Houzz Tours
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Houzz Tour: A Stunning Family Home With A Holiday Feel in California
An ambitious renovation makes the most of this home’s best asset – the wonderful views
Lauri and Mike Hamer initially hired Lori Smyth for a pool installation, but what started as a small project soon evolved into a full home renovation. ‘This massive fireplace obstructed so much of their view – it had to go,’ Smyth says. ‘If they had kept it, they would have had this gorgeous pool that nobody could appreciate from inside, not to mention that there wouldn’t have been a great way to get to the pool from the house. A light bulb had gone off in them as well; they understood that the outdoors needed to be pulled into the home and that the problem was bigger than the pool installation.’
Despite a wildfire that almost derailed the project, the Hamers, Smyth and her team forged on. ‘What’s fantastic is that we didn’t have to change the footprint of the home,’ says Smyth.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Mike and Lauri Hamer and their kids, Zach and Chloe
Location Santa Barbara, California
Designer Lori Smyth Design
That’s interesting Lauri’s father, Fred Glenwinkel, built this home
Despite a wildfire that almost derailed the project, the Hamers, Smyth and her team forged on. ‘What’s fantastic is that we didn’t have to change the footprint of the home,’ says Smyth.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Mike and Lauri Hamer and their kids, Zach and Chloe
Location Santa Barbara, California
Designer Lori Smyth Design
That’s interesting Lauri’s father, Fred Glenwinkel, built this home
A wraparound deck and one of two outdoor living rooms give views of the foothills and the Pacific. ‘The original house had this little deck, with a little door, that was hanging off the mountain,’ says Smyth. ‘The land around it was a big weed field on a hill. This renovation really makes the home’s design more current and reflective of the family living in the house today.’
Split-level steps lead to a formal dining room, where glass windows and non-obscuring balcony banisters let in plenty of light.
Sofas: Ferla
Sofas: Ferla
The glossy, contemporary kitchen works hard for a family that entertains often. A walnut island base and hardwood floors warm up the space, which also has a sleek white lacquer bar area and a stainless steel island worktop. ‘Mike and Lauri love contemporary style, but they didn’t want a home that felt cold and aloof,’ Smyth says. ‘We really worked hard to evoke the family’s warmth and openness in the home’s design.’
Island and bar top design: Lori Smyth Design and BoMo Design; bar stools: Soluzioni; splashback: Walker Zanger (discontinued)
Island and bar top design: Lori Smyth Design and BoMo Design; bar stools: Soluzioni; splashback: Walker Zanger (discontinued)
Smyth and her team ripped out the staircase from an enclosed wall and redid it entirely with glass panels that expose the structure. A picture of Chloe in three sections fills part of a wall.
‘Being in the house is almost like a spa experience,’ Smyth says. You feel relaxed and you want to be there because it’s so cosy. Rooms just flow into each other and although you’re indoors, you always feel connected to the views and the living spaces outside.’
Bookcase: Lori Smyth Design (concept) and BoMo Design (drawings and execution); sofa: B&B Italia; chair: Vioski
Bookcase: Lori Smyth Design (concept) and BoMo Design (drawings and execution); sofa: B&B Italia; chair: Vioski
Zach’s room expresses his creativity and musical inclinations without feeling too kitsch: an electric keyboard leans against a Bob Marley poster, and an electrical guitar and a yellow chair are within arm’s distance of each other.
The clients realised that, as the kids got older, they were spending less time at home, so they turned what had been a two-car garage into a games room. Before the renovation, Smyth says that Lauri lamented over how the kids spent more and more time away from the house. ‘She wanted a home that the kids wanted to bring their friends to. And now the kids love staying home and having their friends over.’
The outdoor kitchen and cement fire pit area extend the living spaces to the surrounding space – fitting for a family with roots in the area. You feel like you’re on holiday the moment you arrive. ‘So few of the homes in Santa Barbara have been updated,’ Smyth says. ‘It’s known as the mecca for Spanish colonial homes and architecture, so there aren’t many homes that look and feel this open and current.’
Architect John Beauchamp
Contractor BoMo Design
Landscape Design Lane Goodkind
Landscape construction Stonetree Landscape
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Architect John Beauchamp
Contractor BoMo Design
Landscape Design Lane Goodkind
Landscape construction Stonetree Landscape
Liked this? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Landscape Design: Lane Goodkind; Landscape Contruction: Stonetree Landscape
Tour a home in California with floor-to-ceiling glasswork