The 6 best homes of the year
Featuring an organic-designed home in Santa Barbara and a garden-to-table kitchen in Big Sur
Santa Barbara, California
Michael Carmichael designed the Whale House as an undulating, organic work of art. The 1978 three-bedroom, cedar-shingled home features Venetian plaster, cedar, and stone interiors; 270 Belgian leaded and stained-glass windows; log beams; rock fireplaces; and a 75-foot lap pool flowing through a wood-clad tunnel into a grotto-like interior courtyard.
The courtyard, shaded by oaks and sycamores, includes a bamboo-lined shower and a guesthouse. $3,250,000. Daniel Carpenter, Sotheby’s International Realty, (805) 770-0889.
Status: On the market.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Set in historic Chestnut Hill, this 1925 restored Colonial Revival is walking distance from dining and galleries and near the arboretum. The four-bedroom house has a Federal-style staircase; multiple fireplaces; a chef’s kitchen with herringbone-tile floors, 11-foot island, and walk-in pantry; a freestanding solarium; and living and dining rooms with French doors leading outside.
The yard includes a covered patio and large lawn ringed by mature trees. $2,295,000. Ryan Cortez, Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty, (215) 800-6874.
Status: Sold.
Bronxville, New York
Terry Manor, a 1935 five-bedroom Tudor, was designed by Lewis Bowman. The stone, brick, and timber–faced house, updated with smart technology, features leaded-glass windows, stained-glass insets, a wrought-iron staircase, custom cabinetry, a living room with Cuban mahogany paneling and carved fireplace, a chef’s kitchen, and a primary suite with a black granite soaker tub and sauna.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The landscaped lot has lawns, a wraparound slate terrace, and a saltwater pool. $5,195,000. Susan Kelty Law, Houlihan Lawrence Bronxville, (914) 659-5856.
Status: On the market.
Denver, Colorado
This multilevel, four-bedroom condo is in a 1911 loft building on a quiet cul-de-sac near the river, Union Station, Coors Field, the arts district, and downtown. The home has vaulted ceilings; exposed beams, posts, and brick; a three-story atrium; a chef’s kitchen with a concrete island; a rec room with a climbing wall; a media room; a wine cellar; and guest quarters.
Off the living room is a large brick patio with a firepit. $2,495,000. Matt McNeill, Kentwood Real Estate City Properties/Luxury Portfolio International, (303) 949-9889.
Status: Sold.
Big Sur, California
Casa Luna is a glass-walled Mediterranean-style home designed by Mickey Muennig. The 1982 three-level, four-bedroom house features a living room with exposed trusses, stone floors, and column fireplace; a garden-to-table kitchen;
and a glass-faced primary suite with fireplace, all with panoramic mountain and ocean views.
The 5-acre property has sweeping steps, flagstone paths, raised gardens, patios and a detached art studio; the beach is a 10-minute drive. $5,850,000. Ben Heinrich, Coldwell Banker Realty, (831) 915-7415.
Status: On the market.
Asheville, North Carolina
This two-story, three-bedroom blue house with butterfly roof and yellow-accent door stands on a peaceful non-through street in West Asheville. The three-bedroom 2020 home has an open layout, wood floors, stainless kitchen appliances, main-level primary suite, and upstairs bedrooms and office.
Outside are a front lawn with potential garden beds, fenced backyard, and screened back porch with views of mature trees; shops and restaurants are walking distance. $539,000. Ann Roth, Keller Williams Professionals, (828) 254-7253.
Status: Sold.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care system
In the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
Cider farms to visit this autumn
The Week Recommends With harvest season fast approaching, spend an afternoon at one of these idyllic orchards
-
Endangered shark meat is being mislabeled and sold in the US
Under the radar It could cause both health and ecological problems
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful north
The Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – a ‘comfort’ watch for fans
The Week Recommends The final film of the franchise gives viewers a chance to say goodbye
-
The Paper: new show, same 'warmth and goofiness'
The Week Recommends This spin-off of the American version of The Office is ‘comfortingly and wearyingly familiar’
-
Rachel Jones: Gated Canyons – ‘riotously colourful’ works from an ‘exhilarating’ painter
The Week Recommends The 34-year-old is the first artist to take over Dulwich Picture Gallery’s main space
-
Born With Teeth: ‘mischievously provocative’ play starring Ncuti Gatwa
The Week Recommends ‘Sprightly’ production from Liz Duffy Adams imagines the relationship between Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe
-
Art review: Lorna Simpson: Source Notes
Feature Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, through Nov. 2
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more