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With its Mediterranean climate, sun-drenched beaches, and tile roofs atop charming hillside homes, Santa Barbara has earned the moniker “American Riviera.” The peaceful community, just over an hour or so north of Los Angeles and home to approximately 90,000 permanent residents, is embraced by the Pacific Ocean on the south and Santa Ynez Mountains on the north.
Local insights on Montecito & Santa Barbara luxury living.
Expert guide to private tennis and pickleball courts in Montecito estates. Discover how premium recreational amenities enhance property value and lifestyle.
Expert guide to statement staircases in Montecito luxury homes. Discover how architectural stair designs enhance property value and create dramatic focal points.
Expert guide to luxury pet amenities in Montecito estates. Discover how dedicated pet spaces enhance property value while providing premium care for beloved animals.
From a £30M sale in London, England, to a US$24M in Seagrove Beach, Florida, here are significant sales represented by the Sotheby’s International Realty global network in July. London, England Sarah Peck | United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, £30M View properties in London, England Seagrove Beach, Florida Lauren Boger|Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty, US$24M View properties in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida North Hampton, New Hampshire Tony Jalbert, Dana Mitchell| Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International Realty, US$24M View properties in North Hampton, New Hampshire Newport Beach, California K. Ann Brizolis | Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, US$13.75M View properties in Newport Beach, California Mellons Bay, New Zealand Greg Dennerly | New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, NZD7.38M View properties in Auckland, New Zealand
A dedicated drinking den is a luxury must-have. From a ‘vampire speakeasy’ to an incognito cabinet, the best designs maintain an element of surprise, finds Elizabeth Fazzare A cocktail bar by Chad Dorsey Design with custom branding, menu and drinks, all in the comfort of a private Dallas residence. Photo: Stephen Karlisch Sometimes staying in really is just as fun as going out. For proof, look no further than the rising popularity of the home bar, now one of the most sought-after elements of a high-end residence. Homeowners are dedicating entire rooms, feature niches and hidden-in-plain-sight cabinets to this hosting staple. However, rather than taking cues from the sleek luxury of their counterparts in hospitality projects, home-bar designs are going full-out, putting personality on display alongside an owner’s libations of choice. Today, a home bar is just as much “about having people come over to experience it as to look at it,” says interior designer Devin Hines, the founder of Los Angeles and New York City studio Hines Collective. Homeowners “want it to be a conversation starter and very much a visual surprise,” he says. In a recent loft project in New York City’s upmarket Tribeca neighborhood, Hines carved a gilded apse into the red lacquered media room and set a wet bar within it. Its sink is outfitted with a swan-shaped faucet, while a custom metallic plaster finish looks like aged, hammered metal, dramatically juxtaposing the deep oxblood walls and ceiling. Financial District NYC Interior Design: Devin Hines " src="https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-683x1024.jpg" alt="gold wet bar in Tribeca by Hines Collective with statement coffee table and grey couch in the foreground" class="wp-image-347942" srcset="https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Hines-Collective_Tribeca_Photographer-Joshua-McHugh-1200x1800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" Hines Collective added a gilded wet-bar to this atmospheric Tribeca space. Photo: Joshua McHugh Recessing the bar—kitted out with a beverage station, glassware storage and stocked snack drawers for the movie-loving homeowner—leaves floor space free and clear for a sinuous statement sofa. The client’s brief for the room was “a vampire speakeasy,” says Hines, who is currently designing bars in all his high-end New York home projects. “It was up to us to execute that elegantly.” Texan interior designer Chad Dorsey is fielding an increasing number of requests for another kind of specialized space, the listening bar. In Dallas, the owner-founder of Chad Dorsey Design reinterpreted one home’s narrow and underutilized screened-in porch around how its owners actually spend an evening. At one end, a fireplace is flanked by a turntable and media cabinet full of classic rock records; on the other, a cocktail bar with custom branding, menu and drinks. A Dallas porch becomes a wall-to-wall listening bar by Chad Dorsey Design. Photo: Stephen Karlisch With a great sound system, a variety of seating, and