1930 Toro Canyon Villa by the Architect of the Hoover Dam

Noteworthy new listings….

405 Toro Canyon Road ($18.5 million), the 1930 compound on the 15.75 acres at the intersection of Foothill Road, was designed by Gordon Kaufmann, architect of the Hoover Dam, the Los Angeles Times building, Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, and more. While the stables might be in acceptable condition, the main house and three guest houses all need to be redone, and livability will inevitably take a backseat to the romance embedded in every detail. (I literally swooned in the indoor-outdoor room on the second floor of the main house.) If anything could lure Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi out of self-imposed exile in the Cotswolds…. P.S. Was the zen retreat room kitted out at some later date? The large stones protruding from the floor (not pictured in the photos) would have me asking guests to sign a waiver.

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Down a private lane in upper Toro Canyon, 892 Toro Canyon Road ($11.995 million) is unfurnished in the listing photos but furnished in real life—the opposite of the way these things tend to be. The architecture is blocky 1990s, and a recent renovation went all in—bathrooms, closets, everything—on gray plaster, a strange bedfellow with the warmth of the beige floors.

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On one hand, 1312 Shoreline Drive ($7.9 million) boasts a location across from Shoreline Park, ocean views from the upstairs primary bedroom, and what I assume must be hyperlocal prestige, since just around the corner are houses worth a fraction as much. The 1990s architecture is heavy on stairs—seven distinct levels, including the garage—and the surfaces could use updating. At a bare minimum, the wooden floors ought to match.

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Built in 1991 near the top of Coyote Road, 191 E. Mountain Drive ($6.45 million) was designed by Barry Berkus for a client who must have valued his/her art collection more than the view. It has lots of signature Berkus touches—high ceilings, mini sets of stairs, clerestory windows, frameless corner windows, etc.

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The 1924 Cape Cod at 770 Mission Canyon Road ($5.875 million), across from Glendessary Lane, is a gracious throwback, with stately rooms on the ground floor. All five bedrooms are upstairs, which would be less of a concern if at least one were en suite. The 1.26-acre lot includes a pool, lawn (with shared well), and a two-car garage with extra space on both sides.

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The price of 2165 Veloz Drive ($4.2 million) will make it a hot commodity—an existing house on one acre for $4 million is rare in Montecito. It’s a project from tip to toe, and while the midcentury appeal of the common areas is clear, the four bedrooms are small and awkwardly positioned. (One is by the front door, another is off the dining room, and two are accessed via stairs in the kitchen.) I’ll wager this comes back as a spec reno, but where the primary end up?

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The seller of 128 Las Alturas Road ($3.65 million) paid $3.15 million a year ago and hasn’t done much, except commission plans by NMA Architects—”in the final stages of conceptual approval from the city”—for an extensive remodel. The setting is seductive, to say the least.

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A Santa Barbara Structure of Merit across from Alice Keck Park, 1515 Santa Barbara Street ($2.395 million) was built in 1909 and looks it, and I mean that as a compliment—not! The exterior and living room have charm aplenty, but the rest needs a total overhaul. The Prairie-style house is configured as a duplex, with a third residence in the building out back, and I suspect it’ll stay that way even after someone takes on the project of fixing it up, thanks to the apartment building on one side and commercial building on the other. P.S. The floor plan is on the listing agent’s website.

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Also worth checking out:
••• 690 San Ysidro Road ($11.2 million): Floops of a 1973 farmhouse compound, with a lovely pool area, on 1.29 acres at the intersection of San Ysidro Lane. The seller paid $8.4 million in May 2024 and cleaned it up and painted it, but the property awaits a thorough renovation.
••• 5325 Dorwin Lane ($7.25 million): Groovy 1958 five-bedroom on the bluff’s edge west of More Mesa; the seller paid $5.75 million in 2021 and doesn’t appear to have made many upgrades.
••• 1445 School House Road ($7.25 million): Expendable house and guest house on 1.93 acres walkable to Montecito Union School—build your dream home, praying all the while that it’ll be done before your kids graduate.
••• 3981 Laguna Blanca Drive ($3.8 million): .84 acre in Hope Ranch with “shovel-ready plans for a beautiful four-bed, three-bath modern ranch-style home.”
••• 4865 Vieja Drive ($3.979 million): 2008 five-bedroom Mediterranean abutting More Mesa.
••• 1412 Crestline Drive ($3.095 million): Bel Air Knolls spec reno purchased a year ago for $2.126 million. Nice backyard, but why didn’t they hide the undercabinet lights (below)? And the space on either side of the hood looks like a lot of fun for people who love a Swiffer Duster.
••• 1250 Bel Air Drive ($4.95 million): Floops of a 1963 Bel Air Knolls four-bedroom given a glitzy spec reno in 2024 (inspiration for the one above?), when it sold for $4.4 million.
••• 1067 E. Mountain Drive ($3.149 million): 1955 teardown on 1.05 acre down a private lane; there are renderings for a new contemporary house.
••• 242 San Rafael Avenue ($2.69 million): Mesa three-bedroom, one-bath.

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