This Santa Barbara Mediterranean Estate Offers a Different Kind of Lake House Lifestyle

I remember watching this awe-inspiring Santa Barbara Mediterranean estate take shape. It’s been a favorite of mine for years.

Rarely do we see a White Rock Lake mansion on the market because people tend to stay put here for quite a while. After all, where can you live the serene lake life and be minutes from downtown Dallas?

The Draw of Dallas’ White Rock Lake

If you’ve explored Dallas neighborhoods, you know there are a limited number of homes facing White Rock Lake. Although it’s a neighborhood of mansions and very visible to the public, there is a unique sense of privacy here.

The neighborhood has many statement homes, including Mount Vernon, where legendary oilman H.L. Hunt lived for 60 years. The series “Queen of the South” was filmed at the Tuscan estate at 4636 Chapel Hill. Leon Banowetz, President and Executive Creative Director of Banowetz + Co. Inc., the company responsible for all of those extraordinary North Park billboards and countless branding and advertising for clients like Stephen Pyles, Stanley Korshak, and Kim Dawson, has lived in a home on the lake since 2007.

“We love living at the lake with great walking, running, biking, boating, and other outdoor activities at our doorstep,” Banowetz said. “We have big yards, incredible views, and a wonderful group of neighbors in the Shore Acres community. Many people don’t realize it, but White Rock Lake is the largest urban lake in the United States, so we are lucky to have such a beautiful lake in our city.”

So, it’s evident that this is a great neighborhood, and this house has all you could ever want or need.

Designed to Perfection

Architect David Stocker, principal with SHM Architects, designed the Santa Barbara Mediterranean with Ellerman Homes as the builder.

“It has such a beautiful view of the lake,” Stocker said. “Everything we did was to dramatize that incredible view from the windows and the front terraces. We have always been very proud of the house. D Home Magazine selected it as one of their 10 Most Beautiful New Homes in Dallas in 2010.”

“The estate is built as a compound, on 1.1 acres, with over 10,000 square feet between two homes,” Compass Real Estate’s listing agent Becky Frey said. “There is amazing natural light and extraordinary wall space for art collectors.”

The main house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, four powder baths, a glass-enclosed wine room, a 12- person theater, and a gym. The guest house has a full kitchen, screened porch, and a separate driveway.

Room to Enjoy The Outdoors

White Rock Lake estates have sizable acreage, and you seldom find that the houses are built to an extreme. Instead, people have thoughtfully chosen to create a sympathetic relationship between their land and home, as with this Santa Barbara Mediterranean.

The owners have not only the enormous front yard winding down to the lake but also a luxurious backyard with a pool, three fire pits, a pizza oven, and an outdoor shower. 

Compass Real Estate’s Becky Frey has this grand Santa Barbara-style Mediterranean estate at 3515 W. Lawther listed for $7.995 million. It’s worth every penny.