Newly Renovated in Historic Riven Rock
Some homes reveal themselves differently over time.
At 790 Rockbridge Road, a recent evolution in the interiors offered an opportunity to look at the property through a new lens. The latest photography captures a warmer, more relaxed side of the residence—one that feels particularly at home within the centuries-old landscape of Riven Rock.
And perhaps that is what makes this property so interesting. For all that has changed here, what defines it most is what has remained.
Rooted in Riven Rock
Long before the current residence took shape, this land was part of Riven Rock, the historic McCormick estate established in Montecito in 1896. Today, reminders of that history still appear throughout the property: mature oaks stretch across the grounds, original stone bridges remain tucked into the landscape, and the scale of the parcel recalls an earlier era of Montecito.
Against that backdrop, the original 1958 residence underwent a three-year transformation led by Xorin Balbes of Templehome with Shahram Bijan.
Rather than separating the house from its surroundings, the architecture continually draws the landscape in. Glass frames the oak canopy. Rooms open directly to gardens. Natural materials bring warmth and texture inside, while the home's low, single-level profile allows the trees and grounds to remain the dominant presence.
A Softer Side of Modern
The newest imagery of 790 Rockbridge captures something that specifications alone cannot: how comfortable the architecture can feel.
The great room is expansive, but not formal. Living, dining, and kitchen spaces flow together around the fireplace, with the gardens just beyond the glass. Layers of texture and a more relaxed interior presentation soften the home's contemporary lines and make it easier to imagine the rhythms of everyday life here—from mornings around the kitchen to evenings gathered by the fire.
That same feeling extends outside, where paths wander beneath the oaks toward the pool, gardens, and quiet places to sit beneath the canopy.
It is sophisticated architecture, but the experience of the property is remarkably grounded.
The Part That Can't Be Recreated
Homes can be renovated. Interiors can evolve. Landscapes like this one take generations.
That contrast may be the most compelling thing about 790 Rockbridge today. A thoroughly reimagined residence exists within a setting whose character was established long before it—and the two feel increasingly inseparable.
Our newest photographs offer a fresh look at that relationship and at a home entering its next chapter within historic Riven Rock.
