VIEW ΡΟIΝΤ

A major remodel by Harrison Design brings an outdated Montecito home up to par with its magnificent ocean and mountain views.

- JANICE RANDALL ROHLF

Anthony Grumbine, senior principal architect at Harrison Design, likens the process of remodeling a 1960s pseudo Mediterranean style house in Santa Barbara to pulling a thread on a sweater and watching the whole thing unravel. “As we opened up the house layer by layer, we found that it was in a lot worse shape than we originally thought, and the project mushroomed,” he says. “There was really nothing that we felt warranted saving.”

The poor condition of the house— antiquated infrastructure, outmoded aesthetics, and ill-advised upgrades—were actually a blessing in disguise. “Because it was in such bad shape, we were able to do the beautiful things we wanted to do,” Grumbine shares. “Officially, it was a remodel, but in the end, it was the equivalent of rebuilding the whole house,” which was taken down to the studs and rebuilt with all new doors, windows, roof tiles, eaves, and cornices, among myriad other elements large and small.

Located in Montecito, just north of downtown Santa Barbara, the house had one critical saving grace: the view. Nowhere else in the area offers such a wide-ranging perspective of the entire cityscape and beyond, with unsurpassed views of downtown Santa Barbara, the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands. This house is unique in that it also has views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. “Not many properties have both, especially not so close to the ocean,” explains Grumbine. Previously, the best views were blocked by walls and oddly placed small windows.