John Byers–Designed Santa Monica Estate Sells After Decades in One Family
Ownership of a historic Santa Monica estate designed by architect John Byers has changed hands, ending nearly 70 years of stewardship by the same family, as reported by Mansion Global.
The hacienda-style residence, built in 1924, closed recently for $14.5 million, according to Mansion Global. The property sits on roughly one acre along San Vicente Boulevard.
The sale includes a 5,000-square-foot main house and a detached guest casita, bringing the total bedroom count to eight. The grounds feature a pool with a brick-laid deck, a private waterfall, landscaped gardens, a covered garden cottage, and a sunroom with exposed wood-beam ceilings.
Architectural details typical of Byers’ work are found throughout the Spanish-style home, including a white stucco exterior, red clay tile roof, and teal-painted doors and window frames. Inside, the residence showcases hand-painted ceilings in the foyer, colorful Spanish tilework, wood paneling, and extensive original Malibu Tile flooring.
“The Malibu tiles were handmade [by a shop] in Malibu in the 1920s,” said listing agent Brooke Elliott Laurinkus, who represented the sellers alongside colleague Aaron Kirman, both of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate, as quoted by Mansion Global. “They’re very rare and very special because they were only made for about six years.”
The property is one of only a few parcels in the area that extend from San Vicente Boulevard directly to the Riviera Country Club, connected by a private walking path. A gated entrance and hedged driveway provide privacy from the street.
The sellers are heirs of Winston Alexander Barrie and Carolina Winston Barrie, who acquired the property in the 1950s. Carolina Winston Barrie, who died in 2020 at age 92, was a descendant of Arcadia Bandini de Baker, a 19th-century landowner and influential figure in the early development of Santa Monica.
Bandini, born in San Diego in 1827, came from a wealthy Mexican family of Spanish origin. She later married Abel Stearns, a prominent early Los Angeles landowner, and after his death, Col. Robert Baker, a rancher and co-founder of Bakersfield. Together, their holdings made them among the largest landowners in Southern California, according to historical records.
After relocating to what is now Santa Monica, Bandini played a foundational role in the city’s development, contributing to its original planning and donating land that would later become Palisades Park.
The San Vicente Boulevard home had been listed intermittently since 2022, initially with an asking price of $22 million. It was later relisted for $18.45 million and most recently priced at $15.995 million before going into contract earlier this month.
