Villa Tragara is listed for $35 million.
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Odds are, you’ve never heard of Kinka Usher. Broadway’s Kinky Boots and R&B crooner Usher, maybe. But not Kinka Usher.
Villa Tragara is inspired by Spain’s Alhambra palace.
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He’s the man behind the scenes, a man of “action”—the director of celebrated TV commercials for Taco Bell, Nike, Hallmark, Pepsi, Got Milk?, even prominent Super Bowl spots.
The home blends Moorish, Spanish and Italianate architecture.
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Usher’s also owner of Villa Tragara, the most eclectic listing in Montecito, California—metro Santa Barbara’s celebrity-rich coastal enclave and home of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, and other celebrities.
The estate sits high on a hillside.
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Inspired by Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, Villa Tragara is a striking fusion of Moorish, Spanish and Italianate architecture. It’s listed for $35 million by well-known celebrity agent Billy Rose, founder and president of The Agency.
The home boasts Corinthian columns and floor-to-ceiling windows.
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The extraordinary four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa recalls another time and place, like a Moorish monarch’s palace from the 13th century (except situated on a picturesque hillside in affluent Montecito). Like a mirage, it arouses double takes. But Villa Tragara isn’t misplaced at all here. It’s exactly where it needs to be (unique as it is)—ready for new ownership on the luxury real estate market. It’s not Andalusia, Spain but it might as well be.
The grand rotunda entrance is decorated with a carved marble fountain that leads to a central groin-vaulted colonnade.
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“Over the years, I’ve seen many incredible homes around the world, and 848 Hot Springs Road is among my absolute favorites,” says Rose.
The home is owned by award-winning director Kinka Usher, who displays his precious collectibles in the expansive home.
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Spanning more than 11,947 square feet, the residence is nearly as majestic as Alhambra (“The Red One”)—regal, monumental and audacious. Perched high like a fortress on a landscape of mountains and lush, immaculate grounds, the panoramic mansion soaks up sun and dramatic ocean vistas from every vantage point, like all the great ancient palaces.
The grand rotunda entrance is decorated with a carved marble fountain.
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Stacked hedges and manicured trees virtually guard the villa like in-formation soldiers defending both sides of ascending steps. Like Alhambra it emits a reddish clay hue.
Outdoor spaces offer a pool, sports and 16-seat covered pergola.
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“My favorite aspect is the unique and visionary architecture, designed as if the home was [refined] over the generations by different cultures—giving rise to the three different, but complementary, architectural styles,” says Rose.
Japanese pavilion over a koi pond
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Built in 2014 by MG Partners, the villa fuses Old World architecture (and antiques) with luxurious modern amenities. The gated 2.5-acre estate boasts a tree-lined driveway, olive orchard, 90,000-gallon swimming pond, a heated pool, bocce and pickle ball courts, waterfalls, fire pit, and a grand lawn for entertaining guests.
Villa Tragara spans 2.5 acres on a 106,000-square-foot plot.
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Al fresco dining is indulged in the 16-seat covered pergola (with outdoor kitchen, pizza oven and barbecue) or in the Japanese pavilion that floats above a koi pond. A spring-fed well and 12,000-gallon cistern furnish the property with ample water.
The eclectic home has 11,947 square feet of living space.
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Interiors are designed for shock and awe. The residence includes two master suites, one with walls of glass on three sides, an expansive terrace and a hammam-inspired bathroom. An attached guest house boasts a living room, kitchen and a bedroom suite.
The villa has two master suites, one with an expansive terrace and walls of glass.
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The estate’s technology includes discreet Crestron automation, geothermal cooling, radiant heating and a home theater with DLP cinema projector surround sound. There’s also a large garage with luxury car lifts.
Bathroom suite
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The grand rotunda entrance is decorated with a carved marble fountain that leads to a central groin-vaulted colonnade with radiant-heat flooring and antique tiles. If you’re wondering what “groin vaulted” means, just know it’s really complex and fancy.
Wood-coffered ceilings in the exotic library
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Near a wood-coffered library, the double-height living room with intricate detailing awaits. To call it a great room is an understatement. It features towering Corinthian columns, glass-and-steel doors, and floor-to-ceiling windows on three exposures with ocean views.
Restaurant-grade professional kitchen
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The dining room overlooks the koi pond while the restaurant-grade demonstration kitchen offers professional chef equipment—a rotisserie, a Bonnet Range with grill, plancha and French top. This was all apropos for Usher, a former sous chef.
The dining area overlooks the koi pond.
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Usher was born in France, but raised in Italy and Santa Barbara—so he’s been a local throughout his life and career. In 1998, Usher won the Director’s Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing of Commercials. He’s won eight Clio Awards, five ACIP Awards, and nine Cannes Lions (gold, silver and bronze for creative advertising), which are proudly displayed in the home.
Director Kinka Usher on location in Rome. (Theo Wargo/WireImage)
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The estate is also decorated with folk art collected from Usher’s career travels—African masks, wooden boats, and a bowling ball from his only directed feature film, Mystery Men, a comic book-themed cult movie starring Ben Stiller, Greg Kinnear, William H. Macy, and Hank Azaria.
The estate is enveloped by nature—gardens, olive trees, waterfalls and the 90,000-gallon pond.
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Now Usher is moving on to new home base—Capri, where he owns “perhaps the best villa” on the island, says Rose. But Kinka Usher has left his mark in his adopted hometown of Montecito, like a TV commercial king abdicating his grand throne—an architectural marvel.
The 2.5-acre estate overlooks an olive orchard and the Pacific Ocean.
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“With its thoughtful and unique architecture, masterful craftsmanship, extraordinary views and stellar location, you can tell that every detail—both decorative and functional—was thoughtfully considered and carefully curated,” says Rose. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and probably never will again.”