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a Recently Completed Split Level Spanish style Home Renovation and Transformation in Santa Barbara California

Dreamy Split-Level Spanish Home Didn’t Start Out This Way

Jeff Doubet shares how a Spanish home was created from a very basic tract home in Santa Barbara, CA. Before and After photos show the methods and techniques that were used during the Spanish home conversion. Santa Barbara Spanish homes have a special look, and many seek to replicate it in their own home remodels.  Scroll to learn how we did it.

Spanish House Transformations in Santa Barbara, CA

Spanish house transformations regularly take place in Santa Barbara. This modest split-level fixer upper tract home is located in an excellent neighborhood near upper State Street. But as you can see, the simple structure lacked character.

A before photo of a split level fixer upper home in Santa Barbara, California, just before exterior renovations take place.

BEFORE Photo: The fixer home had an asphalt roof, and an odd mix of stucco and wood siding.

A Santa Barbara Home Designer Jeff Doubét original design rendering for a split level Spanish home design project located in Santa Barbara, California.

Here is the conceptual design rendering I presented to the homeowner a couple weeks after our Initial Consultation. Creative thoughts + ideas to transform their home and property.

Jeff Doubét Santa Barbara California Split-level Spanish home design for a tract home located in nice neighborhood of Santa Barbara.

AFTER Photo: I always pray for creative inspiration and the wonderful independent teams assembled to build these renovations. After completion, this home (literally) sold for $2 million dollars more than the owners had originally purchased it for.

Spanish house Ideas: Before and After Photos

See how a basic entry level home with an asphalt roof was modified into a beautiful Santa Barbara Spanish home. Scroll to learn how this Before and After transformation took place.

A BEFORE photo of a Santa Barbara, California entry level home just before it is transformed into a Spanish style split level custom home.

Here the creative process begins. Scaffolding has been installed and new windows are going in.

The BEFORE photo of a front entry door just before it is transformed into a Spanish-style entry with wood speakeasy door deeply recessed in plaster.

Here the creative process begins. Scaffolding has been installed and new windows are going in.

A framing technique shown for a Spanish door entrance of a tract home in Santa Barbara, California being upgraded.

I proposed a splayed and arched decorative plaster surround to showcase a new Speakeasy door.

A Spanish house entry with speakeasy wood door and a thick wood arbor structure at the top of sandstone staircase of a newly renovated tract home in Santa Barbara, California.

AFTER Photo: The front entry after the rustic Spanish-style pergola and front door were installed, and exterior stucco completed.

Building a High Quality Spanish Shed Attached to A House

Part of the re-design and conversion to a Spanish house was to extend a portion of it. I proposed building a high quality Spanish shed addition to the home. It would be a way to balance the two story portion of the original split-level home.

Renovating a split level tract home in Santa Barbara, CA and transforming it into a Spanish-style home.

Decorative wood knee braces were also being added to the roof eaves in the photo above.

Spanish house under construction in Santa Barbara, CA

Closely spaced thick wood rafter tails and clay vents were details designed and built into the small Spanish shed. With form and function in mind, the charming addition will also receive a decorative iron gate for security + privacy.

A Spanish-style trash and recycle shed in Santa Barbara, California that also has a pass-through gate with lock.

AFTER Photo: This is how the Spanish shed addition turned out. Scroll to see more photos of how it was built, and be sure to check out other Jeff Doubét Spanish Shed Designs.

Spanish House Techniques for Transforming Tract Homes

Cement coated architectural foam products were used to transform this home. Customized components were designed and fabricated for this Santa Barbara renovation.

oversized architectural foam components for a Spanish-style home renovation are unloaded from a pickup truck in Santa Barbara, CA

Here, the fabricator delivers the oversized component sections. This local shop has been making parts for architects and designers, building cement coated foam components for prestigious projects throughout Santa Barbara. Hotel and restaurant facades, as well as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in downtown are just a few examples.

Architectural foam components for a Spanish-style home are offloaded from a pickup truck.

Architectural foam can be specified in different densities depending your application. The denser the foam, the stronger. Costs rise as density increases. Typically, high traffic areas prone to abuse will require higher density foam and a thicker cement coating.

Decorative exterior foam trim components are being installed on the exterior of a Spanish-style home renovation in Santa Barbara, California.

Above: The cement coated sections of architectural foam are glued and bolted to the recently plastered exterior of the Spanish house. The seams are dressed with fiberglass mesh tape and plaster cement adhesive. All cement coated components get covered in standard stucco as the plastering team apply a final coat of plaster over all of the exterior surfaces of the home.

