Warm Colours & A Hint Of Nautical
Break down the style’s characteristics and you’ll find a homely, relaxed, inviting and even coastal feeling, especially given Santa Barbara’s Cali coast location. The burnt orange, white and navy palette speak to summer sunsets over the sea and homes that stand the test of time and sometimes ravages of nature.
The furniture and decor to complete your very own Spanish style can juxtapose the tougher finishes, but are still hard-wearing by design. Think linen sofa covers, ticking and thick patterned cottons for upholstery, plus hides and natural fibre Oriental-esque rugs underfoot. Brass, ceramic pottery, palms and tropical plants also hint at nautical, and without getting too kitsch, a pineapple stemmed lamp or fringed Turkish towel won’t go unnoticed. Bring in beach scents, a water feature, olive tree or lavender bush and you’ll be expertly layering all the loveliness that this unique style lends.
Direct Links To Quality Spanish Style Home Design Book Furniture And Home Decor
Established in 2012, the Santa Barbara Home Design store page is a helpful guide and resource list to businesses and their websites specializing in Spanish style home design books,products and furnishings.
A quick way for you to access quality products for your Spanish home design, remodel and interior design.
My Design Consult in a Book
is available on Amazon.
As of 7/4/22, 1,375 copies have been purchased.
A big Thank you to each reader who has shared a wonderful review on Amazon. I appreciate you very much! Sincerely, Jeff Doubet
Accents of Salado Located in Salado, Texas. Accents of Salado has an impressive line of Spanish Hacienda style furniture and accessories. They offer both stained and hand painted Hacienda furniture. It’s definitely worth visiting their website.
Demijico Located in Valencia, California. Demijico Authentic Spanish Designs offers a wide selection of Spanish style furniture and accessories. Visit their website to see their line of Spanish Doors, Furniture Collections, and Spanish style Lighting
Romani Designs Located at the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles, California. Romani Designs specializes in Spanish Colonial Revival, Colonial Revival, Tuscan, Mediterranean and Hacienda styles of furniture.
Best Santa Barbara Style
In the later portion of the 1800s, public attitude of the missions started to change. As stated before, Santa Barbara style is about flexibility. The plan incorporates large windows to permit sunlight to enter the spaces. Not one of these designs was built, though, since the county wasnt able to raise money to cover construction. It isnt hard to assume that Mission-style architecture was always a well-loved portion of Californias heritage.
It is possible to relax with a lot of space when you decide to remain in one of our elegant rooms. Although the walls arent made of stone, they seem to be. Public gardens across the country are losing rare specimens because of the overuse of chemicals and pesticides.
Youre able to decorate your bed with various images and patterns to make it appear more attractive. Isabella white sleigh beds are the ideal selection for little girls. The bedroom is a significant portion of your house that demands much consideration whilst designing and renovating the interiors. The third bedroom is presently serving as a mirrored exercise room.
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Bringing The Outdoors In
Home Sweet Houseplant: A Room-by-Room Guide to Plant DecorHouseplants have the ability to instantly elevate the look of your home and add your own special flourishes. This book shows you where and how to begin.
Wild Interiors: Beautiful Plants in Beautiful Spaces A journey in greenery led by the bestselling authors unique eye and love of plants to show you how to create luscious interiors that not only look amazing but are good for your well-being, too.
Nothing can add energy, style, and that essential lived-in-ness to home spaces better than a little bit of green. Chapman shows us where to begin.
Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants A useful guide to selecting and growing plants for your home, including a plant profile quiz.
Handpicked: Simple, Sustainable, and Seasonal Flower ArrangementsOrganized by season, Carozzis book reveals her secrets for creating flower arrangements that are modern, original, and organic in style.
Plaster Stucco & Arches

Textural and architectural details need not just be reserved for new builds or renovations. Achieve these effects at home with the help of professional painter decorators and contractors using quality products, or go DIY on your walls with some great advice from your professional paint store. There’s even customisable wall mural stickers that can achieve the look, but sacrifice the transporting feel of render and the subtle light and shadow it can create.
If your home already has archways and you were looking for a way to love them, this easy to live with design style embraces them beautifully. Similarly, don’t fret if your home lacks the oft-desirable open plan living layout. Of course you can knock out a few walls that feel poky, but Spanish and Mediterranean interiors are masters at creating moments in individual spaces whilst embracing washed white or plastered one colour walls throughout for seamless flow.
“Santa Barbara people are conservative-not like in L.A., where everybody wears rhinestones on their glasses to show that they own an airplane factory.”S. J. Perelman
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Country Home In The Historic Rancho Tajiguas
$29,000,000
This five-bedroom gracefully designed villa accounts for unparalleled opportunities to experience the vibrancy of unspoiled surroundings from 287 grassy acres. Characterized by stone pillars and a shallow roof, this propertys most impressive feature is the private pool that overlooks the crystal blue ocean.
