London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

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.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×