DESIGN
Polishing a Hidden Gem
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To furnish the home, the Steedmans commissioned Hispanic art experts Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley, and traveled with them around Spain, acquiring centuries-old treasures that eventually packed 160 containers. The Steedmans brought on Ralph Stevens to develop the garden and grounds, which soon encompassed 11 acres. In the back of the house, the garden extends from a loggia down a long grassy allée, while the rest of the extensive grounds are divided into a series of “rooms.” An enclosed Spanish garden opens to a blue-and-white garden with
MATT WALLA/RIZZOLI
T
Design - Mate
he history of CASA DEL HERRERO—House of the Blacksmith—and of Santa Barbara are inextricably linked: On the morning of June 29, 1925, George Fox Steedman, owner of his family’s foundry in St. Louis, was staying at the Santa Barbara Club when a devastating earthquake hit the city, leveling most of downtown. He headed for his new home in Montecito, which had just been finished after three years of construction. The Andalusian farmhouse-style residence was fine, cementing architect George Washington Smith’s reputation and distinguishing the home as an early example of Santa Barbara’s prevailing Spanish look. Steedman and his wife, Carrie, embraced the growing fashion for the Spanish Revival style, and Smith’s plans for the 7,000-squarefoot residence incorporated arches, wrought iron, loggias, a red-tile roof, and Moorish accents, like the thousands of colorful tiles that grace fireplaces, fountains, and walls.