The West Coast’s Graceland

On the mountain of a small community between Ventura’s beaches and Ojai’s mountains, a country rock star built his refuge. In the early 1960s, Johnny Cash was burning up the music charts and kick-starting his movie career. It turned out the big screen wasn’t a good fit for him, so he kept his day job. The Arkansas native who was used to big country living needed a West Coast address where he could stretch out on the land, and he found the perfect place just over an hour’s drive from Pasadena.

“If you blink, you miss Casita Springs,” says Cindy Cash of the small community where her famous dad designed and built a 5,000-square-foot home to unwind with first wife Vivian Cash and their four daughters.

But as the story goes, sometimes stardom gets in the way of domestic bliss. Following the breakup of Cash’s 13-year marriage, the house faded from public consciousness until 2022 when longtime Ojai residents and self-described property creatives Lisa and Jerry Kenton, bought it and restored it to the music legend’s specifications.

Today, the Johnny Cash Ranch stands as a testament to the Man in Black’s enduring legacy — a West Coast Graceland filled with memorabilia including a black hand towel embroidered with the initials JC. According to Vivian Cash's memoir, the singer penned "Ring of Fire" in the office, which now showcases his harmonica.

Unlike traditional museums, Johnny Cash Ranch offers the opportunity to experience history firsthand. Guests can book a tour or a short-term stay through the Kenton’s Enchanted Vacation Rentals or Airbnb and walk in the music legend’s historical footsteps. In Los Angeles and its environs, it’s easy to market a home as a place where a celebrity once rested but left no trace. At the ranch, Cash’s spirit permeates the walls.

The five-bedroom house is a time capsule, says Alicia Beaty, an interior designer who collaborated with Lisa Kenton and Cindy Cash —the de facto historical consultant —to get the home ready for guests. “It’s eclectic,” says Beaty. “Mid-century modern, Western with rock and roll, and a little glam.”

The formal living room’s picture windows frame a panoramic view of the mountains and a row of towering cypress trees that, according to Cindy Cash, her famous father planted.

The heart of the house is the den, a Western-style man cave with original knotty pine wall paneling, hand-carved wood ceiling beams, and wagon wheel chandeliers commissioned by Vivian Cash. It was in this room that during Christmas, according to Cindy Cash, her father would stamp his boots in the ashes of the fireplace to make a trail of Santa Claus footprints.

The goal throughout the home was to replicate and elevate Cash’s style — from side tables crafted from curvy guitars to a gold eagle fixture overlooking the game room’s newly restored gold glitter floor. It turns out the Man in Black really liked glitter.

Even the master bedroom, a decidedly masculine domain with a black-on-black motif to match Cash’s signature sartorial style, has a glittery popcorn ceiling. It was the way he liked it. To bring back the look, the Kentons hired a team of artists to recreate the texture and blow glitter on the ceilings.

“We looked like strippers for about five weeks,” says Lisa Kenton.

The pink bedroom — once shared by Cindy and her younger sister Tara Cash — exudes soft, giggly femininity. During his recent visit to the ranch, the pink room’s charm made “Dune” actor Josh Brolin gasp at its proximity to the backyard pool and outdoor bar, which he shared in an Instagram post. The wood structure the Cash children once used as a playhouse now houses beer taps. Yes, the ranch’s amenities signal a good time. The Kentons want to share the Cash ranch with old and new fans. “I think that house was built because of love,” says Lisa Kenton. “I'm kind of taking it back to its original purpose.”

For Angelenos, Ojai’s bohemian small-town and outdoorsy appeal makes it a popular getaway. “Shrinking” star Jason Segal splits time between Ojai and South Pasadena. Now the Cash ranch can be another reason to visit the area.

A little window from the kitchen spills light into the den — Vivian Cash’s choice, her daughter confirmed, so she could watch her kids. Only a mom knows. “You can see my mom all over that house,” says Cindy Cash.

Many of Cash’s earthly possessions are enshrined in his Nashville museum, but the Casitas Springs home is where the past lives on. It’s Cindy Cash’s childhood home. “Anyone that goes there can feel our family,” she says. “And they will see a side of Dad that they will never see anywhere else in the world.”

To book a tour or a short-term stay: enchantedvacationrentals.com