Returning from the East Coast, the owners of the Llano Road House came to California with the desire to build a home that blended into Santa Barbara’s Mediterranean environment. They envisioned a house with a traditional exterior, but whose interiors were spare and sleek, reminiscent of a modern, New York loft.

The four-bedroom home occupies a south-facing view lot in Hope Ranch, a suburb of Santa Barbara characterized by narrow winding roads, horse paths and native oak trees. The three-acre grounds are carefully planted with native flora, designed to stitch the grounds into the surrounding landscape, but which also strategically conceal a solar panel array. An organically shaped infinity pool and outdoor deck are carefully carved out of the sloping topography, creating a viewing terrace overlooking the canyon.

One enters the property from the east by way of a measured motor court, with an elegant fountain and simple plantings, while an exotic, wrought iron entrance door marks the otherwise chaste entry. Once inside, the spaces are an unexpected contrast of modern sensibilities and open minimalism. This home’s romantic shell reveals no secrets about its rational interior.

The foyer opens into a single, great space comprising the living, dining, and kitchen activities. Rustic, wide-plank grey hickory floors, as well as rough-hewn natural wood ceiling beams provide contrast to the “all-white” interior and modern architectural features. Large, pocket mahogany sliding doors further expand the living space, linking the living room to the pool terrace with its sensuous flush water edge—emotionally reaching out to the distant blue Los Padres Mountains.

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