Indoor/Outdoor Heaven on the Riviera

Noteworthy new listings….

Approaching 20 Camino Verde ($10.85 million), on a stub of a street off Las Alturas, you might think that it probably has nice views. The views are downright sensational, as the house is perched at the edge of a ridge, looking out at the mountains, the coast to the south, the ocean and islands, and the city and harbor. While hardly showy, the architecture makes the most of the location, with  floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors that slide entirely into the wall, seamlessly blending indoor and out. (I’m breaking one of my rules and running my own photo, above, because I wanted to try and convey the experience of the fresh air wafting through the house.) There are four bedrooms, with the primary on the main (upper) floor.

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Somehow I missed this one last week, but it wants to be seen: 3345 Padaro Lane ($26.5 million), which includes 3347 Padaro Lane—i.e., two houses, one of which is beachfront, on a .6-acre lot.

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Immediately after paying $4.5 million for 491 Pimiento Lane a year ago, serial flipper Xorin Balbes briefly put the property back on the market for $5.295 million, and a few months later, it reappeared for $8.5 million, with renderings for a renovation. Now, having been updated, it’s back again—for $10.75 million. The 1971 house has a sexy glamour, evoking both Tulum and Morocco with its broad front courtyard, Tadao Ando–style hot tub, and fabulous mosaic motor court. But if the property is priced as if it has wide appeal, the myriad quirks argue otherwise: the garage has been converted to an ADU, the floor plan features several pinch points, and the stairs leading to the primary bedroom are suck-it-in tight. It certainly makes nearby 502 Picacho Lane, $3 million less and also on East Valley Road, look like a bargain. N.B. The listing has no interior photos.

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The 2006 house at 2035 Creekside Road ($10.9 million), on a gated street off Sheffield Drive, gave me serious Don Nulty vibes even though it was designed by Ketzel & Goodman: it has that Texas-on-the-Mediterranean energy so prevalent around the turn of the last century. It’s big—six bedrooms, 6,698 square feet, plus an 800-square-foot guest house in back—and I could see someone turning it into something very appealing simply by stripping away a lot of the ornamentation. There are a lot of little rooms and nooks, which is good because the hallway office clearly predates the Zoom era. P.S. I understand that the big vacant lot next door is likely to get built on.

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The 1955 house at 1255 Mesa Road ($5.9 million) was bought in March 2021 for $4.4 million. There’s California cottage charm in some rooms, and a more suburban feel wherever the ceilings are low and flat. I haven’t been able to see the property in person yet, but in the photos, many rooms look a tad snug, and the lot is only .41 acre, a good chunk of which is driveway and garage. Then again, the Coast Village area has been extra hot in recent years….

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On a cul de sac off prestigious Picacho Lane, and in the Montecito Union school district, 620 Stone Meadow Lane ($5.3 million) has a terrific location, which will likely be enough to carry the day. The 1970 house is a world away from the estates nearby, to put it as nicely as possible. Someone will surely build on the other side of the pool, for half the .85-acre lot is flat and unused.

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The 4,195-square-foot 302 Alston Road ($4.495 million) has a great backyard and views from the primary bedroom upstairs, but the interiors need to be redone and the ground-floor guest rooms are all on the street side. P.S. The primary bathroom is so big you could play Twister in it.

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The 1956 house at 626 San Roque Road ($2.8 million) was bought in early 2020 for $1.833 million. It’s not bad-looking—love those big doors that fully open—and now there’s an ADU. Prediction: $3 million.

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And a couple others worth checking out:
••• 1618 Grand Avenue ($2.795 million): 1977 Lower Riviera three-bedroom with pretty wood ceilings.
••• 321 W. Figueroa Street ($1.195 million): Sweetly decorated 1910 Craftsman on the Westside (below); the floor plan is less than ideal, but what do you expect from 1.095 square feet?

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