Shangri-La with a slice of lime in Montecito
A magazine ad showing a woman standing among palms and tropical flora inspired the owners of this oceanfront Montecito home to create their own jungle-like landscaping.
They wanted fresh fruit and flowers, so they planted lime and fig trees and a rose garden. It was all part of their hands-on approach.
The couple, from Sweden, purchased the beachfront home in 1998, then spent the next three years rebuilding. They bought two adjacent parcels and built two cottages. A third cottage on the combined properties dates to the ‘20s. One cottage is used for Pilates; one, for a gym; the third, as a studio.
For guests, there is a two-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot house with a kitchen.
The couple redesigned the main house, built in the early ‘90s, after a trip to Asia, transforming the home from a traditional Cape Cod to what is described as an Asian colonial.
About this house: The owners looked on the residence as their Shangri-La, a vacation home that turned out to be more of a permanent residence. Frequent travel to San Francisco, Sweden and other parts of Europe, however, took a toll, and the home has become more of a burden to maintain than a pleasure for the owners.
Asking price: $27.5 million
Size: The estate has five bedrooms and nine bathrooms plus the cottages in about 7,500 square feet. The compound sits on just under an acre.
Features: The home has nearly 200 feet of beach frontage and a seven-car garage. Other features are an outdoor whirlpool tub, a four-level fountain with a koi pond and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean.
Where: Montecito
Listing agent: Rebecca Riskin, Village Properties, Montecito, (805) 565-8863.
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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos on a CD identifying all the images, along with a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Questions can be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