forgiving materials such as lacquer, velvet and brick—“nothing so perfectly coordinated that a little wear or a spilled cocktail is going to throw it off”—this full-room bar is a “destination inside the house, not an afterthought,” according to the designer. Keeping the scheme relaxed and lived-in is crucial to its appeal, he maintains. “Nobody wants a bar that feels off-limits.” Nor do clients want a “generic bar cart in the corner,” says Dorsey. “They want a place with a point of view.” In current projects, Dorsey is “incorporating things like granita machines and a favorite beer, or even sparkling water, on tap. Those details make the bar feel original and personal.” Where possible, dedicating an entire room to a bar allows space to get specific. Adam Kamens, CEO of custom furniture company Amuneal, which supplies many bespoke bar and speakeasy projects, notes there is “definitely an increase, not just in the number of bars we’re designing, but in the footprint dedicated to them.” Just how much square footage depends at which phase the home bar is incorporated into the overall vision. “When a bar is being added to an existing home, we’re often designing units that fit into what’s already there: on counters, floating off walls, hanging from ceilings, sometimes claiming previously underutilized or awkward spaces,” Kamens says. “But when a bar is considered early in the design process, it tends to be more personal, larger in footprint, and much more driven by the experience our client wants to create for themselves or their guests.” Amuneal fabricated bar, built-in, outdoor railing and light fixture. " src="https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-851x1024.jpg" alt="curved mesh bar by Amuneal in a Philadelphia penthouse" class="wp-image-347945" srcset="https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-851x1024.jpg 851w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-249x300.jpg 249w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-768x924.jpg 768w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-1277x1536.jpg 1277w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-1702x2048.jpg 1702w, https://www.sothebysrealty.com/extraordinary-living-blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Home-Bar_Jagr-Projects_Philadelphia-Penthouse_Amuneal_Photographer-Ty-Cole-1200x1444.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px" A curved mesh bar by Amuneal in a Jagr Projects designed Philadelphia penthouse. Photo: Ty Cole However, even a small space offers an opportunity for a design surprise. In the living room of an Aspen, Colorado home, local designer Karen White has concealed a built-in oak-and-leather bar behind floor-to-ceiling blue lacquered doors with a patinated bronze inlay. It’s a pop of color that takes the space from day to night, and a growing trend. “Concealment has become one of the more interesting design problems we get to solve,” says Kamens. “It lets the bar exist on the client’s terms, revealed only when they choose.” While a home bar behind paneled pocket doors might seem a bit quiet in this revived era of entertaining, it can create a “wow” moment for guests, and taps into the prevailing demand for flexible interior spaces. Plus, says Hines, “a bar is one of the few design elements that can be vertically focused. It’s a nice opportunity to balance a room.” Behind closed doors: the bespoke Amuneal bar in Karen White’s Aspen scheme. Photo: Dallas & Harris Whether hidden, showstopping or specialized, home bars allow designers a bit of space to play. “Because of the social nature of the home bar, clients seem to be willing to have a little more fun and be riskier in their design choices,” says Hines, who notes that metallic, glass and luster finishes are currently top preferences. “We’re presenting bolder things and they’re going with it.” The ultimate goal, according to Dorsey, is “a spot in the house that feels like [you’re] going out, without leaving home.” Here’s how to design a party-perfect interior, whatever the season
Whether used to saturate or merely accent, this spectacularly versatile—and surprisingly ancient—finish is always polished, discovers Kate Youde Gloss-finish coffee table by Peter Mikic. Photograph: The Lacquer Company With its high-gloss sheen, lacquer is an eye-catching finish. And it has caught the attention of contemporary designers, who appreciate the freedom it allows them with color. “The finish is rather spectacular if it’s done correctly, and it could end up being the star of the show,” says Peter Mikic, a UK-based interior designer, adding that lacquer comes in “any color” and offers “a different accent for any interior.” Its versatility was on show during Milan Design Week 2026 in April, when luxury interiors brands launched a spectrum of lacquered objects, from sideboards to bathroom vanities, coffee tables to cupboards. Most strikingly it even appeared on seating. Tacchini, for