Home of the Week: Tuscan villa in Montecito

"We killed 250 rats here the first week after closing. That was the start of a massive transformation of the Tuscan villa. Saladino spent the next four years and "millions and millions" of dollars designing, reconstructing and restoring the home and surrounding gardens."

"He renewed the roof using 14,000 18th century Italian terracotta tiles; installed new doors and windows throughout; threaded wiring through the original massive stone walls for state-of-the-art communications, electrical equipment and security; and renewed the plumbing, heating and drainage."

"The two-story villa was built in the late 1920s from locally quarried stone. Its quarter-mile driveway begins at 18th century Spanish wrought iron gates and winds through olive and eucalyptus trees to an entrance flanked by antique Venetian statues."

John Saladino, a renowned architect and interior designer, purchased a Tuscan villa in Montecito that had fallen into severe disrepair. Built in the late 1920s from locally quarried stone, the property required comprehensive restoration including a new roof using 14,000 18th-century Italian terracotta tiles, new doors and windows, updated plumbing, heating, and drainage systems. Saladino integrated modern amenities such as state-of-the-art communications, electrical equipment, and security systems throughout the original stone walls. The four-year project transformed the villa into a sophisticated residence featuring an 800-square-foot living room, dining room, library, high-tech kitchen, office suite, and multiple en suite bedrooms, all while maintaining the property's historic Tuscan character and surrounding gardens.

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