--- title: "AB design studio, inc. — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/ab-design-studio-inc-pfvwus-pf~662922936 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~662922936.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "AB design studio, inc." category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/15a3442d0284fe0a_1596-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "420 E. Haley Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, United States" latitude: 34.4197 longitude: -119.7078 phone: "(805) 963-2100" website: http://www.abdesignstudioinc.com rating: 5 review_count: 5 best_of_houzz_awards: 5 followers: 171 last_updated: 2026-09-11 --- # AB design studio, inc. Original Houzz profile: [AB design studio, inc.](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/ab-design-studio-inc-pfvwus-pf~662922936) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Santa Barbara, CA - **Serves:** Los Angeles, Hollywood, Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Camarillo, San Luis Obispo, Culver City, Goleta, Carpinteria, Malibu, Montecito, Santa Ynez, Mission Canyon, Toro Canyon, Summerland, Hope Ranch, Mar Vista, Pacific Palasades, Venice Beach - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (5 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2015–2021), for Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves Architecture \| Interior Design \| Urban Planning :: AB design studio (ABds) is committed to consistently redefining and expanding the perception of what is possible for people and our communities through architecture and design. We value creativity and a rigorous process of problem solving. ABds strives to unleash explorative context-based designs that allow us to creatively re-assess what a built environment can provide for its users and the future. We believe successful solutions are communicative, tangible and visible. Effective visualization provides valuable information for the project team and client to present and realize the design with local agencies, decisions makers, consultants and builders. We are committed to our clients and to designing emotive architecture that improves the quality of life and makes a difference. We explore the potential of each design utilizing innovative techniques and thoughtful use of materials in order to translate it into practical, responsible and buildable projects. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Green Building - Bathroom Design - Space Planning - Guesthouse Design & Construction - Multigenerational Homes - Pool House Design & Construction - Home Restoration - Drafting - Historic Building Conservation - Project Management - Handicap-Accessible Design - Outdoor Kitchen Design - Barn Design & Construction - Structural Engineering - Basement Remodeling - Mudroom Design - Basement Design - Tiny House Construction - Deck Design - Garage Design - Site Preparation - Landscape Plans - Modular Home Additions - Passive Solar Heating & Cooling - Home Gym Design & Construction - Prefab Houses - Rooftop Deck Installation - Land Surveying - Construction Drawings ### Areas Served - Los Angeles - Hollywood - Oxnard - Ventura - Santa Monica - Santa Barbara - Camarillo - San Luis Obispo - Culver City - Goleta - Carpinteria - Malibu - Montecito - Santa Ynez - Mission Canyon - Toro Canyon - Summerland - Hope Ranch - Mar Vista - Pacific Palasades - Venice Beach ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | AB design studio, inc. | | Address | 420 E. Haley Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, United States | | Phone | (805) 963-2100 | | Website | http://www.abdesignstudioinc.com | | Followers on Houzz | 171 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/ABDesignStudioInc/?ref=aymt\_homepage\_panel - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/ABdesignstudio - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/ab-design-studio-inc. - Blog — www.abdesignstudioinc.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [AB design studio, inc.](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/ab-design-studio-inc-pfvwus-pf~662922936) - **Website:** http://www.abdesignstudioinc.com - **Phone:** (805) 963-2100 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - AIA Honor Awards - AIA Merit Awards - Gold Nugget Awards - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2015–2021), for Design. **Affiliations** - [AIA Santa Barbara](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-santa-barbara-pfvwus-pf~2115496248) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 5 reviews** ### All 5 reviews **★★★★★ — Mike Gollins, Oct. 2015** > I gives me great pleasure to recommend AB Design Studio. For the past decade, our offices have been collaborating on a wide variety of projects. From designers to upper management, AB Design Studio has a unique ability to offer the most creative design solutions to complex problems and articulate design requirements enabling our office to produce high quality mechanical, plumbing, & electrical engineering construction documents. > > We look forward to maintaining a long term successful relationship. > > Mike Gollins, PE, CEM, LEED AP > Principal > Gollins Consulting Engineers, LLC. **★★★★★ — HU-516962, Oct. 2015** > We have provided Mechanical consulting for AB Design on dozens of projects and they have been a pleasure to work with. We look forward to many more! **★★★★★ — Michelle Good, Oct. 2015** > As a consultant with almost 20 years in the industry on the Central and South Coast, I find AB Design to be one of the most competent and creative of all the design professionals I have worked with. Their final product is always stellar and they strive to achieve quality construction by hiring quality consultants, not simply the lowest bid received. **Comment from AB design studio, inc.:** > Thank you, Michelle! It's always a pleasure working with you!! **★★★★★ — Project Manager, Leonard Unander Associates, Inc., Oct. 2015** > As the builder, we were fortunate enough to collaborate