The Home Page | Butterflies, Barns, and Bright, Beautiful Bungalows

Credit: Brandon Lee

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on January 4, 2026. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletter

In between the showers last week, I visited Kathy and Katie Spieler at their newest listing at 120 Butterfly Lane. Just steps from Coast Village Road, it feels like a secluded vacation retreat. Saltillo tile floors and gorgeous white on white decor with floor-to-ceiling sliders in the great room that lead out to a terraced back garden full of native plants and flowers, including my very favorite: pincushion protea flowers. We watched a hawk soar overhead and enjoyed the well-timed croaks of a bullfrog camouflaged in the gurgling stone fountain. After I said goodbye, I walked Scout through the pedestrian tunnel down to Butterfly Beach. Ah, paradise! This special home is open today from 1-4 p.m.. See if you can find the friendly frog.

When Steven Lovelace — long-time Santa Barbara artist, dance teacher, and solstice practitioner extraordinaire — moved out of town a few years ago, he shared his colorful Goleta condo with us here. For their next chapter, Steven and his husband Greg moved to the desert and bought this 910 square foot home in 29 Palms, fixed it up, and gave it their signature style. They’ve now moved to Joshua Tree, working on yet another cute cottage. Here’s your chance to grab this one, with all the dashing decor already done for you.

You know that feeling when you walk through a home and just know it has stories to tell? Something in the feel of the banisters, the sound of the stairs — you just know. The Lemon Acres Barn house definitely had that feel when I visited last month. Quirky corners, like the one above, and sunny seating areas beckon visitors to put their feet up and stay awhile. Some of the stories are here in this week’s Make Myself at Home column. But I feel like there are more chapters to be told by and about this charming piece of local history. Plus: How many Santa Barbarans can say they live in a barn?

We welcome spring later this week, and Scout, for one, is ready for more walks on the beach. Here’s your flip-thru version of this week’s issue, with plenty of open houses as well as tons of info to inspire and inform. Whether it’s a weekend at home, out and about, or just walking on the beach, enjoy!