A Modernist Paradise In Montecito, $18M

by Philip Ferrato

With her decades-long practice of architecture, Lutah Maria Riggs [1894-1984] produced some of the most compelling structures in Santa Barbara and the American Riviera. First working in the 1920s with the master of Andalusian Revival—George Washington Smith—her work evolved into a hybrid Mediterranean-Modernism that is uniquely of its place, a Santa Barbara vernacular.

The Alice Erving House (c. 1949-51) is a perfect example of this local reaction to California Modernism and its uniquely indoor/outdoor aesthetic; Riggs collaborated with her then associate Arvin Shaw, to create a glass and masonry pavilion in a setting by the innovative modernist landscape architect Thomas Church. After some years of neglect, the new owners engaged Sculpt Architects and Susan Van Atta to reinvigorate the property along the lines of Riggs, Shaw and Church’s original inspiration, and the results are nothing short of extraordinary. A video—interviewing the major players in the renovation of the property—tells the story best.

Originally conceived as a one-bedroom dwelling and described by Time Magazine in 1951 as a “glass tent” centered around a massive fireplace, there are two additional structures providing flexible office and guest space for a total of three bedrooms and four baths. The comprehensive renovation left no surface untouched.

The house is extraordinary, but the gardens and views of the mountains are paramount. The guest house also features beautifully framed views of the landscape.

This exceptional home offers an opportunity to possess a property with a great architectural pedigree, renovated to the highest standard and in one of California’s most celebrated neighborhoods, represented by Luke Ebbin and the Ebbin Group at Compass. Visit the listing for additional images and details.