Close up of Spanish home architectural details include scalloped plaster detailing and iron planter baskets.

A quality Santa Barbara Spanish-style home design will often have layers of architectural details throughout. Wrought iron planter baskets, and a pendant light suspended by a heavy iron bracket are layered design elements in this particular design.

Spanish Home Under Construction in Santa Barbara, CA

One of the most recognizable design elements of a Santa Barbara Spanish home is the roof. Here the red tile roofing process is underway.

A truck conveyor belt delivers Spanish roof tiles to a split level home being renovated in Santa Barbara, California.

The structural engineer determined the existing roof framing was strong enough to carry the extra weight of S-Tile clay roofing. Learn more about the difference between S-Tile Roofing and the highly desired 2 Piece Mission Tile Roofing at these in-depth articles about each technique.

A Spanish home under construction in Santa Barbara, CA

Three special techniques were used while installing this S-Tile roof. 1) Installation of 2 piece Mission tile on the first course (near gutters). 2) Occasional “boosters” placed throughout roof to create random shadow details. 3) S-Tiles were staggered more than is typical. These three techniques create an illusion of a higher-end 2 piece Mission Tile roof. SEE and Learn More.

A professional exterior plaster Artisan applies a Santa Barbara Mission finish to a garden wall and pair of columns at a Spanish home under renovation in Santa Barbara, CA.

Here, a rough coat of Santa Barbara Mission stucco texture is applied to a wall column. Once the plaster has set up to a certain consistency, the plasterer will sponge down the sharp edges to achieve the highly desired Santa Barbara Spanish plaster finish. See this talented Artisan featured in various Modern Masters Series posts, including Spanish Fireplaces and Spanish Address Tiles.

A Santa Barbara Spanish-style exterior chimney showcasing plaster details and a close up look at a major renovation of a tract house in Santa Barbara, California.

A close up image of the newly completed custom Santa Barbara Spanish-style chimney design. Often nicknamed “dog house chimney” because of the arched openings, and protective roof.

Building Spanish-style Arbors and Pergolas in Santa Barbara, Ca

Rustic wood arbors and pergolas are another way you can add architectural interest to your Santa Barbara Spanish-style exterior renovation.

A Spanish-style wood arbor structure being built at the front entry of a split level Spanish-style home renovation in Santa Barbara, California.

Above: This wood arbor was built using oversized, re-sawn redwood posts now being set on their foundations. When building your own pergola or Spanish-style shade structure, consider using oversized 8″ x 8″ or 10″ x 10″ posts for a quality appearance.

A large mature olive tree is being delivered by truck and crane to the front yard of a Spanish house renovation project in Santa Barbara, California.

Right after the construction of the arbor details were completed, a crew of landscapers arrived to install mature olive trees.

Click link above to learn more about designing and building a Spanish-style pergolas, and other landscaping ideas.

Installing Large Olive Trees in Santa Barbara, CA

Here are a couple of photos of two large mature olive trees being craned in for an instantly mature landscape.

A large truck with crane lifts a large mature olive tree into position at a Spanish-style home and landscape renovation in Santa Barbara, California.

These particular olive trees were trucked in from Northern California. SEE and learn more about installing large olive trees.

A Santa Barbara Spanish-style wood arbor and sandstone staircase leads visitors and guests up to a newly renovated Spanish home in Santa Barbara, California.

This is how the Spanish arbor turned out after it was stained a dark brown. Design features of this Santa Barbara drought tolerant landscape include sandstone boulders to retain the gentle slope. Stone steps were hand-hewn from local Santa Barbara sandstone boulders, and arranged as a meandering path up to the front door.

A view of a deeply recessed Spanish wood speakeasy front door near a newly built wooden arbor at a Santa Barbara, California exterior home renovation.

Here is the entry door with finished Spanish-style pergola in front of it. Also shown: 6″ half round gutters as another classic Santa Barbara Spanish home design element. You can also purchase this pair of wall lights directly from Amazon.

A Spanish-style custom wrought iron planter basket recently installed on the exterior of a Santa Barbara, California Spanish home façade renovation.

A local blacksmith welded up these iron window baskets with classic scroll brackets.

A beautiful Santa Barbara Spanish-style home and landscape.

Well friend, this wraps another site visit episode in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA. I hope you enjoyed learning how to infuse more Santa Barbara Style into your own Spanish home design project. Scroll to explore more helpful links and resources for designing and building your own Spanish-style home and landscape.

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