ICONIC GEORGE WASHINGTON SMITH ESTATE
Gracing the market for the first time in over 30 years, Casa De La Buena Vista is a stunning example of a Spanish Colonial Revival estate built by the iconic George Washington Smith in 1930 with an additional library designed by the acclaimed architect Lutah Maria Riggs in 1933.
Primarily trained as an artist and inspired by his travel throughout Europe, George Washington Smith applied these attributes to his profession as an architect, lending him a unique perspective. He found great inspiration from the farmhouses of the Spanish countryside and enjoyed how they offered a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Although Smith’s career was short, extending from just 1918-1930, he dominated the architectural scene of Santa Barbara and popularized the Spanish Colonial Revival style. His builds garnered such recognition and praise that Smith earned the title of a “Founding Father of the Spanish Colonial Revival.”
After designing his own family home in Montecito, Smith began building similar homes for his neighbors. Private residences were often designed for wealthy owners from the East Coast and Mid-West who enjoyed our area as a seasonal retreat. His projects showcase a strong sense of European generational additions, as he designed predominantly Spanish Colonial homes featuring an Andalusian style. His interior spaces give careful attention to proportions and perspective, with an overall sense of comfort in mind. It is said that Casa De La Buena Vista was one of the last residences designed by the famed architect before his death in 1930.
George Washington Smith papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
This historic home is preserved with charming artistic touches, original lighting, and details rarely found. It is one of the 58 personal residences designed by G.W. Smith still standing in the Santa Barbara area today and prides itself on its timeless elements and details. Inspired by the idyllic climate of our area, Smith’s work is known to artfully connect interiors with nature. Casa De La Buena Vista is a prime example of this style.
In addition to designing iconic homes that are highly coveted almost a hundred years later, G.W. Smith is responsible for a handful of civic landmarks in the Santa Barbara area. The Lobero Theater and Montecito Country Club Building, among other local clubs and buildings, are just two of the significant constructions that have been key to the adoption and expansion of the unique style of our region.
This home is doubly architecturally blessed with the addition of the intricately detailed library designed by the esteemed Lutah Maria Riggs, a pioneering architect who once studied under G.W. Smith. She’s known for her extraordinary details melding modernist and Spanish Colonial Revival styles to create an early form of California modern architecture.
Riggs’ prolific career ran from the 1920s through the 1970s and featured many milestones that earned her great recognition in her lifetime and beyond. Notably, she headed her own office, an impressive feat for a time when women-led firms were extremely rare. Lutah was among the first women to be elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and was also one of just four women to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture in 1919.
Similar to G.W. Smith, Riggs drew inspiration from her travels to Mexico and Europe. Always including an intimate integration of house and site, her designs feature fluid indoor-outdoor transitions and the extensive use of glass and exposed natural materials. She also paid careful attention to minute details in all of her work. The library of Casa de la Buena Vista is exemplary of her style, with the library showcasing decorative stained glass, intricate wood details, and even precisely angled light filtering into the room.
