Summary:

Tucked into the Santa Barbara foothills, ten minutes above downtown, Lucinda Haven is a mid-century modern hideaway of post-and-beam lines and walls of glass. A covered deck sits under a sprawling live oak, with a fire table, a long wood bar, and mountain views. Below, a terraced garden steps down to a level lawn. Three bedrooms, an office, a Wolf range, and true surround sound. Minutes to hiking, a short drive to the sand.



The Space:

A sculptural front garden of yuccas, agave, and palms sets the tone from the street, and a concrete path threads past mature plantings and a stretch of lawn to the front entry.



Inside, the living room is the heart of the home. Vaulted ceilings, clerestory windows, and glass on three sides frame the garden from every seat. A marble surround fireplace anchors the room beneath a wall-mounted TV, with tower speakers delivering true surround sound, and a hanging bubble chair adds a little levity. The space flows straight through to the dining room, where a round tulip table sits beneath a sputnik chandelier with a skylight overhead and sliding glass doors that open directly to the deck and fire table. Indoor and outdoor dining are only steps apart.



The kitchen is bright and fully equipped, with white shaker cabinetry, quartz counters, a Wolf gas range, Bosch dishwasher, French door refrigerator, and glass-front uppers. A peninsula seats three for coffee, prep, or an easy morning while someone else cooks. Just off the main living area, a light-filled office offers built-in shelving, a vaulted ceiling, and its own sliding door to the deck, ideal for a work-from-anywhere stay or a quiet corner away from the group.



The primary bedroom is calm and generous, with clerestory windows, garden views, a mounted TV, and a private bath with dual vessel sinks and a soaking tub with shower. The second bedroom is queen-sized with treetop views and its own mini split for climate control, and a third room works beautifully as a den or extra sleeping space, with a daybed, a reading chair, and windows on two sides. Both bathrooms are freshly finished, one in textured white tile and brushed nickel, the other in walnut, brass, and marble.



The covered deck is the standout. Shaded by an old live oak and set up for long afternoons, it holds a custom wood bar with counter stools, a linear gas fire table, and deep lounge seating with open views across the hills. Strung lanterns overhead make it just as good after dark.



Below the deck, the yard steps down through board-formed concrete planters spilling with ornamental grasses and lace-leaf shrubs. A wall fountain trickles into a stone basin, a floating wood bench sits in the shade, and stone slab steps lead up past an olive tree and a mature sycamore to a second deck nook with an umbrella and a slatted privacy screen, a good spot to disappear with a book.



The home also includes an attached two-car garage plus driveway parking, ductless mini split AC in the bedrooms, and central laundry.



The Neighborhood:

The home sits in San Roque, a leafy residential neighborhood in the foothills just above downtown Santa Barbara. If you have driven up State Street toward the mountains, you have passed the bottom of it. The streets curve upward into oak shade, the front range rises at the end of the block, and mornings here are birdsong instead of traffic.



It is the part of Santa Barbara locals actually live in, which is the appeal. You are close enough to walk to a neighborhood coffee shop and far enough up the hill that evenings smell like sage coming off the mountains.



The Jesusita Trail, one of the area's best hikes and the route to Inspiration Point, is minutes away. Stevens Park and its creekside paths are closer still. La Cumbre Plaza and upper State Street, with grocery stores, restaurants, and everyday shopping, are a short drive down the hill.



Getting Around:

A car is easiest here, and there is plenty of parking. Downtown Santa Barbara, State Street, and the Funk Zone are about ten minutes away. The beach and the harbor are roughly fifteen. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the Mission, and the Santa Ynez wine country all sit within easy reach, and the airport is twenty minutes out.