Renovating an architecturally significant home can present both challenges and opportunities. For a young couple in Montecito, it was important to celebrate the originality of their new home, which was designed in the 1960s in the Japonaise style by architect Lutah Maria Riggs.
However, it was equally important that they update the entire property to suit their modern lifestyle. The couple, both natives of Santa Barbara, hired Ryan Brown and Diego Monchamp of Brown Design Group in Los Angeles to revitalize the post-and-beam, at-roof home with their signature vintage meets contemporary style.
The design duo transformed a majority of the home, including a complete overhaul of the kitchen, by combining two rooms after removing an original brick wall. “The goal was to create an open-plan kitchen that provided an intimate cooking space while offering a more accessible entertaining space,” says Brown. The result is a long modern kitchen that offers a few different areas for entertaining.
A larger island, designed for dining, was placed in the corner of the kitchen that opens to the backyard, while a smaller prep island sits near the hub of the kitchen, surrounded by perch stools so the cook can easily engage with guests.
