A Question of Balance

One life in two worlds – Catherine Blagden and her wife Mary Ricks have done what many only dream of. They left the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles for the coastal community of Montecito, California. After uprooting their lives, the two women had to tackle the question of how to maintain their connection to both urban and coastal life – and how to rediscover themselves. The answer: it’s all a question of balance.

For the couple, both of whom are in their fifties, the move to Montecito was much more a return than a retreat. Blagden’s great-grandparents moved to Montecito from New York City in the late 19th century, and her grandmother was born here. Ricks’ grandparents lived here when she was little.

Rather than escaping the big city, they were returning to their roots. For Blagden, who has always felt connected to nature, this is true in more ways than one. Because she’s a winemaker and the founder of Blagden Wines, nature also plays a role in her professional life. “Just like my love of nature, community and social interaction have always been a part of my life,” she explains. “So I wanted to make a natural product that helps people connect.” Blagden is now going one step further by focusing her organic cultivation on biodynamic production: with a method based on lunar cycles and clean, sustainable cultivation practices.

On the surface, Ricks’ career couldn’t be more different. As president of a global real estate firm, she’s more concerned with growth in the building sector than in the vineyard. While transactions and market observation are a part of her everyday life, Ricks’ true strengths lie in design. When it comes to properties, she’s more interested in light, aesthetics, and a harmonious environment. According to Ricks, all these aspects combined form “the soul of a space” and expose its true identity.

“We needed to be in a place where we could rediscover ourselves.”

Mary Ricks

When it came to choosing their private home, their areas of expertise played a key role in the decision. “The house has provided a place of peace,” says real estate expert Ricks. They’ve been slowly renovating their new home, which is just steps from the Pacific Ocean.

While Blagden and Ricks work in different worlds, they’ve managed to bring them together on a personal level. “A harmony of contrasts is a very good description of us,” says Blagden, smiling. “Our values and interests are the same, but we’re totally different people.” A statement that extends to the garage located behind the house. The couple share a passion for driving – especially when it comes to Porsche. Shortly after moving to the California coast, they purchased their first air-cooled 911 – a 1996 Coupé, type 993, in Midnight Blue Metallic. Blagden enjoys driving the 911 to her vineyard in nearby Santa Ynez. The winding roads and noticeable change in elevation have a calming effect on the winemaker.

“We’re now more in tune with the nature around us – and with each other.”

Catherine Blagden

While it used to be the other way around, moments like these now represent a departure from their quiet life in Montecito. “We’ve definitely become more mellow, more in tune with the nature around us,” explains Blagden. “But more importantly, more in tune with ourselves as a family.” As the couple relaxes in the backyard after a long day, things get a little noisier in the courtyard. Their daughter Arden and her friends are splashing around in the pool and howling with laughter. Active, happy teenagers without a care in the world.

The family may have found their ideal solution here for reconciling differences: hustle and calm, internal combustion engines and electric motors, social and family life. A small, shared cosmos, a way of life – with an understanding of the contrasts that make life so special.