Fashion Designer Pieces Together His Own Personal Santa Barbara Shangri-La

Jeff Abrams has officially added another piece to his ever-growing Montecito residential puzzle — the historic El Mirador estate. The founder and creative director of Los Angeles-based Rails, a rapidly growing contemporary global lifestyle brand currently valued at more than $100 million, has forked over $15.4 million for the house immediately right next door to a pair of neighboring parcels he already bought in two separate deals for a total of almost $17 million.

Originally listed last spring for just shy of $24 million, the blush-hued and terracotta-roof structure went to Abrams at a substantial $8 million discount. All three properties span about 30 contiguous acres, and are part of a 70-acre compound that was originally developed in the early 1900s by Chicago meatpacking heiress Lolita Armour and her husband, United Airlines co-founder Jack Mitchell, then later subdivided and sold off in smaller parcels.

Abrams’ latest El Mirador addition features a gated five-bedroom, five-bath house with almost 8,400 square feet of two-level living space. Tucked away down a lengthy gated driveway lined with towering palms, and resting on 12 acres inclusive of a 3-acre landscape easement, the U-shaped home is centered around a double-gated entry courtyard adorned with a water feature and fire-pit, and surrounded by a lower level spotlighted by an office space, a game room and workshop.

The main upper-level living area, meanwhile, has formal living and dining rooms, plus an updated kitchen outfitted with stainless appliances, a walk-in pantry and an accompanying breakfast nook. A primary bedroom has its own walk-in closet and bath; and outdoors, the picturesque grounds provide mountain and ocean vistas, and host an expansive patio ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining with a massive fireplace and built-in barbecue.

There’s also a stone pergola and grotto, Japanese-style garden laced with waterfalls, footbridges and the original stone walls, and detached three-car garage on the premises.

Content courtesy of Dirt.com