vogelzang vines make award-winning wines

If you’ll excuse the rhyming title, we want to take a moment to announce some exciting news. One of our vineyard listings, the phenomenal Vogelzang vineyard property in Happy Canyon, has recently received some widespread recognition for its world-famous wines.

- Their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve was selected to be poured for the leaders of the Free World last weekend at the NATO G-8 Summit intimate leaders only banquet in Chicago’s Soldier Field.

- Their 2010 Birdsong Sauvignon Blanc was rated 91 by Wine Spectator in their advanced issue coming public in June.

- Their 2010 Viognier Reserve was selected in January 2012, by Tony Asnault, Executive Chef at Patina in LA (Four Michelin Stars) and served with his creations at The James Beard Foundation, NYC.

- Their 2010 Birdsong Viognier was chosen this week to represent California Viognier at the Court of Master Sommeliers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas May 29-31.

We love that there’s so much more to this property than looks alone; and, as we’re sure you can see, it has no lack of aesthetic beauty.  Click on any of the photos to see the property’s page on our site.

 

 

 

christie’s international real estate sets a record with its recent art auction

 

Christie’s highly anticipated Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on May 8 totaled $388.5 million (£240.9 million/ €299.1 million), marking the highest total ever in auction history for the category. Record after record fell throughout the night, as bidders from around the world convened in the saleroom to compete for the sale’s exceptional roster of works by the top artists of the category, including Mark Rothko, Gerhard Richter, Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder, Yves Klein, Richard Diebenkorn, Barnett Newman, and Willem de Kooning, among others. Fourteen new auction records were established, as well as a new record for the most expensive Post-War and Contemporary work sold at auction. The sale was 99% sold by value and 95% sold by lot.

“This was an historic event in the auction world, with three major records set in the space of a few short hours: a record for any Post-War and Contemporary art sale at $388.5 million, a record for any private collection of Post-War and Contemporary Art at $174.9 million for the Pincus Collection, and a new record for the most expensive work of the period, with Rothko’s Orange, Red, Yellow sold for $86.9 million,” said Brett Gorvy, Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art. “This was truly a season of icons, with the best works by Rothko, Newman, Richter, Pollock, Calder and Klein to come to market in many years. To see so many major records established in one evening was a tribute to the exceptional works on offer this season.”

sales up 33% from last year in santa barbara county

As of lately, fantastic weather has graced our seaside town. Things aren’t just looking up outside, however: Our office has been booming with action. We have proudly closed nearly $110 million in sales since January, a new record for us. In fact, the southern Santa Barbara County real estate market is up 33% in sales compared with last year.

 

 

We’re thrilled to see the market upturn, as increases in high end real estate sales bodes well for the market in general, boosting consumer confidence.

Additionally, we have some exceptional mega listings coming up and will have some beautiful things to share here. Stay tuned because can’t wait to show them off!

beautiful kitchens: eat your heart out (part two)

As promised, today we bring you part two of our kitchens feature. We briefly spoke about the importance of a well-appointed kitchen these days, especially with a cultural shift in how Americans use their kitchens. In other words, increasingly more people are using their kitchens as a central social zone in their homes, foregoing separate dining rooms in favor of enjoying meals directly within the kitchen itself.

Here are some more of our favorite kitchens from various Montecito real estate listings– ones we definitely want to spend time in.

1. We love how this kitchen places bright, white marble with dark cabinetry and hardware; it creates a sleek, yet prominent contrast.

2. Country style kitchens tend to feel the most inviting and easy to spend time in. The use of open spaces and an immediate eat-in area makes this one feel particularly social.

3. Another lovely country-style kitchen, this more charmingly-sized space uses lots of bright white, light countertops, and a bit of sheen to maximize cheerfulness. This creates a perfect balance between refreshing and cozy.

4. Country kitchens can take on a Mediterranean flair, like this one, which has a touch of Tuscan villa and looks out over the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez mountain range.

5. Kitchens with less space can still be spectacular, with beautiful beamed ceilings, gleaming granite counter tops,  stainless steel appliances, and stone tile back splashes.

beautiful kitchens: eat your heart out (part one)

Over the years, kitchens have become a more and more important part of the home. Throughout most of the history of the kitchen– especially in high-end homes– it was closed off from the rest of the home, considered more of a workspace than a living one. The popularity of cooking as a creative outlet and admirable skill encouraged the trend of open kitchens, eat-in kitchens, and kitchens suited for socializing in.

