Birnam Wood

Birnam Wood Home Lakefront
Montecito, California

Style:  French Country
Year Built: 1981
Architect: Ray Ketzel 
Lot Size:  0.91 ± Acres       
Bedrooms/Baths:  3 + den / 4 full & 1 powder
Interior:  5,084 ± sq. ft. (Per County)
APN:  007-520-012 
Montecito Union School District 
 

LOCATION

Set on what may be the most dramatic and premier location within the prestigious Birnam Wood Golf Club, this highly refined home of approximately 5,084 sq. ft. offers spectacular mountain and lake views from its expansive rooms along with the finest examples of superior construction and design. The three-bedroom plus den home offers high ceilings, handsome moldings, stone fireplaces, warm parquet oak floors and generous marble baths. One of the largest and most inspiring homes in the club.  
 

RESIDENCE

Entry (20’x12’):
A large leaded-glass window crowns the solid, double-door entry to this spacious Entry/Living Room, with 13’ ceilings.  The bleached oak flooring of herringbone design begins in the Entry and is carried throughout the main living areas of the home.  Wall sconces are on either side of the entry doors.  The large cloak closet has an oval leaded-glass window.  A matching window is found in the powder room on the opposite side of the entry, in addition to a lattice skylight.  Glass display shelving is built into both sides of the archway to the Living Room. 

Living Room (30’x20’):
Panoramic views of the lake, mountains and 9th green are seen through a massive window along the far wall, with French doors on either side for access to the rear gardens and terrazzo and brick patio that runs the length of the home.  The central gas-starter fireplace has a carved marble surround, hearth and mantel. 

Family Room (28’x16’):
This room shares the same extraordinary views as the Living Room, with double French doors to the rear terrace.  It also has a gas-starter fireplace with carved limestone surround and mantel and marble hearth.  French Country display cabinets with bow-front marble counters are built-in on both sides of the fireplace.  Hidden along an interior wall is a wet-bar with mirrored wall, glass display shelving and marble countertop and backsplash. 

Dining Room (27’7”x14’):
The bleached oak herringbone design flooring in the Living Room, Family Room and Kitchen extends into the Dining Room, as do the lake and mountain views through the four patio doors along the far wall.  The crystal chandelier and floating tray ceiling offer additional lighting and ornamentation.  A built-in marble serving counter runs along the Kitchen wall.  Linen closets are on one wall and locking silver/china storage closets on another. 

Kitchen (25’x16’):
Sharing the same lake and mountain views as the Living and Dining Rooms, with two sets of double-doors opening onto the rear patio for indoor/outdoor entertaining, this light and spacious room has two lattice skylights, a chandelier and a large granite-topped island with custom beveled coping, prep sink and compactor.  It is fully equipped with a Sub-Zero side-by-side refrigerator/freezer; a built-in Thermador four-burner electric cooktop; double built-in Thermador combination conventional, convection, microwave ovens; KitchenAid dishwasher and KitchenAid trash compactor.  There are extensive cabinets and pantry shelves for storage.  A rear door to the two-car garage provides easy access when restocking groceries.

Laundry
The bleached oak herringbone flooring continues into the Laundry, which is at the rear of the Kitchen, beside the entry from the garage.  It has a utility sink and KitchenAid washer and gas dryer.  A skylight brightens this room and there are above and below counter cabinets for storage.
 

Master Suite

Bedroom (28’x17’):  The Master Bedroom has double French doors to the rear terrace and overlook the lake and mountains behind the home.  The walls are upholstered and the flooring throughout the suite is wall-to-wall carpet.

Dressing Room (17’x14’):  Features in this room include an Amerec dry sauna; a sunken spa beneath the wall-to-wall carpeting; a private, walled garden accessed through two sets of double French doors and a lattice skylight.  There are two linen closets.   

Lady’s Bath (18’x17’):  Entered through a pocket door from the Dressing Room or from the Master Bedroom, this large bath has slab marble flooring, shower, tub surround and countertop.  A central glass-walled shower has a lav and bidet to one side and the vanity and tub on the other, all with gold fixtures.  An oval leaded-glass window over the tub, lattice skylight, window to a walled rose garden and makeup lights on either side of the mirror over the sink all provide light.  A 13’x12’ walk-in closet has a safe and extensive built-in hanging, shelving and bureau storage.

Gentleman’s Bath (19’x14’): A large display window over the built-in bureau offers views of the lake and mountains, while a lattice skylight and swivel makeup lights on either side of the mirror over the sink provide additional light.  The shower and vanity countertops are of slab marble.  Large, walk-in closets with built-in bureaus are behind a wall of floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

Guest Bedroom (17’x17’):  Beside the Master Suite and entered from the Family Room, this Bedroom has wall-to-wall carpeting; a large walk-in closet with built-in bureau; French doors to a private, walled patio and two windows that overlook the front gardens.  A two-room bath has side makeup mirrors over the double sinks set in marble, a raised tub with marble surround and gold fixtures, a slab marble shower and a lattice skylight.

Staff Bedroom/Den (13’x13’):  This Bedroom or Den is located off of the kitchen and has its own shower bath with mirrored wall over a tiled vanity.  The walls are covered with patterned linen and the flooring is wall-to-wall carpeting.  A window looks out onto the rear gardens, lake and mountains.  There is a linen closet in addition to the clothes closet.

Additional Amenities

• Water softener
• Montecito Union School District

Birnam Wood Amenities

• Guard Gated Security
• Security patrol
• Tennis courts
• Club House
• Birnam Wood Membership Initiation Fee $80,000 for each parcel with a $675 per month membership fee due for each parcel.
• Homeowner Association Fee $360 per month per parcel.

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS AT 511 LAS FUENTES

• Painted home inside and out.
• Replaced flat roof and repaired surrounding wood.
• Sanded all existing wood floors and re-stained them.
• Removed carpet in the three bedrooms, master baths, guest bedrooms and study and replaced it with new wood flooring.
• Replaced a large part of the air conditioning ducting and both air conditioning condensers.
• Added new hot water heater.
• Added new washer and dryer.
• Replaced plumbing fixtures.
• Added new bidet and commodes throughout the house.
• Added new shower doors.
• Repaired and replaced bottom tile in main guest bath shower.
• Installed a wireless system and new music speakers in the ceilings of nearly all the rooms.
• Replaced garage doors.
• Dug up the dirt in planters and added water proofing, drains and gravel at the bottom to prevent future damage to plaster and paint.
• Dug trenches around rear walls and stuccoed walls of trenches to properly drain and waterproof the area and to add stone thresholds to replace the water-damaged wood thresholds.
• Made minor modifications and improvements to landscaping.

MONTECITO BIRNAM WOOD GOLF COURSE

"THE BEST SHORT COURSE I HAVE EVER BUILT"
- ROBERT TRENT JONES, 1968

Montecito Birnam Wood is a prestigious gated golfing community located in the heart of beautiful Montecito, California.

The development of single family homes and estates within Montecito Birnam Wood began in the early 1970’s, and now totals 142 homes. There are a wide variety of architectural styles, and nearly all of the homes line the golf course and occupy approximately one-acre parcels.

Members of the Birnam Wood Golf Club not only enjoy the golf course, but also a highly appointed club house and six tennis courts (four hard court and two Har-Tru courts). Every prospective purchaser of property within Birnam Wood is required to apply to become a Corporate Member of the Club.

The 18-hole course at Birnam Wood features 5,890 yards of golf for a par of 70. The course rating is 68.7 and it has a slope rating of 121 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., the Birnam Wood golf course opened in 1968.