A Whale of an Offering: Whimsical Landmark Home in Santa Barbara on the Market for $3.3M

A wildly imaginative Santa Barbara, CA, home is ready for its next chapter—and you could write it if you’re willing to splash out the $3,250,000 list price.

The Whale House, designed by architect Michael Carmichael in 1978, is nestled among oak and sycamore trees by Mission Creek in Mission Canyon.

The landmark home looks like a whale, covered in undulating cedar shingles, which help the dwelling blend in with its natural surroundings.

Into the whale’s mouth

Right from the entryway, you’ll feel as if you’re stepping inside the whale’s mouth, which might make you a tad uncomfortable if your name is Jonah.

Everyone else will be captivated by three floors full of magical spaces. The captivating interior, made of stone, wood, and glass, is an artistic tour de force.

There are three bedrooms and 3.5 baths in 2,606 square feet of living space, and an equally arresting guesthouse on the premises.

Some of the home’s more interesting features include a spiraling stairwell that opens to the outdoors, a rock-covered elevator shaft, 270 Belgian leaded and stained-glass windows, wavy walls of Venetian plaster, and massive wood columns and beams.

The kitchen features an “under the sea” theme, with decorative rocks and curved walls.

The primary suite comes with a fireplace and a grotto-style spa bathroom paneled with rocks and stained-glass windows.

Inside the belly of the beast, you’ll find a great surprise: an interior courtyard with a bamboo-lined outdoor shower and a partly covered lap pool that flows into a grotto in the whale’s tail.

There are a few rooms that would approach something more standard, though not quite.

This whale of a compound is situated on a half-acre lot not far from Rattlesnake Canyon and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, so there are plenty of opportunities to take long walks and let your imagination flow even more.

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