A Midcentury Perch on the Riviera

Noteworthy new listings….

Recently, while my husband and I were exploring the Silver Lake neighbohood of L.A., he announced that one of the little houses would be perfect for him after I’m gone. (Wait, where? “Heaven.”) So now I’m obsessed with the notion of turning the 1966 house at 128 Las Alturas Road ($3.195 million) into a super-sexy bachelor pad. The setting is amazing, with some of the best views I’ve seen in a long time. An architect could have a lot of fun with the place.

················

Bet on it: despite being a fixer through and through, 201 Canon Drive ($3.25 million) will go for over the asking price. The 1948 ranch-style house is on .68 acre on a great San Roque street—with a path down to the lower part of the Canon Drive loop—and it comes off better in real life. That wall of windows in the living room looks out onto the large backyard, which would benefit from some hardscaping.

················

On the stub of Marina Drive that’s not in Hope Ranch, 3455 Marina Drive ($8.5 million) is a four-bedroom house that has been split into a two-bedroom main house and a two-bedroom ADU; recombining them wouldn’t be that hard. Either way, the interiors are ready for a refresh. (Imagine the walls in a creamy white.) The ocean views are fantastic, and the round stone building holds a “party loo” half bath. (The phrase is in quotation marks but it’s all mine.)

················

Down a long private lane in prime Montecito, 1946 East Valley Road ($11.95 million) has an appealing brawniness: 7,900 square feet, with five bedrooms, eight full baths (including two primary ones), and two half baths. (Even the motor court is big.) While then rooms are nicely proportioned, some of the finishes feel suburban, and the covered terraces, as they tend to do, impact how much light gets inside. There’s an opportunity to activate much more of the backyard.

················

2267 Featherhill Road ($8.495 million) was also built in 2002, but it’s lighter and fresher—the photos don’t capture how lovely it is, particularly the ground floor common rooms. That said, the entire kitchen wing wants to be reorganized. There’s a guest cottage in the backyard, along with a lot of lawn and Romero Creek.

················

1530 Miramar Lane ($6.75 million) is a spec reno, having sold for $4.328 million last May. The 1938 house has the historic charm you want in the Hedgerow, but I wish the seller had put more into it—one of the bathrooms wasn’t really redone, the laundry machines are exposed (you might expect some cabinetry for well north of $6 million), and little flaws got painted white rather than fixed. The outbuilding includes an art studio, a guest apartment, and a storage room that could/should be incorporated into either of the other spaces.

················

The seller of 710 Monte Drive ($6.595 million) paid $3.73 million for the Hope Ranch house just under a year ago and gave it a rather pretty makeover. (Love the copper trim and slate roof.) It’s hard to believe the house only dates from 1980—it has the rambling feel of something older. As with any property on the north side of a slope, light is a concern, but the mountain views go a long way toward making up for it.

················

There are a lot of stairs at 900 Moreno Road ($4.595 million), a 4,212-square-foot house at the corner of Alameda Padre Serra, but they lead to interesting places: a home theater, a gym with major views, and above that, a primary bedroom with even more major views. A cohesive interior design would help.

················

Location is everything at 1180 Mesa Road ($4.3 million), in Montecito’s Lower Village. There are plans to expand the 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom house.

················

More of the old-house sprawl mentioned earlier can be found at 2915 Samarkand Drive ($3.25 million), built in 1938 and half-hidden from the street. The little building out back has a two-person bar.

················

And a few others worth checking out:
••• 320 Canon Drive ($2.195 million): 1936 San Roque cottage with two bedrooms and one bath; the seller paid $2.02 million a year ago.
••• 480 Toro Canyon Road ($2.75 million): Attempted flip of a fixer with permitted plans for a remodel; the seller paid $2.2 million in May 2022.
••• 1385 Oak Creek Canyon Road ($4.65 million): 6.27 acres of ocean-view hillside above E. Mountain Drive.
••• 46 Camino Alto ($929,000): 9.77-acre Riviera lot but it’s not clear how big of a building pad there is.
••• 0000 Campanil Drive ($2.75 million): One-acre ocean-view lot across from the north end of Sea Ranch Drive; you’ll have to start by building a driveway (below).

················

Love real estate? Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter.