Riviera Revival

A charming 1948 Spanish-Mediterranean home with vivid Santa Barbara hilltop views is faithfully renewed for the 21st century.

Written by Constance Dunn

“Much of the house had quirky things going on in terms of layout,” says Nick Holman, senior superintendent at Allen Construction. “It needed a good overhaul, that’s for sure.” He’s describing the 5-bedroom Riviera residence the construction firm meticulously transformed into an ultra-comfortable modern home where sunny family spaces and epic coastal views reign in the midst of authentic postwar charm, circa 1948. And in just under 8 months.

 The team—consisting of Holman, who helmed the project for Allen Construction, working with architect firm Wade Davis Designs and interior designer Joyce Downing Pickens—started at the main entrance. “We changed the entire entry staircase,” describes Holman. The whole south side of the 3,546-square-foot residence was smartly exposed to unbridled views of the city, mountains and harbor via a wall of French doors that effectively enjoined the sculpted green lawn with the main living spaces.

“It opens up the house to more of an indoor-outdoor floorplan,” Holman explains, “and takes advantage of the south-facing light the house gets throughout most of the day.” More exposure to the treasured natural environment ensued. A new deck was fashioned off the primary bedroom, creating a source of natural light to stream across newly refreshed oak floors and beckon you into fresh air and water views first thing in the morning. “It looks at the center of the harbor,” says Holman of the uplifting perspective. An additional terrace was built adjacent to the dining room, and while lounging in the living room over ocean views, you can step onto a new stone patio with pergola overhead that functions as an extension of the room itself, with clean cut flagstone floors and an earthy bamboo roof.

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“Much of the house had quirky things going on in terms of layout. It needed a good overhaul, that’s for sure.”

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Throughout the property, the team enhanced spaces with a flurry of refinements, always faithful to the mellow elegance that is native to the Spanish Mediterranean style home. From reconfiguring the kitchen, adding new cabinets as well as countertops made of soapstone and Calacatta Caldia marble in the process; to completely remodeling all of the bathrooms, adding a new powder room with quaint finishes to seamlessly blend with longstanding spaces. Arched openings leading from room to room were introduced, as were 13 hearty antique wood beams placed along ceilings in main living spaces.

 Reclaimed and rustic, these hand-hewn beams were sourced from the Midwest. With shipping delays, they were a source of consternation given the project’s fixed completion date in September 2021, when the homeowner was scheduled to move in. “That was a big challenge for us as far as not knowing when the beams would arrive,” recounts Holman. Arriving just in time, installation of the beams took two full weeks, with the home’s resulting aesthetic more earthy and romantic than previously.

“Working with an amazing, goal-oriented team was a pleasure and allowed us to hit that date,” says Holman of the project, completed less than 8 months after its February 2021 start date. It was also Allen Construction’s 40-year streak of working on local residences, many of them well-heeled heritage homes needing careful update, responsible for its success. And yet another integral ingredient—faithfulness to the desires and objectives of client, architect and designer. It’s a chief satisfaction of any project, and neatly summed up by the supervisor of this one: “Being able to understand what their vision is and make it come true,” he reflects. “That’s very gratifying.”

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“Being able to understand what their vision is and make it come true. That’s very gratifying.”

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Allen Construction
(805) 884-8777 | BuildAllen.com