Siteline

June 2, 2023|by Erik Torkells

Noteworthy new listings….

The late interior designer Suzanne Rheinstein‘s home at 412 Crocker Sperry Drive ($12.3 million) in Birnam Wood is a triumph of style over architecture. The building has little street presence (which is likely why the listing skipped the facade photo), and the living room, dining room (converted to a reading room), and kitchen are all a tad too narrow and lined up like cubicles. And yet, Rheinstein, "champion of the limited palette," turned it into something sublime; the details are perfect. (The cutting room alone is a work of art.) The house also benefits from a location with few direct neighbors and a backyard that looks bigger than it is.

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The husband-and-wife team at Cove House had more interesting bones to work with at 18 Calle Alamo ($3.625 million), designed by Joseph Plunkett and built in 1927. The floor plan is odd by today's standards, which is part of what makes it feel special, along with the wonderful architectural flourishes. And the designers, who planned on living there till another opportunity arose, made the most of the property with a warmly minimalist makeover. The same caveat exists as when they paid $1.875 million last October, however: the house bumps right up against the alley that runs parallel to State Street. Moreover, a family—the likeliest demo for San Roque—might want a family room. Maybe everyone can cram into the adorable playhouse….

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Rheinstein's house shows what could be done with 4662 Via Roblada ($6.45 million), a 1971 house with similar lines on a 1.5-acre flag lot in Hope Ranch's Bendita/Roblada loop. P.S. I’m hoping to see it at today's broker's open, after which I’ll have more to say. UPDATE: That part of Hope Ranch really is a world of its own, and with the flag lot, the property feels extra hidden. house needs updating, but the floor plan felt workable, particularly if you want a compound, as there's an attached apartment and a freestanding two-bedroom guest house.

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The 1904 house at 218 E. Padre Street ($3.75 million) looks traditional from the front, but once you get past the graciously proportioned living and dining room, you’re in a kooky warren of rooms with no clear purpose. (So. Many. Rooms.) Everything needs to be redone, including the staircase, which feels more like back stairs instead of the elegant moment the house craves. And upstairs is more of the same. I know these sound like complaints but I also think the property could be a fantastic opportunity—the Upper East is never going to get less desirable—if you can get your head around it.

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More than surface work will be required at 929 Arbolado Road ($2.35 million), unless you crave a primary bedroom with two en-suite bathrooms laid out railroad-style. That Riviera view is classic, though. P.S. Regarding the mirror over the toilet: in my experience, men are better served by looking down.

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And a few others worth checking out:••• 401 Chapala Street #405 ($3.3 million): Top-floor two-bedroom Sevilla apartment with a deck.••• 963 Fellowship Lane ($1.899 million): Craftsman two-bedroom next to the big Alta Mesa water tank.••• 1260 Northridge Road ($3.495 million) A change of heart way above San Roque: the seller paid $3.2 million a year ago (below).

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Tags: 1260 Northridge Road, 18 Calle Alamo, 218 E. Padre Street, 401 Chapala Street, 412 Crocker Sperry Drive, 4662 Via Roblada, 929 Arbolado Road, 963 Fellowship Lane

I spent a lot of my childhood in the Padre house in the ‘60s and ‘70s because we were friends with the seller's family and their many children. (The warren of rooms was well used). I don't think I was ever in the living room, all the wonderful parties were held in the wood-paneled room and spilled into the rooms beyond. My parents and their friends played live music and there was plenty of space to dance. It is a big, quirky house, I was in it recently, and could still feel how well it held the generations of family and friends that felt at home there—it flows in its way and it really suited a big family. I imagine it will be the kind of house where the buyer will just "know" and they will be right.

Erik. You and your readers might enjoy this sweet tour of Suzanne's Montecito house.https://youtu.be/xN9no7p5vQY

Thank you, Tammy. I really enjoyed that tour. What a gracious, warm, and talented woman. Lucky new homeowner!

The Calle Alamo listing is a real head scratcher, especially with Paseo Tranquillo on the market for only ~$300k more and offering so much more value on absolutely every level. When the most expensive house in San Roque is offering better value on every single level, you’ve done something wrong with your pricing.

To each her own. I’d personally rather pay more per SF for Alamo with wood casement windows, an historic Santa Barbara pedigree, calacatta violetta, a living room that looks decently-sized and is separate from my kitchen, etc. Tranquillo is a better location (on all points but walkability) but the finishes feel very flimsy in real life. Vinyl windows, closets that feel barely finished, low-cost-looking tile, etc. Haven't seen Alamo yet in real life and keen to see how it compares to photos. But I’ll bet Alamo sells before Tranquillo. My favorite part of Tranqillo was the wooden deck. I loved that, but absolutely nothing on the inside felt built to last. I don't mean to disparage Tranquillo but when you price it like that you’re sort of asking for it.

Oh wow I didn't realize that about the finishes on Tranquillo! That's a shame, there should be enough margin to do that stuff right on a flip like that. I hear you on all those points for Alamo, but it's just soooooo close to upper State, for me that's the real deal breaker. Not that I’m actually in the market, so take all that with a huge grain of salt!

Mixed feelings about Calle Alamo. Some pretty finishes but an unfriendly price for a family neighborhood. I know from experience that the alley behind it has trucks running through all day, and drunks peeing in your bougainvillea weekend nights. Heating and cooling are unknown? That house definitely needs AC.