When initially meeting with clients, it can be challenging to communicate what they are looking for, especially when it comes to something as daunting as designing a fully custom home. These clients faced this same struggle and settled on just pointing us in the general direction of a modern home, citing their love of the Spanish-style houses in Santa Barbara.

They found it easier to express to us how the house would look but how it would make them feel. We gladly took the challenge and immersed ourselves in the feeling of retro Spanish homes and modern estates to further fuel our creativity. We started by exploring the tension between traditional Californian Style and Modern Spanish Abodes to create a home that feels direct yet welcoming.

You see a glimpse of what’s inside through the large front windows, which piques your interest and draws you in, but once you reach the front door, you are greeted with a formal entryway and a long Spanish-style hallway that feels calming yet formal. All qualities we felt mirrored the feel of what our clients had earlier expressed to us.

We had a fantastic time throughout this design process, enjoying each step, but our client’s reaction to the final design made it all worthwhile. With tears in her eyes, our client expressed that she genuinely saw our design as “her home” and that we had successfully captured her idea, which she struggled to explain initially. Seeing her genuine reaction gave us immense fulfillment and reminded us why we do what we do.