Santa Barbara Home Decor Style Defined
Some cities have a characteristic style that is immediately recognizable. As anyone who has visited or lived there can attest, Santa Barbaras look is both beautiful and distinguished. While the Santa Barbara style is most common is its namesake city, many homeowners and decorators have recreated it elsewhere, bringing Santa Barbara interior design all over the country. You can find some of the most beautifully decorated homes in Santa Barbara and you should be able to identify some similarities among the decorations of Santa Barbara homes.
What Is Santa Barbara Style?
The exterior, Spanish-inspired architecture of the Santa Barbara style is eye-catching and easy to spot. The white walls, arched entryways and tile roofs throughout the city give it a unique charm. Additionally, the use of covered patios and shaded courtyards give many homes interesting and functional shapes. The exterior style is particularly well suited to the warm, sunny climate.
This style is carried indoors with more arched walkways. The white walls are frequently accentuated with exposed wood beams. Frequently, designers will plan indoor/outdoor spaces that flow seamlessly into each other. This tends to make the architecture of both relatively similar. These amazing features of Santa Barbara style of home décor makes it very popular around the country.
Santa Barbara Interior Design
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Jeff Doubet Home Design In Santa Barbara California
One-on-one Design and Consultant Services Learn how to accomplish the authentic Santa Barbara Spanish style you seek to achieve.
Before and After Sketches Hand Drawn Architectural Renderings: These drawings help you visualize exactly how your exterior and landscaping improvements can turn out.
They also save you money upfront, as they allow you to a vision for your home and landscape before the more costly next steps of working drawings, structural engineering and permit process takes place.
Whole House Conceptual Design A Santa Barbara style home design package by Jeff can include floor plans, elevation renderings and landscape design.
Since 2020, I have offered live video consulting via Zoom.
PROJECTS RECENTLY COMPLETED!
La Casa Romantica A 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival remodel recently listed for $2.7 million. Click the link above to see a video and many photos of this romantic Santa Barbara home. The talented homeowner assembled a wonderful team to leverage his own design sensibilities, and it was a joy to see our collaboration come to fruition.
ALSO:
Westgate Spanish Modern Just listed at $3.99 million . A 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival reno/expansion project in Willow Glen – a charming and historic neighborhood in San Jose, CA.
Please note that I am an Amazon affiliate, and I recieve a small commission on any purchases that you might make through direct links to Amazon, including my own book.
Jeff Doubet Santa Barbara Home Design on Houzz.com
What Is The Difference Between Santa Barbara And Spanish Colonial Architecture
Spanish architecture takes inspiration from the design and techniques of its history which translates onto buildings. As with most Mediterranean architecture, the Spanish Colonial style is simple, with the use of plain washed walls, exposed wood and tiling. The only difference of this style to Santa Barbara architecture is that the latter properties are modern, having taken Spanish influences and combining them with contemporary finishes and practicality in mind.
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Santa Barbara Style Is At Home In The Desert
Midwesterners trade the life aquatic for distinguished desert design.
Compromise is part of everyday living. For Sherrod and Larry Deputy, it meant giving up a boat and personal watercraft in order to gain golf, gorgeous desert and mountain views, and a Spanish-influenced home with a gracious, traditional interior.
The couples journey to North Scottsdale began in Indiana, where Larry owned a boat-manufacturing company. As a result, he and Sherrod, as well as their two children, spent much of their vacation time on the wateron lakes in the Midwest and on Floridas Gulf Coast. Then they discovered the Arizona desert. They fell in love with the dry, sunny climate and soon were spending spring breaks and good parts of the winter season in a series of condos and homes in the Valley. In addition to their main house in the Hoosier State, the Deputys also had a summer dwelling on a lake in Michigan.
A few years ago, they opted to simplify. When we retired, we decided we wanted one home, not several houses, explains Larry. We call it right-sizingsmall enough for the two of us but big enough for when our family and friends visit. Adds Sherrod wryly, noting the challenges of keeping track of where items are stored, I wanted to know where the ketchup was.
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Ornate Tile Wrought Iron & Wood
From roof tiles, floor tiles, walls tiles, to splash backs and outdoor paving, the Spanish style tile is a decorative delight that adds character, colour and pattern to the otherwise off-white walls and decor that define the style. Entryway’s clad in tessellating terracotta paired with embellished tile staircase risers are made even more rustic and charming with timber treads and wrought iron handrails. Expose wooden beams, clad high ceilings in stained shiplap or bleached beadboard, and top a mantel with a generous wooden slab. Wrought iron works too as door handles and draw pulls, in star shaped and stained glass chandeliers, as well as table legs, stools and bedheads. These hard finishes add warmth and practicality, can be used inside and out, and can be a cosmetically simple but ornamental addition to an otherwise bland interior.
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Santa Barbara Interior Design Services And Furniture Store
Cabana Home defines traditional with a twist interior design and furnishings for indoor and outdoor, with a store located in Santa Barbara. Our highly edited selections reflect the California lifestyle, including hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind furniture, textiles, and accessories from designers, manufacturers, and antique markets in America and Europe.
