Actress Kathleen McClellan Lists Her Montecito Mansion For $19.995 Million

The Mediterranean mansion was inspired by local landmarks and owner Kathleen McClellan’s childhood. Set on close to two acres with ocean, island and mountain views, this Mediterranean mansion in a wealthy enclave of Santa Barbara, California, has several claims to fame.

It’s been the personal residence and restoration project of actress-writer-producer Kathleen McClellan, whose credits include “For Better or for Worse,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and a stint on “Seinfeld” as Jerry’s naked girlfriend, Melissa.

The guesthouse was the backdrop for the 2019 award-winning film “Rattlesnakes,” in which she starred.

And it’s been an exemplary representative of the neighborhood – in keeping with the historic architecture and scale of storied estates in Montecito’s celebrity-popular Golden Quadrangle. Views from the estate, in Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle, stretch to the ocean. Now, the 11,740-square-foot mansion is for sale.

McClellan, who describes herself as a “very private” person, built the home for her family to enjoy and as a place to entertain.

“Now,” she says, “I finally get to be public about it and share.”

The multi-talented actress bought the property in 2011. “This house reminded me of the home I grew up in, with hints of Spanish Revival and a wraparound porch,” she says. “It felt like home.” McClellan outfitted the swimming pool with underwater speakers. But McClellan soon realized that she needed to entirely redo the house.

“Being a perfectionist, I took it down to the studs,” she says. “I have tunnel vision when I get into a project.”

For McClellan, design is “almost a sixth sense.” She spent her childhood visiting houses, restoring homes, picking up materials and meeting vendors with her mother, who had a design business. “I’m like a sponge,” she says. The experience ignited a passion.

She hired architect Anthony Grumbine of Harrison Design with the goal of creating a house that looks like it grew from the ground. “I go by instinct, but I wanted to do it correctly. I would come up with my ideas and run them by him.” The “Rattlesnakes” star designed the front door surround, which was then carved in stone. She envisioned a front door surround based on that of her childhood home, and the architect brought the ornate carved-stone structure to life.

From 2012-14, she worked with Giffen & Crane General Contractors to see the project to fruition. No wall was left untouched.

For inspiration, McClellan drew on what she loves about Santa Barbara. She was influenced by the tranquil San Ysidro Ranch and nearby Lotusland. The tennis court has a rock wall that reminds her of boulders her son played on at a local beach.

A quatrefoil tile mosaic in the bottom of the swimming pool pays homage to the inhabitants of the land ages ago. “If you dive down, you can see a bear and a wolf in the mosaic.”The arched doorways and extensive tile work draw from more recent history.For the floors, the appearance she was after was old, organic, authentic. “I wanted it to look like the Santa Barbara Mission,” she says, as though the […]

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