Inside Southern California’s Villa Calafia

This property successful the foothills of Montecito is simply a terrestrial paradise of astir 16 acres with an Old World-inspired residence, impermanent quarters, garaging, equestrian facilities, a tennis court, orchards, gardens, and towering stalwart trees.

With its ornate robust gates, iconic barrel-tiled roofline, stucco façade, lukewarm earthy hues, gangly timeless shutters, breezy balconies, and gracefully arching doorways, the handsome location known arsenic Villa Calafia could easy beryllium mistaken for a regal retreat successful the Mediterranean countryside. These quintessentially Old World aesthetics, though, belie the information that it is the centerpiece of a astir 16-acre property successful the foothills of Montecito with a distinctly American pedigree. 

Carpinteria, California | Jason Siemens | Sotheby’s International Realty – Montecito – Coast Village Road Brokerage

Dubbed Villa Calafia erstwhile it was constructed successful the 1930s, the main residence blends enduring vintage flair—coffered ceilings, distinctive fireplaces, richly hued hardwood and terra-cotta-tile floors—with modern minimalism and modern comforts and conveniences. Highlights see a chic surviving room; a solarium wrapped successful astir floor-to-ceiling windows and solid doors; a cook’s room with abundant antagonistic and furniture abstraction and stainless-steel appliances; peaceful bedrooms accompanied by baths that clasp play accents and surfaces of striking greenish marble; a placid panoramic “pentroom”; a tiered chromatic terrace with an impossibly verdant outlook; and a rooftop platform that gazes toward not the Mediterranean but the Pacific. 

Sharing the acreage are guesthouses, a freestanding store and carport, equestrian facilities with bygone-era details, a tennis court, and orchards. The “serenity house” is an airy Japanese-inspired spa-like oasis that encourages remainder and relaxation successful unfastened spaces surrounded by calming earthy materials. Towering oak and conifer trees basal stalwart implicit lush lawn, subtly meticulous landscaping, gardens accented with statuary, and meandering ceramic paths.

Villa Calafia has a distinguished provenance, designed arsenic it was by the illustrious designer Gordon Kaufmann. Recognized for his enactment successful the Mediterranean Revival and Art Deco styles, helium lent his talents to specified country landmarks arsenic Scripps College, La Quinta Resort & Club, Greystone Mansion, the Hoover Dam, and the Los Angeles Times Building. But the estate’s historical value extends further backmost than its early-20th-century origins. It takes its moniker from Calafia, a quality depicted by 15th-century writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo and the namesake of the authorities of California. The taxable of galore a sculpture, painting, story, and film, Calafia is wide known to symbolize a “terrestrial paradise,” making the attribution of her rubric to this idyllic generational property perfectly apropos.

Discover luxury homes for merchantability and rent astir the satellite connected sothebysrealty.com