Spirit House
Built in 1921 and designed by architect Arthur B. Benton, the newly renovated home of Xorin Balbes and Truman Davies was formerly inhabited by Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree.
Xorin Balbes embraces the philanthropic legacy of his new home
Written by L.D. Porter | Photographs by Michael Clifford
Even in the midst of the current real estate frenzy, as properties seemingly change hands daily, certain grand Montecito homes will forever bear the imprint of their former owners. That reality is not lost on Xorin Balbes, whose newly renovated home is the former residence of beloved local philanthropist Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree. In fact, Balbes fondly recalls attending holiday parties where the glamorous nonagenarian—formally dressed, bejeweled, and in high heels—would stand at the home’s entrance for hours, personally greeting each of her guests, chosen from a wide swath of the community. (When asked about her famous soirées, Ridley-Tree says, “One person said to me, you know, it's quite shocking and surprising when I come to your house. I don't know if I'm going to meet the newspaper boy or the Queen.”)
The house itself was built in 1921, and the architect, Arthur B. Benton, was responsible for creating Montecito’s All Saints by the Sea church and also took part in designing the historic Mission Inn in Riverside. The home’s classical Mediterranean lines reflect the era’s enthusiastic adoption of European design details, including the use of arches and symmetry. Ridley-Tree’s husband, Paul, “fell in love with the house” and purchased it in the 1980s. In 2020, after having lived there for 35 years, Ridley-Tree gifted the residence to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, a longtime recipient of her largesse. Balbes, who admired the house for years, happily acquired it from the museum.
Known for renovating and restoring significant properties with his firm, Xorin Homes, Balbes is a seasoned real estate developer and designer. For the past four years, he’s focused his energy and talent on renovating exclusive Montecito properties. Which explains why his modifications to the former Ridley-Tree residence, achieved with his design partner, A.J. Bernard, took a mere 15 months. Balbes calls it his “forever” house, a sign he’s ready to settle down. Another sign is his recent marriage to floral curator Truman Davies, which recently took place in Tulum, Mexico—not to mention the addition of two adorable doodle dogs, Yoshi and Kenzo.
Respecting the original design, Balbes did not alter the footprint of the house and limited major changes to interiors. The dark wood paneling was repainted white throughout, with the exception of the spectacular dining room, whose walls are a rich gray-blue hue. The kitchen was expanded into a sleek minimalist Bulthaup masterpiece. Upstairs, the loggia’s ceiling was raised and vaulted, mirroring the trio of arches on the building’s exterior. The basement was transformed into a spacious yoga studio, with views to the garden.
The glass-enclosed conservatory, with its black and white checkerboard tile floor, has a distinctive circular wood-and-chrome bar with matching leather stools that Balbes discovered in Paris.
Over the years, Balbes has developed his own approach to interior design, which involves layering distinctive objects and furniture from different eras. “I like bringing different things together, but it’s not easy,” he says. “I always thought, what if you walked into a space that’s timeless, where you can’t identify the time period it was done. There’s a comfort to the soul in timelessness.” To achieve that balance, he sourced the majority of the home’s contents, including art, from online auction houses around the world.
The glass-enclosed conservatory with its checkerboard tile floor—one of Balbes’s favorite rooms—has a circular wood-and-chrome bar with matching leather-topped stools he discovered in Paris, a Murano glass chandelier, and a 1960s bronze metal chess set by Pierre Cardin. The expansive living room is anchored by two bateau sofas covered in furry Pierre Frey fabric. Two antique leather and metal Savonarola chairs flank the fireplace, and a midcentury brutalist wall sculpture by Marc Weinstein hovers over the mantlepiece. Two postmodern consoles by Kaizo Oto are topped with Edna Ortof’s bright abstract paintings.
“I like bringing different things together, but it’s not easy,” Balbes says. “There’s a comfort to the soul in timelessness.”
With its walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s striking Inchyra Blue, the dining room is the most dramatic space in the house. A vintage starburst Stilnovo chandelier illuminates the circular table, which is set with a sculpture by Richard Mafong and surrounded by midcentury Milo Baughman chairs upholstered in antique Moroccan rug material. Down the hall, the lounge is papered in a silvery abalone, and a 1952 Seguso glass table (originally commissioned for the Hotel Riviera on Venice’s Lido island) sits below the picture window framing a view of the outdoor fountain.
The main bedroom is the epitome of sumptuousness; a majestic Charles Hollis Jones Lucite four-poster bed faces an expansive fireplace, which is flanked by a midcentury Milo Baughman chaise and Poltrona Frau leather sofa and fronted by a 1960s Philip & Kelvin LaVerne bronze coffee table. A sinuous midcentury chandelier by Oscar Torlasco illuminates the main bathroom, whose floor boasts a herringbone pattern of Ann Sacks marble tiles. The serene Duravit tub contrasts with the eye-popping vaulted shower clad in striated marble slabs.
“Balbes clearly senses the philanthropic heritage his new home represents. “I need to do what I can for the community to continue the legacy of this space.””
Moving outdoors, Balbes reconfigured the garden, taking advantage of the surrounding landscape to construct several outdoor rooms. A new rectangular swimming pool was constructed below the kitchen terrace, and the former pool was converted into a koi pond. A rose garden encircles a gurgling lion’s-head fountain, set not far from a female bronze holding a glass sphere, called The Source. Designed by Frederick Hart, famous for his sculptures at the Washington National Cathedral, it has long been part of the garden. “It is a very special one,” says Ridley-Tree, who left it behind as a gift to Balbes. “It would seem wrong to move her from that house,” she adds.
Balbes reconfigured the garden, taking advantage of the landscape to construct several outdoor rooms, and a rectangular swimming pool was constructed below the kitchen terrace.
It seems everything has come full circle. Shortly after the renovation was complete, Balbes and Davies hosted the Red Feather Ball in their garden to support the United Way, a nonprofit that honored Ridley-Tree with its outstanding philanthropy award years earlier. Balbes clearly senses the philanthropic heritage his new home represents. “I need to do what I can for the community to continue the legacy of this space,” he says. As Ridley-Tree—who deserves the last word—proclaims, “I’m very fond of Xorin because I think he’s a special spirit and very talented. And I hope that he has a long, happy life there.”
