Terra Bella, Estate of the Day
Reaching the nearly ridiculous level of luxury that the Hope Ranch area in Santa Barbara is famous for, Terra Bella is a huge nearly 14,000 square foot mansion with an ideal location with ocean views. The gated ten-bedroom home aspires to a Tuscan fantasy of Italian architecture on a grand scale. Details include Venetian plaster walls, fresco finishes, hardwood marquetry floors, stone, marble and mosaic tile floors. Too much? Oh definitely, but such gorgeous excess. The land also includes a small vineyard, a vegetable garden, and a children's play area. It joins the ranks of the highest listings in the region with a price of $39.5 million. After the jump, welcome to fantasy land.
UPDATE: Two years later and no one has bought this home. It can now be had for $15.75 million.
SECOND UPDATE: It sold for $12.8 million, a sale that the agent termed "the deal of the century."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John May 31st 2007 2:29PM
Why do I bother to read Luxist? All it does is cause me pain.
Adam May 31st 2007 2:31PM
I do not know if I have seen a more perfect representation of my dream for a estate. Thank You Luxist!
Cathy May 31st 2007 4:17PM
The only pain I see is the cost and trouble of having a 20-member staff to see to the cleaning and upkeep of this home.
Brads May 31st 2007 5:31PM
He's got a small scale steam engine track in his backyard, look next to the oversize chess set in the garden, see the track. Oh and the real value is showing at 14million not 40million. see the zillow link
http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=15905024
Trey Jun 1st 2007 8:56AM
Mr. Burns has a choo-choo in The Simpsons, remember how Milhouse says that he doesn't know where the train goes but when it comes back it has snow on it? As for Zillow, it's about as trustworthy as those black-and-white grocery store magazines:
http://www.luxist.com/2007/02/14/can-zillow-be-trusted/
MBE Jun 4th 2007 8:07PM
Sigh... and what a delicious fantasy it is. I'd never leave the house. I'd make my business associates come to me, and otherwise I'd just bask in it and pretend it was heaven....
Refined Rogue Jun 6th 2007 1:53PM
Wow. Really cool ceilings, but I could do without the gaudy bedroom. I'm sure I'd get over that by being by the awesome pool all day. The exterior is unreal, but I don't really get the chess set blocking the ocean view - anyone?
www.refinedrogue.com