These days, curb appeal is much more than a property’s attractiveness to a potential buyer. On or off the market, a good look from the street is the ultimate welcome mat for owners returning from a trip or even a long day at work, and also a warm invitation for their guests to make themselves at home. For any custom build or remodel, details make all the difference. Inside, countless features can be personalized for specific tastes. But the finer points are also very important out front, where a properly designed home blends with its neighborhood and stands out as one of a kind.
SUMMERLAND MIXED USE: Working closely with two clients with differing tastes and budgets, this mixed-use commercial project was handled as all-new construction across a pair adjoining lots on a Summerland hillside. ADA-compliant businesses occupy the ground floor, accessible via the main road through town, while the second levels feature cottage apartments with their own driveways and principal access from the backstreet. Architecture by Shubin Donaldson.EVERYDAY CHARM ON THE MESA: This extensive remodel opened up the home with easy connections between levels and across living spaces without departing from the curbside character of the surrounding Mesa neighborhood. Inside, modern upgrades and conveniences blend with refinished original charms — such as oak flooring throughout. A personal Shangri-La on the back patio welcomes quiet unwinding at day’s end.SAN ROQUE TUDOR: Purchased as a getaway in Santa Barbara’s San Roque neighborhood, its new owners enjoyed the intimate 1,600-square-foot floor plan but wanted to give the property their own touch inside and out. To restore much of the home’s 1930s detail, there’s new lighting and doors throughout and refurbished window frames and hardware in the bathrooms. Living room highlights include the restoration of the original brick fireplace and the overhead Douglas fir beams and gables.SANTA BARBARA + TAOS: This complete transformation by architect Hugh Twibill stripped down the existing hodgepodge home to its barest bones before resurrecting it with the soft corners and earthy tones of distinct Southwest stylings, including a flagstone approach. On the ground floor, the owners expanded the attached garage and added two guest bedrooms and a bathroom. Upstairs, an all-new primary suite opens to an airy kitchen and living/dining area with a big balcony to an ocean view.
