The Montecito House That Time Magazine Called a “Glass Tent”

Tucked behind a canopy of heritage oaks in Montecito’s Upper Village, The Erving House is a rare architectural treasure—one that fuses sculptural modernism with native California landscape in a way few homes ever have. Designed in 1950 by pioneering architect Lutah Maria Riggs and shaped in concert with legendary landscape architect Thomas Church, this 2.7-acre estate is a living dialogue between building and land—an early and extraordinary expression of indoor-outdoor living.

Riggs—Santa Barbara’s first licensed female architect and a quiet icon of the California modernist movement—crafted a design that lifts lightly from the earth. Time magazine once called the home a “glass tent,” a description that still resonates in the soaring, light-filled volumes and walls of glass that dissolve into curated landscape.

Church, meanwhile, brought his signature “California Living” ethos to the grounds—embracing asymmetry, native plants, and a philosophy that gardens should be lived in, not merely looked at. Recently restored by Susan Van Atta in homage to Church’s original work, the landscape flows through lavender fields, fruit orchards, raised beds, and a bocce court—each element both functional and deeply beautiful.

A meandering private drive leads to a serene motor court and flat-roofed carport. Enter through a covered walkway into a double-height glass foyer, where your eye is pulled immediately to the coastal mountains beyond. The main living space—with its dramatic pitched ceiling and biomorphic Santa Barbara stone fireplace—anchors the home in elemental materiality and grace.

The primary suite offers tranquil garden views, dual dressing rooms, and a spa-like bath. A Poggenpohl kitchen and formal dining area are designed for both function and flow. Two additional structures—a detached studio and a private one-bed, one-bath guesthouse, on the banks of a ravine—expand the estate’s versatility and sense of retreat.

What makes The Erving House truly rare is not just its design pedigree—it’s the integrity of its vision. Riggs once described her role as creating “a frame for living,” and this home is perhaps her most poetic example. A testament to restraint, intention, and sensitivity to setting, this is more than a residence—it’s an enduring chapter in Montecito’s architectural story.

Listed at $17,975,000, The Erving House is offered now for the first time in a generation—a singular opportunity to own one of California’s most quietly significant homes. For more information, or to schedule a private in-person tour, contact The Ebbin Group at (805) 400-3424 or [email protected].

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Sponsored by The Ebbin Group (DRE# 01488213).