with AB design studio on a custom beach residence. Not only was the finish product aesthetically pleasing, the construction phase was successful due to the collaborative efforts of the design team, builder, and owner. Having worked with the top architects in Santa Barbara County, we're confident in saying that AB design studio is one of the best firms. **Comment from AB design studio, inc.:** > Thank you so much! It was such a pleasure to work with the Unander team on this great project. We look forward to the next one!! **★★★★★ — Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, Aug. 2013** > The crew at Kerrie Kelly Design Lab loves the team at AB Design Studio! Innovative, friendly and professional, Clay specifically has assisted with interior design education and assistance with our out of town clients. We appreciate the team's helpfulness and aesthetic. **Comment from AB design studio, inc.:** > Thank you so much, Kerrie! We love your team too. ## Selected projects - [HO:ME 296](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/home-296-pj-vj~3233876) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 21 - Description: Schulte Lane captures the essence of AB design studio’s ethos of “inspiration through collaboration.” From concept to completion, the studio strategically maintained a collaborative relationship with key stakeholders at every level to realize this high-end, container-based dwelling in Santa Barbara County—the first of its kind to be permitted in the area. Entrusting AB design studio with their vision, the owners—an environmental attorney and a fashion stylist—wanted a sustainable and elegant con… - [More Mesa Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/more-mesa-residence-pj-vj~7490792) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: AB design studio transformed this existing craftsman style house into a high-end residence with additional dwelling unit (ADU). Planted on top of a slope overlooking the More Mesa Park in Santa Barbara, the architects created a living space that blends indoors and outdoors. The living room, central to the whole design, is remarkably open to both front & back yard through large, elegant sliding doors. With this openness, the architects demonstrate an unconventional way of defining private-public… - [Quarry House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/quarry-house-pj-vj~7490717) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: The architects worked in collaboration with interior designer Tamara Honey, founder of House of Honey, to modernize a humble 1950s wood cabin set in a rock quarry between the Santa Barbara foothills and the Santa Ynez mountain range. Grand boulders surround this single-story residence with an enhanced wrap-around wood deck. A long hallway links both sides of the home, from the remodeled kitchen and living spaces to a new voluminous master suite addition. - [Axis House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/axis-house-pj-vj~7490752) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 20 - Description: The architects took this project on with two goals in mind: minimize the impact on the site by having as light a footprint as possible, and maximize the efficiency of material use thereby reducing cost and increasing speed and ease of construction. As opposed to the traditional method of designing and then determining construction logistics, the architects first decided how they wanted to construct the residence and then created a design that supported the desired technique. - [Modern Beach House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-beach-house-pj-vj~1391855) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: AB design studio created a distinctive beach front home that was sensitive to its surroundings, while also remaining respectfully low key in both footprint and appearance. In designing this 3,500-square-foot oceanside residence on Miramar Beach in Montecito, CA, the architects maximized its habitable space on a relatively constrained site by eliminating the need for bulky HVAC equipment. Passive cooling strategies were incorporated, such as opposing clerestory windows, solar shading, a ventilati… - [Riviera Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/riviera-residence-pj-vj~393737) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 24 - Description: Located on Santa Barbara's scenic Riviera, this property features a newly renovated traditional Spanish style home with exceptional views. After the home had been restored in early 2006, the owner quickly realized that the remaining elements of this hillside lot would need to be brought up to the same high design and functional standards that had recently been brought to the house. The owner of this property approached AB design studio to complete the renovation process by adding a new swimming… - [Modern Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-cottage-pj-vj~405207) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: In the redesign of an existing pre-World War II single-story residence on a small corner lot, AB design studio created a distinctly modern update, while preserving the original home’s form and spirit. When the patriarch of the client’s family passed away, the client decided to complete their dream of expanding the house into a space that would support the family into a multi-generational cohabitation. After the needs of this changing family shifted to requiring additional square footage across m… - [Mid-Century Modern Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mid-century-modern-home-pj-vj~94354) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: Built-in 1960 by locally acclaimed architect Noel D Cooke AIA, the Mid-Century Modern Residence is a nod to the experimental architecture famously known as the Case Study Houses. A 2006 remodel and addition honored the structure’s heritage while sensitively updating interiors and finishes. The redesign and total refinishing of the home was an opportunity to celebrate the