Hope Ranch

THE BAUER HOUSE: ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN  

This stunning coastal mid-century modern home in Hope Ranch was designed by renowned architect, Carl Maston, circa 1956, Maston was an influential Los Angeles architect whose published and awarded works include the Thies Residence, the Hillside House, and the Maston Residence. 

The Bauer House’s timeless appeal includes sleek, clean lines and graphic shapes, a muted color palette and a fusion of indoor and outdoor living through door and window designs that encourage a sense of flowing connection with nature.

Ocean views beckon from the moment you arrive. Sliding glass doors embrace the spacious main living and dining areas on both the north and south sides, providing abundant light and a sense of continuity with the unique landscape. 

Separated only by a wall of glass, the spacious and private front entry patio on the north side serves as an extension of California outdoor living accented by a reflecting pool, fountain feature, colorful landscaping and beckoning ocean views.  The expansive south-facing patio with its stunning ocean view is graced with the living sculpture of a magnificent, gnarled tree (Ficus pedialaris) that presides over the home like a gentle guardian spirit providing shade and sanctuary.

In the main living area, virgin redwood paneling lends an organic warmth to the spare clean lines of the architecture. The vertical lines of the wall paneling create a serene contrast to the horizontal lines in the entryway and on the fireplace with its floating concrete hearth. 

The dining area boasts ocean and garden views and offers a discrete service window to the original 50’s vintage kitchen with its Western Holly built-in double stainless-steel ovens and original cupboards and hardware.  A large picture window frames the garden, ocean view and the guardian Ficus tree. A laundry room, three-quarter bathroom and entrance to the 2-car garage extend beyond the kitchen.

To the east of the main living space, a hallway with an Asian-influenced ceiling light fixture of custom-made Shoji screens, leads to the 3 bedrooms and an office/den.  All 3 south-facing bedrooms look out toward ocean views and private grounds.  The primary en-suite bedroom is richly accented with walnut paneling and offers double closets and a sliding glass door to a private side patio and garden. The den/office on the north side overlooks the reflecting pool and provides direct access through sliding glass doors. Each of the bathrooms have retained their period vanities and countertops.

All updating of this impressive coastal contemporary architecture has been done to maintain its original design integrity.  

Visually uninterrupted by any neighboring rooftops and evoking images of Out of Africa, the 1.3 acres of sprawling garden landscape was designed by the esteemed Southern California landscape architect, Emmet Wemple.  Many of the mature and rare plant specimens in this botanical garden were personally chosen and imported from six different continents by the original owner, a world renowned botanist. At the same time, the seamless flow of indoor/outdoor living space and abundant storage make this home truly attuned to the Santa Barbara style of coastal living.

Tucked away in its own private world in a highly coveted area of Hope Ranch, this captivating home is only minutes away from a private beach, miles of riding trails, tennis courts, La Cumbre Country Club and Golf Course, as well as Arroyo Burro Beach, the trendy oceanside Boathouse Restaurant & Bar, La Cumbre shopping center and only a 10-minute drive to downtown Santa Barbara and mountain hiking trails. 

The Bauer house was photographed in 1958 by world-renowned photographer, Julius Shulman, who is considered “the leading architectural photographer of the 20th century and the recorder of American modern architecture. Schulman believed that good architecture still promises a better life”.1   “[He] is renowned for some of the most iconic photographs in architectural history. His images seem to reveal the essence of an architect's vision and capture the spirit of the eras in which they were produced.”2  These iconic photographs are featured in the Getty Library and schematic renderings by Carl Maston in the USC Archives.

1 The Atlantic, The Iconographer, Virginia Postrel, NOVEMBER 2006 ISSUE
2 Julius Shulman, Modernity and the Metropolis, October 11, 2005–January 22, 2006 at the Getty Center
Carl Maston Papers, USC Archives

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