If you are searching for the best interior designer for your home, look to Santa Barbaras hip and historic Funk Zone. At Cabana Home, we are here to help you find the perfect blend of sophistication and comfort for your own cabana. Our founders and lead interior designers, Steve Thompson and Caroline Thompson have an eye to both quality and value for finding remarkable pieces that help express your style and inspire the design process, making decorating your home more enjoyable and efficient. Such inspiration is the first step in any interior design project, and you will find that and much more in our extensive and inviting showroom. Schedule your visit by calling or emailing us today to request an appointment.
Santa Barbara Style Paint Colors

If you want to know the best color to paint your Santa Barbara-style home, you’ll need to spend some time thinking about the color white. Usually, for Santa Barbara-style homes, you’ll be looking for a white that’s mostly-neutral, with just a hint of warmth. Think the barest amount of brown or cream tones.
But which white is right? First, why not take a look at the city of Santa Barbara’s color guidelines for historic Spanish-revival buildings. Alternatively, you can buy a few different shades of white and paint portions of your home as a test. How does it look at various times of day, or under various lighting conditions?
So, if you’re looking to touch up your Santa Barbara-style home or renovate with Mediterannean inspiration, remember that most of the color you’re looking for falls within the earthy, red-brown, and just-off-white ranges.
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What’s The Difference Between Santa Barbara And Mediterranean Style
“Mediterranean style” refers very generally to design ideas and elements drawn from Mediterranean cultures, including Spain, Italy, and Greece, and North Africa.
These usually include red or brown tile roofs, stucco exteriors, and asymmetric designs incorporating towers, balconies, courtyards, and arches. The layout and design features are intended to invite enjoyment of the outdoors and warm weather.
Santa Barbara style counts as a more specific sub-type within the broader Mediterranean category.
How To Get The Santa Barbara Spanish Style In Your Home
Stunning Santa Barbara is one of my favourite Californian cities for it’s long salty walkways, majestic mountains-meet-the-sea location, it’s European-esque art lined town centre, and it’s Spanish Colonial architectural style of so many homes and buildings – new and old. In fact, the structures were so beautiful I wanted to break down the elements that define the style for you to incorporate into your own home. From the terracotta roofs, whitewashed archways, patterned tiles, great gardens and more, you can make a Monecito moment wherever you are.
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In addition to a wide selection of books, the Santa Barbara Public Librarys Databases & Resources page has information on how people can get signed up for free with LinkedIn Learning, which offers a number of courses on interior design and related skills. It also has information about accessing Skillshare , which has a great offering of interior design courses as well.
What Is Monterey Colonial Architecture
Monterey-style home design is another Spanish-derived architectural style developed in post-colonial California. Monterey style homes and buildings typically have two-stories, wrap-around porches, and hipped roofs. The development of the style is attributed to architect Thomas O. Larkin. In many respects, Monterey Colonial-style homes resemble east-coast wood frame construction built over existing adobe structures.
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What Is Santa Barbaras Architectural Style
Santa Barbara is first and foremost known for its colonial architecture, which owes much of its charm to thick plaster walls and clay-tiled roofs, which youd most typically come across in Spain today. Despite its historic influences, Santa Barbara also has a mix of contemporary builds which are starting to spring up around the city aiming to mock the luxe colonial style but with space and functionality in mind for the modern homeowner.
Explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno, sailed from Mexico in 1602 then ruled by the Spanish and survived a deadly storm on the eve of Saint Barbaras feast day. Upon reaching the shore, he named the island Santa Barbara in honour of the saint.
In 1769, the Spanish returned to Santa Barbara from Mexico to construct forts on the island. In a short period of time, the Old Mission and El Presidio fort were erected . The old streets in the downtown region are also still a reminder of this very early period of the Spanish settlement.
In the early 1900s, millions more Spanish settled in the South West of the US, including Florida and Texas which influenced the early beginnings of the Spanish Colonial revival in the region. The decision to keep this architectural trend alive was backed by several professional architects, including George Washington Smith, Lutah Maria Riggs and Winsor Soule.
What’s The Difference Between Santa Barbara And Spanish Style
Spanish architecture includes a host of styles, techniques, and motifs spanning a rich and expansive cultural history. From flowing Art Nouveau cathedrals to imposing Romanesque structures.
In North America, the Spanish colonists built structures that displayed many elements borrowed from their native land, but were ultimately defined by their somewhat rugged and simple style, use of tile and exposed wood, and tall masses around spacious courtyards.
Subsequent generations took inspiration from these buildings to create various Spanish-revival styles, mixed from elements that had the feel and associations of more traditional Spanish architecture. Santa Barbara style represents one of these revivals of authentic Spanish Colonial architecture in North America.
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Santa Barbara Style History
The history of Santa Barbara-style homes goes back to the early days of Spanish-rule in Mexico, and the explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno who gave the name “Santa Barbara” to the area in 1602.
After a large earthquake struck in 1925, city officials decided to rebuild in a manner that reflected the area’s Spanish-colonial past. Many of the city’s buildings were restored by architects James Osborne Craig and Mary McLaughlin Craig through the 20s and 30s.
The inspiration for many of the new and restored structures was the Courthouse in Santa Barbara and the Old Mission building . Due to the latter, Santa Barbara style is sometimes also called “mission” architecture.