This sublime estate is the exquisite retreat of the late Suzanne Rheinstein, a leading interior designer whose style is often described as “elegant civility.” Known as a champion of the limited palette, Suzanne is included on Elle Decor’s A-list, and her projects have been published in Architectural Digest and Veranda, as well as in her best-selling book “At Home.” She was the owner of Los Angeles shop Hollyhock, and designed fabric and rug collections for many notable celebrities.
Beautifully and impeccably renovated by Suzanne, the estate was designed in a “Montecito Spanish” style. The divine single-story residence features a minimalist design emphasizing natural light, simplicity, clean lines, and carefully selected details that emphasize color, texture, and shape. This supreme and remarkable home radiates effortless elegance and timeless beauty.
Sited on the links of the private Birnam Wood Golf Club, the home’s indoor and outside spaces blend seamlessly, making it wonderfully easy for entertaining.
All the best of Montecito’s fine dining, shopping, and community activities are just a short distance from the estate. Cristal Clarke in our Montecito Midtown office is listing agent for the three-bedroom, four full- and two half-bathroom property at 412 Crocker Sperry Drive, priced at $12,300,000.
The living room is both gracious and effortlessly elegant, boasting high ceilings, French white-oak floors, custom lighting, a magnificent fireplace, and bespoke furnishings.
In the stunning gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, home chefs will appreciate crafting meals on the custom island made of basalt stone. The kitchen offers many walls of storage, a butler’s pantry, elegant French doors that open to the garden, and beautiful views of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The intimate primary bedroom provides a calming ambiance. It has an elegant en-suite bathroom, a serene seating area showcasing mountain views, and direct access to the beautiful lap pool. A separate reading room is an escape for relaxation and unwinding.
The estate grounds are meticulously landscaped, featuring gorgeous, artfully crafted Mediterranean-style gardens, a beautiful lap pool and a pergola that provides a welcoming shade spot to take in the mountain vistas.
A beautiful garden room adjacent the primary suite has a granite sink and zinc countertop, where Suzanne would do all of her flower arranging. A passionate gardener, Suzanne was a member of The Garden Conservancy. The outside of her home was as crucial and considered as the inside. It was very important for her to have an exquisite garden as well as a beautiful interior. A fireplace in the backyard’s covered patio banco warms any chilly night.
A world-renowned interior designer and author, Suzanne Rheinstein passed away March 20, 2023. She was 77 years old and lived in Montecito and Los Angeles.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Suzanne was known for her Southern style and hospitality, and her appreciation for Southern California’s relaxed lifestyle. She authored a number of books, including “A Welcoming Elegance,” recently published by Rizzoli.
Her numerous honors include the New York School of Interior Design’s Albert Hadley Award for Lifetime Achievement and Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Leadership Award. She also recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club President’s Dinner in New York.
“My mother has always had the ability to take things to a higher level, to bring the magic,” her daughter Kate Rheinstein Brodsky, who is selling the home, said in the April issue of Elle Décor, as she reflected on her upbringing. “This is evident in the parties she has been throwing for decades, gathering disparate people together in a delightful way. Most famously, her magic is palpable in the rooms she puts together. For me, that magic was ever-present at her shop” [Hollyhock, now closed].
Many prominent designers gave tributes to Rheinstein on social media. “You were a great friend and an enormous inspiration. What a huge loss to so many,” L.A.’s Mark D. Sikes said. “I can’t help but acknowledge that today is the first day of spring and we all know how much Suzanne loved nature, gardens and green. Heaven is more beautiful now.”
“What a marvelous, talented woman,” Joe Ruggiero of California said. “She was a friend whom I admired for her charming style and gracious personality.”
Cristal, who originally sold the house to Suzanne, has specialized in the sale and acquisition of extraordinary estates and land in Montecito, Santa Barbara, Hope Ranch, and Summerland for more than three decades. She is consistently recognized and praised for her dedication to her clients. “I go the extra mile for them and it shows,” Cristal said. “That’s true not just throughout the transaction, but beyond escrow. Most of my clients become friends who know they can count on me, and that trust translates into repeat business and referrals as well as personal bonds.”
Cristal is a proud supporter of The Santa Barbara/Ventura chapter of The Charitable Foundation, which is comprised of local Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties agents and staff who donate a portion of their commissions or salaries to the Foundation.
Cristal has always been an extremely generous and gracious individual, both personally and professionally. She actively seeks out needs in the community and works to fill them, without any thoughts of herself. Her generosity always comes from a place of humility and grace.
Get in touch with Cristal Clarke to schedule a private tour of 412 Crocker Sperry Drive in Montecito.
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May 31st, 2023 at 11:00 am