Lauren Berger Collection presents “The Ravenscroft” in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California.

Romantic, historic George Washington Smith gated and private 2 acre Estate with pool, spa, tennis court, located in the heart of Montecito, a seaside village that has seduced moguls, magnates, and movie stars for over a hundred years.

Ravenscroft pays homage to the grandeur of its natural setting with a timeless elegance that is truly captivating, for it is not only seen with the eye, but also felt with the heart.

The Estate is located in one of the most prestigious areas in Montecito, amongst the large and old grand estates of its same historic pedigree, directly adjacent the 34 acre Lotus Land, providing a private and serene setting, while being less than 3 miles to the beach.  

It has been immaculately restored and renovated to meet the exacting needs of modern life while staying true to the purity of its renowned architect George Washington Smith (GWS).  

Smith is synonymous with classic Santa Barbara architecture and in 1922 he designed Ravenscroft, a magical and timeless work of art that has been held in high esteem and published often as a local architectural marvel.  It is one of a handful, and arguably the most well preserved, of original classically designed Santa Barbara Estates still in existence. Case Del Herrerro, a museum must see tour, was built by the same architect with the same design and materials, as was the Ogilvy house which is just a few doors down.    

Within this classic Estate are sweeping lawns, colorful gardens, intimate outdoor terraces and majestic gates. The main residence is trimmed with elegant hand tooled wrought iron gates, doors and windows and provides 5 bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths. The 52 foot long grand living room was built at Peggy Ravenscroft”s request, simulating a London stage, and is the heart of Ravenscroft, with a large roaring fireplace that Peggy’s horse used to sit in front of, a baby grand piano and wrought iron/glass doors and windows that lead to the interior courtyard and feeds the master staircase, dining room, bedroom wing and library/office. In the office/library are a fireplace, desk and secret door with passage to the wine cellar with fireplace and tasting room. The tasting room has a full bed in front of the fireplace with view of the rock wine cellar.

There is also a 52 foot long garden room with live vines that have grown over the ceiling and beams since the 1920’s, along with original wrought iron/glass doors that were hand crafted on site during construction of Ravenscroft, and lead out into the garden, pool and tennis court area.  In this garden room are a 50′ flat screen, queen size pull out couch, fireplace and large dining area.

The large and bright kitchen is one of the most magical places in Ravenscroft, with the original preserved GWS white tile, floor to ceiling, that is complimented with an updated butlers pantry that remains as it was originally built in the 1920’s, a sitting area with fireplace, original wrought iron/glass windows and doors that lead to interior courtyards and all the modern conveniences such as La Cornue stove, Sub-Zero refrigerator and two dishwashers. 

The theater room includes professional theater seats for 9 and is a great place for the family or kids to enjoy.

The 800 square feet guest house features a large and bright living room with pull out couch, 1 king bedroom, 2 full bathrooms and a fully equipped charming kitchen. The large great room, with 50′ flat screen, has an expansive ceiling, with the original architectural beams exposed coupled with wide wood plank floors.  It also has a queen size pull out couch. The kitchen and bathrooms all have the original GWS white tiles, covering floor to ceiling, and original fixtures, doors and hardware.  

The cozy ‘Abigail Cottage’ is a restored charming small 1 BR/1BA guest cottage surrounded by fruit orchard, expansive lawns and hen house. 

The lath house is Peggy’s tribute to Santa Barbara as this is where she was the first to sell orchids commercially in the area and is truly a magical place to enjoy.  

Next to the lath house is a Japanese tea house with the original blue green roof tiles.

The sparkling pool, spa and north/south tennis court complete the magnificent estate.

The Billiards/Work out room offers 2 step machines, free weights, pool table, 55 inch TV and fireplace. There is also an exterior fireplace and ping pong table.  

Staying at Ravenscroft is like stepping back in time, into Santa Barbara’s history and you can just imagine Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn around the corner. There is no other property available like this one in Santa Barbara.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS: Published ‘California Romantica” by author Diane Keaton

–  ‘You discovered Ravenscroft, ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE HOMES in Montecito. Do you know the history of the design of the living room and its enormous fireplace? Yes, it was designed so that the horses could come in and get warmed by the fire. In particular, Mrs. Ravencroft’s favourite horse, Jack.’ ‘Did you know the design of the living room was taken from a popular London stage production of the era. According to David Myrick’s account in his two-volume “Montecito And Santa Barbara,” Marguerite (Peggy) Doe Courtney, who later married Henry Ravenscroft – hence the name of the home – asked Smith to design a living room that duplicated the stage set of the play, which is why the living room is 52 feet long.’

–  ‘That says a lot about George Washington Smith: that he was a game guy; that he took on the owners’ ideas and wasn’t afraid of them and didn’t feel that it was encroaching on his genius. It’s an act of generosity on his part and, because of that, his work is probably the most prevalent in this book and it’s the most unusual and most diverse. He wasn’t afraid of a new idea. THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE HOMES.’ 

– ‘Did you happen to see the lathe house on the Ravenscroft property that, according to Harry Kolb, was where the first commercially grown orchids on the Central Coast were grown? I love that I saw it [in its decayed state] and caught it right before they began the restoration. I’m a preservationist, as you know, and I feel the beauty shines forth no matter what state these homes are in. You mustn’t be afraid of them. When you see the beauty OF THIS PARTICULAR HOME, it’s so astonishing. I just fell in love with it.’