It starts with a glass of rosé. The balcony faces west, the ocean stretches out past the palms, and as the sun sinks toward the horizon, the sky slowly shifts from crisp blues and creamy whites to warm gold and deep cinnamon. It could be the French Riviera, or a hillside above some sun-washed Mediterranean town. Except you aren’t in the south of France. You’re in Encinitas, at the top of a quiet, tree-lined community where water spills over stone in the gardens below and a greenbelt keeps the world at a comfortable distance.

Inside, the home picks up the story where the view leaves off. It was reimagined with a designer’s eye and a clear point of view: modern coastal ease, a touch of the Riviera, and materials chosen because they feel made by hand. Natural, earthy tones set the foundation. Layered blues, warm brass, tactile grasscloth, and the soft irregularity of hand-glazed tile build on it. The result feels gathered over years rather than finished in a single season.

The kitchen is where that story is told most clearly. Expanded and rebuilt, it centers on a quartzite island and warm-toned cabinetry. Linen-backed glass doors glow in the evening, and a built-in banquette invites a second cup of coffee. Behind the sink, hand-painted botanical tile, the same tile you may recognize from Little Victory in Carlsbad, finishes in a scalloped edge beneath soft mother of pearl wall sconces. It’s a small detail, and exactly the kind that tells you someone cared. Sleek, all-new appliances keep the room practical, and natural stone keeps it grounded.

In the living room, a refaced stone fireplace and wide-plank floors open to a broad picture window, so the view is part of every evening, fire or no fire. The bedrooms are quieter by design, with skylights pouring in daylight and windows that look out into the green canopy behind the home. Each bath has its own personality. One is wrapped in glazed checkerboard tile in sophisticated layers of ocean blue. The other is dressed in bold cream and blue stripes. Both are finished in brass and clearly from the same hand. This is tactile, intentional design, the kind you feel before you can name it.

The practical side is just as considered. A walk-in closet with built-in shelving holds in-unit laundry, and ductless mini-splits keep the home comfortable year-round. Two garage spaces sit directly below, along with two storage units. With no yard to tend, the home is as ready for a long weekend away as it is for a slow evening in. The beach, the freeway, and the shops, restaurants, and cafés of Coast Highway 101 are all minutes from the door.

The best time to see it is at sunset. We’d be glad to walk you through it.