Today, the kitchen can be the most important room of a home and many buyers will make decisions based primarily on this room. A well-appointed kitchen can be a spectacular place to spend time with family and friends, and thus a major selling point for a home.

We adore lovely kitchens and appreciate the many styles that can be done. Here are a few of our favorites from our current and recent Montecito real estate listings:

1. Between the view, eat-in kitchen, and center island, this Mediterranean kitchen was certainly designed to spend some quality time in.

2. This very white kitchen with over-sized spaces and counter tops, and a pitched ceiling achieves a very heavenly feel.

3. This kitchen, in a modern, Spanish-style home, features another white-based space that is far from bland. Dark accents and exquisite details make it feel refreshing yet opulent.

4. Stainless steel and sleek lines make this contemporary kitchen so beautiful, you’ll forget there are other rooms to relax in.

5. Vintage-style appliances make this country kitchen an incredible and unique living space.

These are merely but a few impressive spaces; we’ll be back soon to showcase some more exceptional kitchens, including old world Mediterranean styles and kitchens that make a small space a gorgeous one.

Luxury Portfolio features La Pumada for its “captivating ceiling”

Recently, one of our favorite high-end real estate affiliations, Luxury Portfolio, chose to feature our La Pumada property alongside a group of properties with “captivating ceilings.”

Indeed, intricate, hand-painted ceilings grace the living and dining rooms of this estate. The amount of craftsmanship and artistry that has gone into this ceiling– along with the similarly exceptional details that cover every corner of the house– make this property the gem that it is. Such intricacies seem almost dreamlike and otherworldly, and thus walking through La Pumada feels downright heavenly.

We don’t like to play favorites, but if we had to, La Pumada would be at the top of our list.

More photos of La Pumada, a Montecito estate.

 

Here are a few other captivating ceilings Luxury Portfolio featured:

1. A very jungle-like, natural ceiling on this Sierra Blanca Estate, Marbella Golden Mile, Spain:

 

2. Quite contemporary in composition, the ceiling of this Moroccan Villa works beautifully with the traditional shapes and patterns, Marrakech, Morroco:

 

3. We love the sleek, yet natural look in this Architectural Estate, Beverly Hills, California:

 

4. For those with ultra-chic, avante garde taste, who never grew out of their love for tree houses, the Villa Due Mari fulfills dreams, Sardinia, Italy:

 

 

 

 

popular home styles for 2012

Yahoo Real Estate published an interesting article today about the most popular home styles of 2012.

We decided this would be a great opportunity to discuss their findings and showcase the many beautiful listings we currently have that fit each category.

 

1. One of the most popular styles right now is the modern home. Clean lines, simple floor plans, and easy, open spaces. The modern design leaves out decorative details in favor of industrial materials like glass, steel, and concrete.

Our property on Olive Mill Road honors the modern style with bold splashes of color and unique architectural details.

 

While not overtly modern-esque, our newly-built Hot Springs property features an open, flowing floor plan, geometric lines, and a clean aesthetic in a modern style. The home’s Spanish flair adds a bit of intrigue for contemporary style-lovers who want a bit of detail.

 

2. Neo-Mediterranean homes look fantastic on Montecito and Santa Barbara foothills and coastal cliffs. Local architects have always recognized this and built (and continue to build) in this style accordingly.

 

One of our most stunning properties is a Mediterranean home graciously overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

 

A brand new construction, this next home features state-of-the-art amenities with a grand, old-world feel.

 

One of the most beloved features of the Neo-Mediterranean style is its eye-catching, red spanish-tiled rooftops. Another newer construction, this Mediterranean beauty graces the foothills and overlooks Montecito’s one-of-a-kind coastline.

 

Ornate details, while out of place in modern homes, can figure beautifully into the Mediterranean style. In this home, intricate details warm up grand spaces.

 

3. Craftsman style homes have captured the adoration of Americans across the country for over a century. They are perhaps one of the few distinctive styles that have timeless charm.

Our historic listing on Ashley Road offers the best of the style, with a wrap-around porch, and decorative brackets and gables. Its artistic details make every room feel special and it looks like it belongs among the giant oak trees that decorate its landscape.

 

 

27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

At the end of January, Santa Barbara bustles with excitement as the film festival takes over. When Santa Barbarans and Montecitians look up at the night sky from January 26th until February 4th, they will see the Arlington theater‘s light beams darting around, old Hollywood style. State Street lights up with red carpets that beckon the year’s Oscar nominees. The whole week has a very special tinge in the air.

