David Palermo

It’s surprising — the memories that our senses conjure up. Smelling cookies baking or hearing a particular song can immediately transport us back to grandma’s house or a high school dance. I saw two little blonde-haired boys running toward the playground at Shoreline Park yesterday, and my heart skipped a beat; they looked so much like my own sons 20 years ago. The owner of the beautiful farmhouse at 2685 Puesta del Sol tells the story of the first time he walked through the home. He heard the solid thwack of the wooden screen door swinging shut, and it reminded him so much of his childhood summers in Wisconsin that he declared: “I want to buy this house.”

I’m sure that it was much more than the screen door that made him fall in love with this home. There’s plenty to love. This home is off the street and down a little lane that it shares with a couple of other houses. Driving through the front gate, I found myself in a private courtyard with an inviting garden surrounding a bubbling fountain, with plenty of paved parking in front of a garage with four latching, barn-style doors. I was tempted to peek inside the garage first, but instead I walked up to the covered patio in front of me and into the house.

David Palermo

I found myself in the dining room, with the kitchen to my right and the family room down a step ahead of me. The rooms were warm and inviting, with gleaming wide-plank hardwood floors, sash windows, and beautiful details. The house was built in 1910, and although it has been extensively renovated and expanded, it has the solid, original feeling of its farmhouse origins.

The kitchen drew me in past a big butcher-block island to admire top-of-the-line appliances, custom cabinetry, and a farmhouse sink. Through the kitchen is a cozy den with a fireplace and tall, wood-framed windows. A sliding pocket door leads into a foyer with the living room and another den or office beyond. Standing in the foyer, I realized that a door to the right is obviously the true front door of the house, leading out onto a covered porch that runs the length of the house, with huge oak trees and a sprawling, private lawn beyond. Whether one calls this the front yard or side yard, it is an inviting, private space.

Upstairs are three bedrooms and a bath, complete with a claw-foot tub and period tile on the floor and counters. Two of the bedrooms open out onto a long balcony, mirroring the length of the porch below. One sweet surprise was a sunny extra nook tucked between the two front bedrooms, providing a secret reading room or quiet haven.

David Palermo

Thoroughly enchanted, and thinking I had seen the entire house, I headed back downstairs. It wasn’t until I was directed back through the dining room into the master bedroom wing that I realized I still had much to admire.

Down a short hallway, one enters either directly into the master bedroom or via a clever pocket door through the walk-in closet that’s one of the largest, most well laid out I have seen. The master bath has an additional gorgeous claw-foot tub, a separate glass-enclosed shower, and gleaming white, custom cabinetry. The bedroom itself is airy and spacious, with beamed cathedral ceilings and three sets of French doors that open onto a wraparound porch.

The porch overlooks the “other” backyard: a beautiful expanse of grass with more mature oak trees surrounding a pool, spa, and hand-hewn fire pit. There’s plenty of room to entertain, or spread out and relax, in a private, park-like setting. I can easily imagine kids running across the grass and into the house and hearing the solid “thwack” of the screen door closing behind them.

The house at 2685 Puesta del Sol has the very best of yesteryear updated with all of the conveniences that today’s technology affords us. The owner has painstakingly restored this home, keeping the period details intact and retaining the warm, solid farmhouse feel. A new owner will be able to move right in and start making their own memories while enjoying the 100-plus years of charm that this home has to offer.

David Palermo

2685 Puesta del Sol is currently for sale in Santa Barbara, listed by John Faulkner of Village Properties Realtors. Reach John at johnfaulkner@villagesite.com or (805) 570-9454. For more photos and details, visit santabarbarafarmhouse.com.

Login

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Not a member? Sign up here.