example, introduced 11 matt and gloss lacquer finishes to padded chairs, including a reedition of Italian designer Tobia Scarpa’s celebrated Pigreco design from 1959. Tacchini’s lacquered reedition of the Pigreco chair. Photograph: © Giuseppe Dinnella Lacquer “gives a very interesting edge to form [and] to shape, especially when it is combined with upholstery and fabric and padding,” says Gordon Guillaumier. The Milan-based designer is behind the new three-legged Fosca beechwood dining armchair launched by Frigerio at Milan in 10 glossy lacquered colors. He also designed the Italian brand’s Dao Soft sectional sofa, which can be broken up by small, curved lacquered tables. Fosca armchair in green, by Gordon Guillaumier. Photograph: Frigerio The tactile finish of lacquer can “neutralise a shape” in a white, neutral or beige hue, he says, but “create a very strong character” when applied in a “more decisive color” such as red or black. “It is a kind of vintage approach, dare I say, which gives a very special richness and contrast, because you’ve got a shiny, smooth lacquer on one [hand] and the [matte] upholstery on the other. It creates a very nice balance in design,” adds Guillaumier, whose inspiration includes the use of lacquer in Italian design of the 1960s and 1970s. The current popularity of lacquer—also bringing high shine to home accessories, surfaces, walls and ceilings—is only its most recent revival. While today the term can also refer to a specially applied synthetic spray or paint finish, the use of traditional Asian lacquer, a resin made from tree sap, dates back a couple of thousand years. Its association with glamorous Western interiors was cemented in the early 20th-century art deco period, when designers were inspired by motifs, materials and craftsmanship from countries including Japan and China. The Lacquer Company, which has showrooms in London and New York, works with skilled craftspeople in Saigon on its furniture and home accessories. They use son mai, a traditional Vietnamese lacquer technique that involves applying by hand multiple layers of substances, which are sanded and polished to a glossy finish. Dao Soft sectional sofa with lacquered insert, by Gordon Guillaumier. Photograph: Frigerio Peter Mikic, who collaborated with the company on a collection that includes trays and tables, says using lacquer on furniture conceals the makings of the piece. Instead it “looks like it’s one piece of color”—resulting in a “quite sculptural” effect. This seamlessness makes lacquer excellently suited to luxury interiors, according to Charu Gandhi, founder of London-based studio Elicyon. “Especially when you use it in a color drench or [on a] larger scale, it’s quite immersive,” she says. “It feels like something that’s been poured into a space. It feels very tailored… and that glossiness does speak to a feeling of luxury. It’s that piano key feel, isn’t it? It’s very smart, very clean, very complete.” Saturated yellow lacquer dining room by Peter Mikic. Photograph: Peter Mikic Mikic’s self-titled studio used a red spray lacquer on a staircase in a Gstaad chalet to create a “glamorous impact.” Meanwhile a special yellow lacquer paint—a contemporary take on traditional Japanning lacquer, which imitates traditional Asian techniques—on the walls and ceiling of a London dining room produces a “calming feeling” when the lights are dimmed. He is currently using the same effect, in cream, on the kitchen and breakfast-room ceilings of another London home to give a sheen that contrasts with matt wood-paneled walls. Lacquer bounces light and allows, says Mikic, the “opportunity to play with reflection.” This mirror-like quality appealed to Hugo Vince, co-founder of the Parisian architecture and design studio Atelier HA, when he and his wife, artist Caroline Derveaux, chose yellow and turquoise high-gloss lacquered fronts for the kitchen cabinets in their vibrant Saint-Ouen apartment. “It’s a bit poetic to have lacquer because you see in the doors the life of the room,” says Vince. Hugo Vince’s high-gloss kitchen cabinets. Photograph: © Amaury Laparra He finds lacquer “joyful” and liberating. A recent Parisian loft apartment project by Atelier HA features a bespoke red lacquer stepped platform for a bed, designed “to put the sleeping moment on the main stage,” and red-and-white bookshelves with a coordinating library ladder. Lacquer does, though, require caution. Gandhi warns that applying it to a surface exaggerates any imperfections. Since it reflects everything, the finish can be “quite unforgiving,” not to mention challenging to light. It can also chip. But Vince has found his kitchen robust, despite his three children climbing on the cabinetry and creating a mess with chocolate. “You just have to clean a little bit,” he says. “Don’t be afraid, go for the lacquer!” Seeking further inspiration? Consider setting your fitted kitchen free
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