Lower Riviera

Wallace Neff English Farmhouse

This charming English Farmhouse set on a bucolic .21 acres, is located on the East edge of the lower Riviera. You will enjoy the peaceful setting enhanced by views of the city, ocean, and islands, while also being close in to the parks and restaurants of downtown Santa Barbara. This was the first house designed by Wallace Neff in 1919 as a vacation cottage for his parents. The heart of the home centers around the large English fireplace where, according to California Southland in 1921, “huge Eucalyptus logs are burned and the best meals are cooked.”

The home features four bedrooms with two full baths, as well as a separate guest room and bath in an adjoining building. Designed in the English Arts and Crafts style, it retains the original charm with the built-in cabinets, wrought iron work, corbelled window frames, and exposed wood trusses.

Just off the entry on the ground floor is the living room with original wood floors, beamed ceiling and the large English fireplace. The kitchen was recently updated, while retaining the original cabinetry, and dining room, with it’s brick flooring, are just on the other side of the entry hall from the living room. In addition there is a bedroom and bath for guests. There are numerous patios to enjoy the outdoors. A wide brick patio flanks the front of the house, and another patio just off the living room on the east side, perfect for al fresco dining. There is a family garden just outside the kitchen for fresh herbs and vegetables.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, one of which could be used as an office, all enjoying city and ocean views. The remodeled bathroom serves the upstairs bedrooms, and retains the charm of the period.

There is a separate building, built at a later date, which houses a guest room and bath, which are also updated. This building has a separate entry from the street and also is air-conditioned.  A separate utility room, which houses the laundry, sits just outside the back kitchen door. It is accessed from the garden just behind the kitchen. There is also a single car garage.

Neff lived in this home for several years before moving back to Pasadena. His career eventually took him in the direction of Spanish Colonial Revivals and Italian Villas, as well as the airform “bubble houses” in the 40’s and 50’s. He designed several large estates in Montecito and Santa Barbara, as well as homes to the stars in the Southland.