This luxury estate combines modern living with ocean views, blurring the lines between the interior and exterior. The moment you walk through the doors of this Corona del Mar property, a seemingly never-ending vista of crystal blue waters that stretch to the horizon line envelops you. This stunning view can be seen from almost every vantage point of this luxury estate. The home’s meticulous, sleek design allows the breathtaking ocean to command attention, rather than compete with it.
The staggering 17,300-square-foot residence, which is currently on the market for $52 million by VALIA Properties, was the product of Geoff Sumich of Geoff Sumich Design, Tom Nicholson of Nicholson Companies, and Lisa McDennon of Lisa McDennon Design. Together, they designed and executed a contemporary, modern estate that seamlessly blurs the lines of interior and exterior.
“The collaboration was a carefully orchestrated dance, one built on trust, discipline, and a shared respect for the vision,” Tom Nicholson, founder of Nicholson Companies, says. “From the earliest stages, as the developer and builder, we worked in constant dialogue with the architect, design team, engineers, trades, and vendors. Every decision was interconnected: structure informed space, space informed materiality, and materiality informed light. There was a clear understanding that no single element could be resolved in isolation without impacting the whole.”
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The close relationship between the team, which was stewarded by VALIA, has elevated the property from a beautiful home to a curated experience.
“The home blends modern design with a warm, inviting sensibility, creating spaces that feel both beautifully composed and exceptionally livable,” McDennon says.
Floor-to-ceiling automated glass doors foster a strong connection to the surrounding landscape, allowing for the crisp ocean breeze to flow effortlessly throughout, supplying you with priceless views. Achieving this caliber of harmonious indoor/outdoor living, with close proximity to the ocean, meant sustainability was a priority for the builder and architect to maintain the integrity and longevity of the home.
“The primary challenge was reconciling openness with permanence,” Nicholson explains. “The home was designed to immerse the owner in the experience of luxurious seaside living where interior spaces flow effortlessly to the outdoors, and expansive rooms are framed by uninterrupted ocean views. Achieving that level of transparency while maintaining structural integrity required an extraordinary level of upfront planning and engineering. To support nearly 12,000 square feet of interior space with minimal internal walls, we invested heavily in the structural framework. The main structure alone incorporates more than 61 tons of steel and approximately 750 yards of high-strength concrete.”
Another challenge of the home was striking a balance between privacy and visibility to the ocean views. Sumich integrated features such as a hidden louvered system that can be activated at the homeowner’s discretion, as well as designing a sleek wood trellis above the courtyard. “We did this in the courtyard as well as along the property line,” Sumich says. “It allows light to flood the space but also gives you privacy, almost like a veil.”
Designed to be a host for gatherings, the estate features a lower-level where multiple resort-like features such as a lounge, opulent theatre, a car gallery with clear views of the car lift, a bar, a state-of-the-art gym, spa, wine room, and massage room reside. Through innovative planning, elements of nature become the focal point. A plexiglass window built into the pool reflects the sun’s rays and adds a subtle ethereal glow to the room, while a beautiful greenery wall of flora and antique mirrors commands attention, allowing sunlight to peek through.
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“The swimming pool on the main level has a large 20 x 10 ft. acrylic glass window, which brings light through the water down into that area on one side,” Sumich says. “I also located a lightwell lined with greenery which spans the entire length of the lower level. These two openings bring light and nature into this subterranean space.”
The interiors showcase a neutral color palette, allowing the blue hues of the water to lead the narrative and connect the rooms together. The designer opted for curvaceous furniture to juxtapose the clean, sharp lines of the home’s architectural composition.
“The architecture establishes a strong, clean-lined structure, and we wanted the interiors to introduce softness, movement, and visual layering that would balance those elements,” McDennon says. “We achieved this through organic textures, sculptural furnishings, layered finishes, and carefully curated lighting. The goal was to soften the architectural geometry without diminishing its strength, creating a home that feels both visually striking and warmly inviting.”
The primary bedroom is clad in wood walls with a structured floor-to-ceiling fireplace adjacent to the bed, acting as the room’s anchor and creating separation between the sleeping area and lounge. The bedroom’s wall is made completely of glass, opening up to a patio with uninterrupted views of the sparkling sea.
The bathrooms in the primary suite are standout features; each bathroom exudes a masculine and feminine energy; his-and-hers. One is constructed with a mixture of bold veined dark brown quartzite, honey mocha onyx, warm concrete porcelain, and darker wood tones, while the other is designed to have an air of femininity: featuring Vagli marble with tones of peachy-pink, taupe, cream & white, light wood, a spectacular soaking tub, and vanity for getting ready.
The home’s architecture is bold and simplistic, designed to maximize views. Sumich believes this is part of what makes the home ICONIC. “It takes a lot of courage to do a very simple and bold piece of architecture,” Sumich says. “It gives the home a timeless nature.”
For Nicholson, the home feels ICONIC because of the experience you have when standing within its walls, “it transcends architecture and becomes an experience, one that is inseparable from its site and its surroundings,” he says, “Its elevated position along Ocean Boulevard, with over 64 feet of unobstructed ocean frontage opposite Inspiration Point, is extraordinary, but what truly sets it apart is how the design responds to that context. Walls of glass, expansive open spaces, and carefully choreographed sightlines allow the ocean, the sunsets, and even the motion of the harbor to become integral parts of the home itself.”