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Houzz Tour: A Luxurious Home Embraces the Landscape
With a stunning new pool, it was only fair that glass walls and outdoor living rooms followed for this remodel in Santa Barbara
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 remodel. "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 lightbulb 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 threatened a complete derailment of the remodel, 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 foothills, California
Size: 3,500 square feet
That's interesting: Lauri's father, Fred Glenwinkel, built this home; it's been in her family for 3 generations.
Despite a wildfire that threatened a complete derailment of the remodel, 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 foothills, California
Size: 3,500 square feet
That's interesting: Lauri's father, Fred Glenwinkel, built this home; it's been in her family for 3 generations.
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The landscape design leads the eye from the pool to the home, with stairs leading to the house. Chloe, Zach and friends spend a lot of time in the backyard and in the pool, making this area an entertainment hub.
Smyth and her team replaced the fireplace wall with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls, opening up the interiors to the outdoor living spaces and panoramic views.
Landscape Design: Lane Goodkind; Landscape Contruction: Stonetree Landscape
Smyth and her team replaced the fireplace wall with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls, opening up the interiors to the outdoor living spaces and panoramic views.
Landscape Design: Lane Goodkind; Landscape Contruction: Stonetree Landscape
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| 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 remodel really makes the home's design more current and reflective of the family living in the home today." |
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| Split-level steps lead to a formal dining room, where glass windows and nonobscuring balcony rail materials let in plenty of light. Sectionals: Ferla |
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| The glossy contemporary kitchen works hard for a family who entertains often. A walnut island base and hardwood floors warm up the space, which also has a sleek white lacquer bartop and a stainless island countertop. "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; backsplash: Walker Zanger (discontinued) |
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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 parts fills part of a wall.
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| "Being in the house is almost like a spa experience," Smyth says. You feel relaxed, and you just want to be there because it's so cozy and there's not a lot of knickknacks lying around. 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 |
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| Zach's room expresses his creativity and musical inclinations without feeling too kitschy: An electric keyboard leans against a Bob Marley poster, and an electrical guitar and a yellow lounger are within arm's distance of each other. |
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| The clients realized 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 game room. Before the remodel, 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." |
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The outdoor kitchen and cement fire pit area extend the living spaces to the surrounding topography — fitting for a family with roots in the area. You feel like you're on vacation 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 Contruction: Stonetree Landscape
"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 Contruction: Stonetree Landscape
Ideabook published on Oct. 9, 2012.
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decogirlmontreal.com
But then again, I'm guessing the owners have maids/cleaning service so they don't worry about that kind of ordinary stuff. Beautful to look at though....