When Kerry Marsh turned 70 last July, his wife Corinne hosted a party at their ocean-view home in Del Mar. The relaxed celebrations took full advantage of the warm, open spaces. As a favorite musician performed Willie Nelson's “Always on my Mind,” the couple's three adult children and a few close friends toasted with the vast Pacific Ocean not far away. It may have been Kerry's birthday, but it was also the home's debut.
Corinne and Kerry have been married for 41 years. Her family has migrated from their hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to North San Diego County every summer since the children were young. A lifelong surfer, Kerry met Corinne at a beach party in Fort Lauderdale when she was 16. He briefly studied architecture at college in Miami, but soon dropped out to go on a five-month surf trip from Baja to Guatemala with friends. Back in Fort Lauderdale, he began a development career. Today, among other major projects, his company converts abandoned wholesale markets into warehouses.
Fifteen years ago, the Marshes began searching for a location in Del Mar where they could build their dream home. “In the end it came down to a few lots,” says Kerry. “Corinne liked that best, and she was right.” Your third of an acre is just a stone's throw from Torrey Pines State Beach—assuming the wind is right and you have a strong arm.
The Pacific Surfliner runs nearby, but that doesn't bother the Marshes. “I wanted to be near the tracks because I love the sights and sounds of trains going by,” says Corinne.
The Marshes' site was previously home to a small 1950s bungalow designed by Del Mar modernist Herb Turner. While many of Turner's other homes have been preserved, hers was clearly a demolition. Their broker had hired Solana Beach architect Brian Church to evaluate the sites. He and the Marshes hit it off and they hired him to design the new house, which went through several iterations before being approved by the Del Mar Design Review Board. Church's plan was inspired in part by his love of Southern California modernists like Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler, whose 100-year-old El Pueblo Ribera courtyard duplexes in La Jolla feature strong indoor-outdoor connections and simple materials.
Torrey Pines at the edge of the property were preserved as a tribute to the Marshes' three children.
When work began, the Marshes were clear about their priorities.
“I wanted to see white water and the waves rolling in,” says Corinne.
“It’s always look, look, look,” Kerry adds. This may sound too simple, but it really captures the essence of the home.
Kerry wasn't always a fan of modernist architecture, with its spare, no-frills approach. “The design was changed at least four times,” he says. “The first version was French Country with a barrel tile roof, then it became more modern, like a lot of things I'd seen, with wood, metal, glass and stone. In the end, I'm glad it turned out that way. I really love the house now.
Each level of the home features terraces and outdoor living spaces.
Construction began in 2018 and was completed in 2021. However, it took another two years before “it was okay,” explains Kerry. “We worked on each room and exchanged ideas several times.”
The design of the church covers 5,000 square meters on five levels, which are connected by steps that zigzag between wide landings. Smaller rooms perch on the hillside, while voluminous sections offer stunning coastal views. A foundation of two-foot-thick retaining walls is deeply anchored in the solid sandstone. The sturdy base supports open interior spaces up to 19 feet tall, although they appear even taller as the open floor plan allows views from the lowest level to the landing. The house may be hard to see from the street, but there is drama at the edge.
Walls of limestone blocks, dry-stacked without mortar, and smooth-troweled stucco meet neatly against floors of limestone and wood. Railings and fittings are made of steel, stainless steel and copper. Yucca, ocotillo, snake plant, agave, prairie grasses and other species selected by landscape architect Greg Hebert, who died in 2022, surround the house. Together, these elements conjure up dreamy nights and days in Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms.
A chandelier made of crystal butterflies hangs in the entrance area.
Kerry has often worked with Fort Lauderdale interior designer Michael Beamish, whose resume includes resorts in far-flung locations as well as custom homes. Beamish, a charming Brit, brought a simple yet elegant aesthetic that harmonizes with the church's architecture. The furnishings are modern but subtle. Beamish used natural materials such as wood grain, soft linens and light stone.
The master suite is a fabulous hideaway, Corinne's favorite spot in the house for meditation, solitude and contemplation of the ocean and sky. The Marshes enjoy ocean views from a custom-made bed and freestanding bathtub. Beamish also designed other bedroom furniture, such as a daybed covered in organic chenille and other pieces upholstered in fabrics from textile company Kravet. A wall of smart glass overlooks the vast, sometimes busy central rooms. At the touch of a button it becomes opaque for more privacy.
Above the fireplace is a custom surfboard like the one Todos Santos designed for big waves.
A chandelier made of crystal butterflies hangs in the entrance area. Nearby is an industrial-grade steel and glass elevator like the one Kerry saw in a converted historic building in Switzerland. The kitchen features stainless steel appliances and light Taj Mahal quartzite countertops. In the adjacent dining and living room there is a comfortable sofa by Nathan Anthony and side chairs by Adriana Hoyos. Mounted above the built-in gas fireplace and flat-screen TV is a hardwood surfboard that follows the contours of the boards designed by legendary shaper Gary MacNabb for big waves at Todos Santos, the epic break south of the border. This life-size replica is too heavy to surf, but it is a fantastic example of the art of the surfboard shaper.
The master suite is a romantic retreat with custom furnishings and fabrics, as well as photographer Aaron Chang's triptych of dried leaves.
Recessed shelves line the walls on each floor. They contain a fascinating, sometimes amusing selection of family memorabilia, ranging from framed photos to ceramic objects to a model of cartoon characters aboard a VW convertible with a teardrop-shaped trailer. Most rooms feature images by North County photographer Aaron Chang, best known for his shots of surfers and coastal landscapes. Many of these are on view, but visitors strolling through the exhibition will also see Chang's abstract photographs of oceanic textures and colors, as well as a triptych above the primary bed of large dried leaves he found in the Dominican Republic.
All in all, the house pays homage to the stretch of Southern California coast right outside its door—and that's exactly what it's all about for the Marshes.
“We get up every morning, get our coffee and sit on the patio, and my wife doesn't want to go back to Florida,” Kerry says. “I walk down the path and surf behind the house. We walk on the beach every day.”
Limestone walls and white oak floors combine with soft-toned textiles and comfortable, modern furniture to create calm, elegant spaces.
“I love waking up here,” adds Corinne. “I pull up the blinds, pray and look out and feel so blessed to have this view in the morning and the sunsets in the evening. We both grew up middle class and feel very lucky to have come this far and to be able to live here. When we were young, our dream was always to live by the sea and see the white water rushing in. We got pretty much everything we wanted.”
This includes a disappearing edge pool, just behind the built-in bar and custom pool table and through wide sliding glass doors. Lined with dark pea gravel, bordered by blue glass tiles and Ipe hardwood decking, and furnished with chairs and chaise lounges from RH Outdoor, it is the centerpiece of this outdoor living room, a beautiful place to relax most days of the year. There are three Torrey Pines growing on the back edge of the property, which are special to Corinne – she received them as a tribute to her three children. From just the right angle at sunset, you can imagine the pool cascading through the silhouetted trees into the Pacific.