Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Once Neglected, This Montecito Compound Is Now a Blissful Retreat

Once Neglected, This Montecito Compound Is Now a Blissful Retreat

Tour antiquarian Lee Stanton's history-filled home.
He was eight years old.


It was the first time Lee Stanton’s mother took him antiquing. “I was the only child at home at the time, so in order to maintain my interest while we were shopping, she got me started on collecting too,” he recalls. He began with vintage toys, then tramp art. “As my taste would mature, she would quickly shift my attention to another collection,” Stanton adds. When his mother was busy, he’d spend time with his grandfather, a woodworker who restored old furniture. Later, he started joining his older sister, an interior designer, on her regular buying trips to Europe.

It seems almost inevitable, then, that Stanton would end up an antiques dealer himself-albeit as a second act, after a successful career in publishing. “It was kind of something I inherited,” he explains from his weekend retreat in Montecito, California, about an hour and a half from his home in Los Angeles. Built in the 1940s as an artisans’ compound, the sprawling property is itself rooted in history, making it the ideal backdrop for the current iteration of Stanton’s ever-changing collection.

Originally comprising four Spanish-style adobe casitas that shared a communal kitchen (and a communal pay phone), the home was in disrepair when Stanton and his partner, Israel Serna, bought it four years ago. One of the structures had been lost to a fire, two were haphazardly combined in the ’60s to form a single home, and one was an art studio. “It had been really neglected,” Stanton says. “Before I started fixing it up, I brought a big-name designer friend from L.A. to see it. When I mentioned that I didn’t want to rob it of its quirky energy, she told me, ‘Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about losing any funk in this house!’” he notes with a laugh.



Over the course of a year and a half, he restored the structure, pulling from both the house’s lore (handmade tiles pay homage to the ceramicists who once lived there) and his own (a restaurant in Japan where he spent a memorable evening inspired the design of the kitchen island). Once complete, he filled the rooms with a carefully edited array of furniture (mostly 19th-century European) and art (a trio of collages made from his haberdasher grandfather’s fabrics).

“I’ve come to relish the process of taking something old and making it feel new while still preserving its integrity,” Stanton says. “Antiques tell a story, and so does this house.”

Living Room




Stanton incorporated salvaged architectural elements-like this fireplace from a historic estate in central California-throughout the house. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques. Rug: Woven.

Kitchen



The ceiling fixture was constructed from antique mechanical parts. Counters: honed granite through Stone Source (island) and Cambriaquartz (surrounding). Sink: Kohler, with an Axor faucet. Furniture and art: Lee Stanton Antiques.

Dining Area




A collection of antique architectural models sits atop the 19th-century dining table. Rug: Woven. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques.

Gallery




A hallway connects what was formerly two separate casitas on the property. Applying stain to the original terra-cotta tile flooring added extra character. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques.

Main Bedroom




Handwoven linens from Pat McGann Gallery and textile art by Daniel Pontius fill the bedroom, which is painted in a limewash from Sydney Harbour Paint Company. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques. Rugs Woven. Picture light: RH.

Sitting room




A pair of twin beds double as seating for visiting guests; the vintage pillow fabric was repurposed from early-20th-century British soldiers’ uniforms. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques. Rugs: Woven.

Dining Terrace




“I wanted to maintain the humble and eclectic nature that evolved on the property,” says Stanton, who frequently hosts guests with his partner, Israel Serna. Furniture: Lee Stanton Antiques.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×