Jeff Doubet shares small Spanish home design ideas, before and after photos, materials and finishes used to greatly improve the appearance of a two story home in Santa Barbara, CA. See how classic Spanish construction techniques were implemented to achieve an amazing result.
BEFORE Photo: Just a block from the beach, the 1938 Spanish fixer upper is in the West Beach Historic District of Santa Barbara. My clients are from Palo Alto, CA and they had visions of remodeling the place into a beautiful Vacation get-away home.
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Jeff Doubet Small Spanish Home Design
Small Spanish home designs do not have to be boring. In fact, a lot of charm can be packed into small properties such as this. When designing a new small Spanish home or remodel, consider incorporating special design elements such as elliptical arched windows, round window or quatrefoil style accent window.
In this original home design, I also conceived of a custom front door entry stoop. I also sketched ideas that included plaster corbel supports, copper gutters and a roof finial. All add cost to the project, but these are the types of details that can make a home really stand out.
AFTER Photo: Many of the classic Santa Barbara Spanish details proposed in my early design sketch were indeed incorporated into this small Spanish home renovation. Scroll to see and learn how they were built.
Remodeling a Santa Barbara Spanish Home
The sequence of photos on this page show how this small Spanish home renovation was accomplished. From gutting the place, to the final finish details… see and learn how your own Santa Barbara fixer upper home could be transformed into a special place.
As an aside, the floor plan of this remodel was reconfigured in a dramatic way. The entry was moved to front and center of the house. A new bedroom wing was added. The general contractor took the home down to the studs in preparation to complete all of the work.
Thanks to the termites, much of the original framing was replaced with new lumber. At this point, the home basically became new construction. Here the quatrefoil window opening is being framed, and an elliptical arch window opening weatherproofed.
Here, the quatrefoil window is being weatherproofed in it’s recessed, chamfered opening. The deeply recessed front door area begins to take shape, and the small bedroom addition to the right of the front door has been framed.
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Building Small Spanish-style homes in Santa Barbara
Building high-end Spanish homes in beautiful Santa Barbara has been an art form for over 100 years. They require highly skilled trades who know the idiosyncrasies of the architectural style. Building the Spanish-style of construction is also really fun.
I have worked side by side with these independent Artisan builders for over two decades. Custom projects like this can challenge any team. We improve our skills and capabilities as we work through the extraordinary details of designing and building these special homes .
The special entry stoop I designed becomes a reality. Here, it is being framed by the Artisan builders using structural plywood and common lumber such as 2 x 4’s and 2 x 2’s. This type of project requires special skills to visualize sculptural shapes, and frame them in wood.
AFTER Photo: A close up of the Spanish entry stoop, decorative corbels and recessed elliptical window after the final finishes of the integral plaster are complete.
Small Spanish Home Before and After Construction Photos
As the small two-story Spanish home construction continues, more details emerge. A petite, Redland Clay Tile roof has been installed. Learn more about this brand of Spanish roofing.
Scaffolding is now up, and the exterior plasterers are applying the final coat of integral color plaster to the front facade.
A steel frame system was engineered as an important structural component for building the second story loggia. It was required for the weight of the roof tiles, and the openness of the covered porch above the bedroom addition underneath it.
Jeff Doubet Spanish Details for Small Homes
As you design your own small Spanish home, look for additional ways to add classic details and bring authentic Santa Barbara styling into your project.
Details incorporated into this small Spanish home include a tumbled Oklahoma Stone cobble driveway. The installation looks great with the custom Spanish-style carriage house garage door.
A handmade wrought iron window grille adds architectural interest, as do the unique, oversized plaster columns supporting the iron railings that stair step up to the covered deck, above.
Colorful Spanish deco tiles were incorporated into the exterior staircase design. Hand-made Tecate clay stair tread tiles with bullnose detail were custom ordered to compliment the Spanish deco tile risers.
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On the covered deck, Tecate clay floor tiles continue right up to the French doors of the eat-in kitchen. You can also see the scroll details incorporated into the simple iron railing design.
Here is a close up of the custom entry stoop that protects a deeply recessed round top front door. The copper gutter system was designed to include a decorative leader head. The iron lantern compliments the iron window grille next to it.
Reflections in the glass of this Spanish-style quatrefoil window include the beach, palm trees and red tile roofs of neighboring homes. Also, the crisp chamfered plaster detailing surrounding it.
other small Spanish home Design Resources
If you found this project interesting, be sure to see the interior remodel. Also, if seeking more ideas for small Spanish-style homes, check out Small Spanish Home Collection 2 and Small Spanish Home Collection 3.