While Hollywood usually sits in the film culture spotlight, the attention turns about 100 miles northward for just 11 days out of the year. This year’s festival promises lots of fun and excitement, as always. We wish everyone involved a fantastic time and the festival continuing success!

rebecca riskin & associates ranked top agent in santa barbara

We are incredibly thrilled to announce that the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has ranked Rebecca Riskin & Associates  Santa Barbara’s top selling agent in 2011.

This honor is such an inspiration to us, and one for which we can thank our exceptional clients and colleagues.

Here are some gorgeous listings whose sales allowed our success:

Edgecliff Beach Cottage

Italian Villa on the Prestigious Picacho Lane

Butterfly Beach Home

Sophisticated Santa Barbara Riviera Jewel

European Country Estate in Montecito

Parra Grande Creekside Home

Again, we can’t thank the community enough for its support this past year. We wish a very prosperous 2012 to all!

a very special property

One of our most recent Montecito real estate listings on Ashley Road has an incredible history. We love working with properties that have an enticing past and truly believe one of the best things about Montecito is its rich history– something unique to come by in California.

Not surprisingly, we weren’t the first ones to recognize our area’s paradisial beauty!

The original Oglivy house

The original Oglivy house was built in the early 1900s by Scottish immigrant Arthur T. Oglivy as a farmhouse surrounded by lemon groves. Famous architect J.L Curletti designed the distinctive craftsman style home. Arthur T., wife Jessie Alexander, and their only son, Arthur Edward, lived in the barn while they constructed the shingled, two-story home.

The Oglivy family and the original Oglivy house in the early 1900s

Arthur T. was a popular resident of Montecito, and the Oglivy house was known for its hospitality and casual social gatherings. The family regularly participated in community events and entertained visitors often. San Ysidro Ranch has records of Arthur T. taking advantage of its “low summer rates” in 1893– the famous resort’s first year in business.

Arthur T. and Arthur E. Oglivy and a photo of one of the property's wells

The property enjoyed a few wells, one of which produced enough water for the Oglivys to start a drinking water business called Oglivy Artesian Water Company. For almost 30 years until 1947, people would bring jars to the Oglivy well to quench their thirst.

Son Arthur E. attended Cold Spring School before heading off to Yale. After graduating, he returned to Montecito and began working at his uncle’s insurance firm, Oglivy-Hill insurance, which is still in practice today. In 1927, he hired architect George Washington Smith to build him a home on the south end of the property, now 650 Ashley Road.  Like his father, Arthur E. became a well-loved local figure in Montecito.

Mrs. Oglivy died at age 90 in 1955, with Arthur E. following shortly after in 1960 at age 71. Their deaths marked the end of the Oglivy presence in Montecito.

The house circa 1952

In 1959, Donald and Ellen Armour of the Armour Meatpacking Empire bought the Oglivy house. According to neighborhood chatter, Donald’s penchant for mismanaging money forced the couple to abandon the home with all furniture in tact, vanishing forever.

The following year, Todd and Gail Campbell purchased the home, where they raised four children and several grandchildren. Recently, one of the Campbell children returned the home’s original brass doorbell cover, which is now back in its original place.

The Oglivy house circa 1976

Julia Emerson bought and restored the home in 1984. She worked hard to get the house back to its original state, re-painting walls white and stripping linoleum away to reveal the original Douglas Fir floors beneath. She updated the kitchen and carefully restored the original pantry. Julia hired landscape architect Nancy Goslee Powers (who designed the driveway around the Norfolk Island Pine that was planted when the home was built), and updated the home’s electricity and plumbing to match modern standards.

The Oglivy house circa 1991

In the spirit of the Oglivy family, Julia Emerson frequently hosted worldly guests at the home, including the Dalai Lama and a team of monks who meditated at the home for weeks to bless the property before his arrival. As a gift, one of the monks carved a Tibetan prayer into a piece of sandstone, which is now embedded within the front porch.

All of the home’s residents who came after the Emersons likewise became beloved members of the community, with the home carrying on its reputation as a lively social gathering spot; the home has traditionally hosted Easter egg hunts, intergenerational bocce tournaments, and summer concert series.

Residents have continued to restore the home over the years, with exquisite care to maintaining original details, while updating its features to the highest end of standards.

The home is truly a treasure trove of community joy nestled in the heart of Montecito.

The Oglivy home today: