Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Bright Refresh for a 1900 Santa Barbara Home
A beautiful century-old house in California gets a luminous makeover
This home is located in Santa Barbara’s Mission Canyon, a leafy neighborhood of older homes at the base of the foothills near the California city’s historic mission. Designer Lauren Christine Henno’s goal was to reinvigorate the 1900 home. The house had beautiful features such as hardwood floors, wainscoting and crown moldings, she says, but the interior was very dark. “It had to be lightened and brightened to bring life back to its original beauty, as well as maximize the feeling of space,” Henno says. “The house has magnificent natural light, though it was not emphasized with the home’s original dark interiors and finish choices.”
Henno says she decides the design aesthetics of a home’s interior by “stepping into the shoes of someone else’s life and the way they live.” In this case, she was guided by the homeowner’s singular style, evident in the living room shown here. “This client had an eclectic, quirky, youthful, comfortable yet fashionable style, and it was so important for me to bring this to life,” Henno says.
Sofa and pillows: Celadon House; Signature Chair: Danish Design Store; ottoman: custom, Lauren Christine Henno; antique rug: Summerland Oriental Rugs; sisal rug: Merida; pendant lanterns: Grace on Frances; curtains: custom by Henno in fabric by Raoul Textiles
Sofa and pillows: Celadon House; Signature Chair: Danish Design Store; ottoman: custom, Lauren Christine Henno; antique rug: Summerland Oriental Rugs; sisal rug: Merida; pendant lanterns: Grace on Frances; curtains: custom by Henno in fabric by Raoul Textiles
The brick fireplace, original to the home and painted white during the redesign, is directly across from the home’s entrance. A 150-year-old reclaimed-wood beam was used for the mantle. A transparent acrylic console allows its accessories to stand out against the white wall.
Art over fireplace: Cassandria Blackmore; table: The Disappearing Console, Wisteria
Art over fireplace: Cassandria Blackmore; table: The Disappearing Console, Wisteria
In the TV room-lounge area next to the living room, Henno custom-designed the daybed to fit within a niche under an original window. The armoire across from it conceals a television. “It is one of the most comfortable and cozy areas of the house,” she says.
Sofa: designed by Henno in fabric from Cisco Home; lamp: Summerland Antique Collective; armoire: Antica; rug: Summerland Oriental Rugs; magazine holder: Wisteria; side table: Pottery Barn
Sofa: designed by Henno in fabric from Cisco Home; lamp: Summerland Antique Collective; armoire: Antica; rug: Summerland Oriental Rugs; magazine holder: Wisteria; side table: Pottery Barn
The dining room features a boho-chic mix of chairs and a white faux-fur-covered bench under a glam glass teardrop chandelier from Anthropologie. Henno refinished the dining table, which was purchased at a consignment shop. “I knew I wanted to have an eclectic mix of chairs and a bench,” she says. “I love slipcovered whites mixed with various wood tones.”
Dining table: Home Design & Consign; wood chair: West Elm; slipcovered chair: Cisco Home; bench: Ookkuu
Dining table: Home Design & Consign; wood chair: West Elm; slipcovered chair: Cisco Home; bench: Ookkuu
A metal cabinet tucks neatly into a corner of the dining room; the kitchen is visible through the doorway.
Cabinet: Celadon House
Cabinet: Celadon House
This space was formerly a sunroom that Henno and her team turned into a “comfortable and airy office space,” she says.
Lacquered Regency desk: Anthropologie; chair: Branca Lisboa; lamp: Cabana Home; reed shades: Kevin Joyce Interiors
Browse Wishbone-style chairs
Lacquered Regency desk: Anthropologie; chair: Branca Lisboa; lamp: Cabana Home; reed shades: Kevin Joyce Interiors
Browse Wishbone-style chairs
More Shabby Chic styling accentuates the master bedroom. Henno designed the headboard using fabric from Cisco Home.
Duvet: Diani Living; shag pillow: Anthropologie; back and tasseled pillows: Upstairs at Pierre Lafond; artwork: Karen Shelton; pendant lights: Alcazar, Anthropologie
Duvet: Diani Living; shag pillow: Anthropologie; back and tasseled pillows: Upstairs at Pierre Lafond; artwork: Karen Shelton; pendant lights: Alcazar, Anthropologie
The master bathroom is the only room in the house that was completely remodeled. A wall was removed to gain space from an adjacent closet. Two windows and a shower were added, the sink space with a custom vanity was expanded, and there’s new hexagonal tile on the floor and subway tile on the walls.
Tile: Tileco; tub: Sunrise Specialty; reed shades: Kevin Joyce Interiors
Tile: Tileco; tub: Sunrise Specialty; reed shades: Kevin Joyce Interiors
An airy pendant light from France made of seven Limoges porcelain birds floats from the ceiling of the master bath.
Light fixture: SmoonBirdie, Beau & Bien
Light fixture: SmoonBirdie, Beau & Bien
An iron canopy bed from Anthropologie tucks nicely into a bedroom in the guest house, and the square iron “headboard” almost perfectly frames a window to the outdoors.
Rug: Shaw at Summerland Rugs; pierced Moroccan lantern: Shades of Light; pillows: Rooms & Gardens; mirrored nightstand: Summerland Antique Collective; wood nightstand: World Market
Rug: Shaw at Summerland Rugs; pierced Moroccan lantern: Shades of Light; pillows: Rooms & Gardens; mirrored nightstand: Summerland Antique Collective; wood nightstand: World Market
A white slipcovered chair and leather pouf anchor a cozy corner of the lounge area in the guest house bedroom.
Chair and side table: Celadon House; pillow: Upstairs at Pierre Lafond; floor lamp: Cabana Home; pouf: Rooms & Gardens; rug: Anthropologie; art: Karin Shelton
Find a leather pouf
Chair and side table: Celadon House; pillow: Upstairs at Pierre Lafond; floor lamp: Cabana Home; pouf: Rooms & Gardens; rug: Anthropologie; art: Karin Shelton
Find a leather pouf
Henno helped redesign the home’s backyard, including the patio dining area. She designed the iron pergola, which vines will eventually cover. “We created a back patio and fire pit area for entertaining and enjoyment and added a beautiful flagstone patio off the back for the dining table that organically blends with the landscape,” Henno says.
Dining table: Home Design & Consign; dining chairs and bench: Summerland Antique Collective; pergola: Ironcad
Dining table: Home Design & Consign; dining chairs and bench: Summerland Antique Collective; pergola: Ironcad
Guests can gather on rattan furniture around the stone fire pit on chilly evenings.
Rattan furniture: Hayward’s
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Rattan furniture: Hayward’s
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A single woman
Location: Mission Canyon area of Santa Barbara, California
Size: 2,007 square feet (186 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house
Designer: Lauren Christine Henno
The result of her redesign is a white palette and a more spacious interior that is airy and inviting. Henno used comfortable, Shabby Chic-style furnishings and accessories in an eclectic-rustic mix of old and new — against a backdrop of painted white walls with pops of color.
“I truly try to portray each client’s style and persona through their home,” Henno says. “They want to walk into their home knowing it’s a reflection of who they are.”