Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
A one-of-a-kind property in Santa Barbara, known simply as the “Whale House,” is for sale.
Listed at $3.25 million, this distinctive Mission Canyon home was custom-built in 1978 and features a whale-shaped design inspired by Herman Melville’s famous novel “Moby-Dick.”
Designed by architect Michael Carmichael, the four-story Whale House resembles a whale swallowing a ship, with its entrance located through the mouth of the creature. The interior courtyard boasts a bamboo-lined outdoor shower, and the highlight of the property is a 75-foot lap pool that flows into a grotto within the whale’s tail. Additionally, a detached guest house can be found in the tail section.
(Photo: Scott Gibson for Sotheby’s International Realty)
The Whale House offers a range of unique features inside, including a spiral staircase, rock-covered elevator shaft, 270 Belgian leaded and stained glass windows, and undulating walls of Venetian plaster. The residence comprises three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining rooms on the second floor, and a primary suite with a jetted spa tub, sitting area, and balcony overlooking the pool on the third floor.
With cedar shingling on the exterior, the Whale House seamlessly blends in with its natural surroundings of oak and sycamore trees. A front patio enhances outdoor space and relaxation.
The entire property is described as a “pure hand-made artisan and architectural genius” in the Airbnb listing, which lists for about $1,500 per night.
The Whale House is listed by Daniel Carpenter from Sotheby’s International Realty – Montecito – Coast Village Road Brokerage.
Whether someone is drawn to the charm of Moby-Dick or simply seeks a delightful and quirky dwelling, the Whale House will surely provide a whale of a time.
The full listing can be seen here.
Photo: Scott Gibson for Sotheby’s International Realty)(
