Located in the wealthy seaside enclave of Montecito, Calif., this $17.9 million Spanish Colonial Revival house was built in 1926 by George Washington Smith, a renowned architect in the Santa Barbara area who was the designer of choice for the wealthiest individuals in the area.  The main residence has a partially redwood, paneled family room; the original G.W. Smith masonry fireplace; an L-shaped, 5,000-bottle wine room with stone floors; a media room; and a 1,300-square foot master suite that has views of the foothills and the Pacific Coast.  The property also includes a guesthouse–a short walk from the main residence–that has a private terrace, wet bar and breakfast area. There is also a studio located at the far end of the gardens. Outdoors are a tennis court, six fountains, a pool, a spa and a pool pavilion with a dressing room and sitting room.  The home sits on a four-acre lot and was renovated to include new plumbing fixtures and piping, a new lighting control system, sound system, heating system, security system and landscape lighting. Many of the doors and windows are the originals and have been restored.  The property is listed with Harry Kolb of Sotheby’s International Realty. He can be reached at (805) 565-8633.  Montecito, one of the most expensive and exclusive neighborhoods in California, translates to “little woods” and was once unsafe, as it was populated by bears and wolves. Homes there are extremely expensive now–in 2001 talk show host Oprah Winfrey bought a home that wasn’t even for sale, for a reported $50 million. But when the Spaniards controlled the area from 1782 through 1846, the king of Spain fell behind in payments to the soldiers there, and they were often paid in free 50-acre parcels of Santa Barbara land.  Comments are turned off for this post.
This Mediterranean home was designed by renowned Santa Barbara architect George Washington Smith, and it's on the market for $17.9 million.