sale ever in Orange County.
Unlike the county’s record $110 million beachfront mansion in guard-gated Emerald Bay, the wood, glass and concrete estate sits a few miles south in the Rockledge neighborhood. The three-level main house and detached guest house combine for eight bedrooms and 15 bathrooms across 14,434 square feet on a lot that spans more than 1 acre.
The property has two gated entrances, including one off a private street, but the neighborhood itself is not a gated. According to the listing agents, First American Title ranks the estate as OC’s highest-priced home sale outside a gated community.
Public records show California-based Primehaven Co LLC is the title holder. The company conceals the identity of the buyer who acquired the estate from David Wilson, owner and chief executive officer of Wilson Automotive Group, and his wife, Holly, for 26% below the $112 million asking price. Records confirm the property closed 82 days after it hit the market in July.
The property had been in the Wilson family since September 2001 when they bought it from the original owners for somewhere between $16 million and $17.9 million, depending on the source.
Originally, modernist architect Fred Briggs designed the home for disgraced Wall Street trader Boyd L. Jeffries and his wife, Sharon.
Completed in 1974 before the California Coastal Commission implemented strict setback rules, the home features a living room, library and primary bedroom that extend beyond the bluff’s edge. The rare, grandfathered design would be difficult to reproduce under today’s restrictions.
After taking ownership, the Wilsons embarked on a two-year, $20 million renovation.
More than $3 million of that investment went into bringing the home up to code and adding extensive steel and concrete reinforcement to counter coastal erosion, a growing concern as disappearing beaches and crumbling bluffs have compromised oceanfront homes and a critical stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway in recent weeks.
From its perch, the main house takes full advantage of the ocean views.
The oceanfront living room features a sit-down bar and flows into a gourmet kitchen with an oversized island and professional-grade appliances.
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Co-listing agent Meital Taub of Livel Real Estate previously told the Southern California News Group that descending the spiral staircase alongside glass walls and arriving at the glass floor feels “like you’re floating in the ocean.”
A formal dining room, a wine cellar and a movie theater also contribute to the layout.
In contrast to the open living and entertaining areas, the home’s upper level shifts the focus to high-tech luxury and security.
The primary suite centers on a rotating bed beneath an automated ceiling that opens to the sky. Also in this wing of the house, which includes two secondary bedrooms and the library, is the ability to seal off the space from the rest of the estate. A walk-in safe, emergency escape door and security cameras provide additional protection.
Detached from the main residence is a two-bedroom guest house with an ocean-view deck.
An eight-car garage with a catering kitchen completes the property’s structural footprint, while the grounds feature a motor court that can accommodate an additional 20 vehicles.
Towering palms frame the luxury-resort-style amenities, including a pool and spa, a private amphitheater and a championship tennis court. A Zen garden with a weeping Buddha fountain and a treehouse add to the grounds, while private steps lead directly to the sand. Near the lower part of the bluff is a sitting area perched above the ocean.
While SCNG previously noted the home’s contents could be negotiated, the listing agents clarified by email that a $1 million wine collection and a curated art portfolio featuring works by Andy Warhol, Picasso and Don Sorenson were not included in the sale price and did not transfer with the property.
Taub shared the listing with Jill Lockhart of Livel Real Estate, while Josh and Heather Altman of Douglas Elliman represented the unidentified buyer.
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