Santa Barbara Living

• Michael S. Smith Houses
• The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills
• Jeffrey Bilhuber: Defining Luxury: The Qualities of Life at Home
• Michael Taylor: Interior Design
• A Passion for Blue and White

Those familiar with the area will rekindle their romance with it, while those who are not will fall in love.As always, Ms. Santa Barbara Living captures the allure of lives well lived. Ms. She manages to take her readers fully into the privileged world that is California's "South Coast". Best-selling author Diane Saeks has once again successfully added to her ever-expanding list of titles. Saeks approaches her subject with a balance of curiosity and a curatorial approach. Saeks' ability to engage readers in design by telling a timeless story with a fresh point of view makes Santa Barbara Living a coffee table book for today, at once pretty and purposeful. A design maven, her desire to tell stories about design, designers, architects and other creative types always comes through, and her delight in them is contagious.

I have to say that this book is perfect and I bought two copies. I know that they make great gifts and that the writing and pictures are going to be wonderful.Make this your choice for Christmas gifts this year. One is for my father for his Xmas gift.The houses of Michael Smith and Salidino are perfection.I just wanted to move right in.I own all of Diane's books and this is a great addition to my interior design library.

This elegantly designed book, expertly written by Diane Dorrans Saeks, takes you on a magical tour of some of California's most beautiful estates. Saeks has brilliantly captured the highly-desirable lifestyle from this region of California plus provided a rich history of each home profiled. I highly recommend this book -- it will not disappoint. Have you ever driven down the winding, tree-lined roads in the hills of Santa Barbara and Montecito and wished you could see behind all of the well-manicured hedges and impressive entry gates. A fantasy world few have seen is brought to life in Santa Barbara Living.

Now you can -- on the pages of Santa Barbara Living. Lush gardens and impressive exterior architecture lead one inside to experience the understated elegance that characterizes California style. Subtle yet well-planned design nuances abound in each and every stunning photograph -- a visual treat awaits each turn of the page. Ms.

This book truly captures Santa Barbara living at its best - and America's Riviera never looked better. Providing a behind the scenes look at the good life - depicted here in all its splendor - the homes, lifestyle, and the people who inhabit them are all inspiring.

Santa Barbara Living beautifully combines stunning photographs of historic homes in the Santa Barbara area, and Diane Dorrans Saeks presents a well researched history on each home. I love Santa Barbara Living and have shared it with all my friends. This is more than a coffee table picture book of gorgeous homes, it provides layers of interesting information on these chic and classic homes. A fabulous architectural book for many reasons. For years, I've driven past many of these obscure homes and always wondered what treasures lay hidden behind those ornamental gates. I would award this beautiful book 10 stars, bravo, a work of art. Santa Barbara Living provides a rare view of these gems;beautiful glossy photos of the enchanting gardens, the stunning interiors and intriguing stories about the history, the builders, the architects, the landscape designers and the owners.