In 2004, Robert Lieff and his then-wife Carole bought a historic Montecito residence for $4.5 million and invested an additional $2 million in renovations. After their divorce less than a year later, Carole retained the home while Lieff moved to Napa and San Francisco to be closer to his plaintiff law firm, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, known for high-profile cases like the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Several years later, Lieff repurchased the property from his ex-wife for nearly $12 million in the summer of 2012, expressing his long-standing desire to regain the home. Now, over a decade later, Lieff and his current wife Susan are putting the Spanish Revival mansion, known as “Los Sueños” (which means “The Dreams”), on the market for a substantial $33 million. The listing is managed by Cristal Clarke of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.
The home, designed by notable Santa Barbara architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Riggs in the late 1920s, was originally built for Rachael Ogilvy Douglas, daughter of a linen manufacturer. It was later owned by Joan Cohn Harvey, widow of Columbia Pictures President Harry Cohn. During their ownership, the Lieffs restored and updated the property, including the garden originally designed by landscape architect A.E. Hanson.
Set on over 3 acres, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof mansion features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and nearly 11,000 square feet of living space with marble and hardwood floors, custom chandeliers, and groin-vaulted ceilings. The property also includes a four-story tower guesthouse with a spiral staircase leading from a living area to a top-floor bedroom with ocean views.
A fountain-adorned motor court leads to the grand entry foyer, which opens into a central hallway with black-and-white marble floors, a rib-vaulted ceiling, and French doors leading to a red brick terrace beside a sculpture-flanked pool. Inside, the formal living room features a fireplace and green-trimmed French doors to a balcony, while the gourmet kitchen includes an eat-in island, top-tier appliances, a butler’s pantry, and a breakfast nook. The formal dining room has checkered marble floors, and the wood-paneled library/office adds to the luxury. The master suite boasts a fireplace, sitting area, dual walk-in closets, and baths. The meticulously landscaped grounds include rose gardens, olive trees, an orchard, a tennis court, and a four-car garage.