materials and form of modern architecture, as well as to explore the feasibility of hillside living. The architects updated th… - [Foothill Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/foothill-residence-pj-vj~375395) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 14 - Description: Rather than tearing down the original home, AB design studio remodeled this single-family ranch-style residence with views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Due to dramatic increases in coastal California’s real estate values, many of the modest homes originally built in the area no longer reflected the value of the land on which they sat. At the onset of the project, the owners requested that the residence be renovated into a luxury property with improvements to the existing architecture and landsca… - [Shoreline Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/shoreline-residence-pj-vj~7490855) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: A modern take on the traditionally craftsman style, this thoughtfully designed home transformed a limited lot into a captivating residence by seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces offering an open, airy and welcoming atmosphere. - [Venice Beach Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/venice-beach-residence-pj-vj~3233893) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 15 - Description: The design team blended the modern rear addition with the traditional, existing structure at the street front of the home. A gently sloping lot allowed AB design studio to ensure that the front-facing façade retained its neighborhood scale, while permitting the addition of larger, more expressive volumes to the rear, hidden from plain sight at street level. The client’s desire for an indoor/outdoor dining room led to the home’s signature feature of operable, floor-to-ceiling bi-folding glass doo… - [Santa Barbara Hacienda](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-barbara-hacienda-pj-vj~7490891) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 20 - Description: This light-filled house, blending Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean influences, is a quintessential example of Santa Barbara style with meticulous attention paid to stylistic authenticity including the custom decorative lighting fixtures and iron railings, Spanish tile roof, woodwork, sandstone masonry, and casement windows. - [Cota Street Mixed Use](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/cota-street-mixed-use-pj-vj~7490901) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - Description: AB design studio proposed a 22,000-square-foot mixed-use development that blends elements from Santa Barbara’s traditional Spanish vernacular style into a contemporary design. The project supports three levels of light-filled, market-rate apartments atop ground-level commercial units and parking. Tall ceiling heights with clerestories allow for open living spaces and contribute to natural daylighting and passive ventilation. An interior courtyard and communal rooftop deck offer areas for enterta… - [Spa Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/spa-residence-pj-vj~94355) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: AB design studio took cues from Japanese contemporary design and southern Californian sensibilities to create a spa-like single-family residence in the northern hills of Santa Barbara, CA. The team worked closely with landscape architects to ensure that the site blended appropriately with the interior and exterior of the home. By opening the interiors toward signature vistas through a series of sliding doors, the architects maximized views while blurring the line between the indoors and outdoors… - [Spanish Revival Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/spanish-revival-residence-pj-vj~375434) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 5 - [Contemporary Bungalow](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-bungalow-pj-vj~94356) - Location: Culver City, CA - Photos: 6 - Description: Contemporary Bungalow: The client approached us during an extensive remodel of their Culver City home. The home was being converted from a 1960’s ranch style home into a new modern home. The clients wanted to finish off their remodel with a modern flair using new materials and colors throughout the kitchen, great room, bathrooms and bedrooms. The kitchen was finished off with absolute black granite countertops with a porcelain tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances. The bathrooms have mo… - [Forest Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/forest-home-pj-vj~3233909) - Location: Neshkoro, WI - Photos: 6 - Description: Taking inspiration directly from the setting, the architects incorporated artistic and structural forms that mimic the verticality of the environment. Tall, cathedral-like window apertures nestle seamlessly into the surrounding forest while providing ample opportunity to experience the scenery from within. Carefully selected materials compliment the backdrop while providing necessary protection from the harsh elements. [See all 17 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/ab-design-studio-inc-pfvwus-pf~662922936) ## Ideabooks - [OASIS INN AND SUITES](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/63684402/list/oasis-inn-and-suites) — 17 ideas - [Bel Air](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/60963544/list/bel-air) — 1 idea [See all 2 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/abdsinc) ## Community Q&A **Q: Architect** *(in Photo Questions)* Who's project was this/where is it located? A: AB design studio...our company completed the architecture and the interior design. the architect of record is Clay Aurell. the project is located in Santa Barbara, CA. thank you **Q: What kind of wood are the floors and ceiling? Are they different ?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The floors are Walnut --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-11.*