Jeff Doubét shares a small Spanish home renovation project in Santa Barbara. See how classic design features, materials and finishes greatly improved the appearance of this home.
If you are seeking specific design insights for small Spanish homes, please be sure to also check out Collection 2 and Collection 3.
BEFORE Photo: A 1938 Spanish fixer upper in the West Beach Historic District of Santa Barbara. Just a block from the beach, the Palo Alto couple had visions of remodeling it into a beautiful Vacation get-away home.
Jeff Doubét 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. Also, a custom front door entry.
AFTER Photo: Many of the classic Santa Barbara Spanish details proposed in my early design sketch were 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.
The floor plan of this remodel was reconfigured in a dramatic way. The entry was moved to front and center of the house, and a new bedroom wing added. To facilitate all, the general contractor took the home down to the studs in prep for the work.
Thanks to the termites, much of the original framing was replaced with new lumber. At this point, the home nearly became new construction. Here the quatrefoil window opening is being framed, and an elliptical arch window opening weatherproofed.
The quatrefoil window is 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 it has been framed.
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. It requires highly skilled trades who know the idiosyncrasies of the architectural style. Building this genre of construction is also really fun.
The special entry stoop is being framed by the Artisan builders using structural plywood and common lumber such as 2 x 4’s and 2 x 2’s. It 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 integral color plaster (final coat) to the front facade.
A steel structure was engineered as an important component to building the second story loggia. The weight of the roof tiles, and the openness of the covered porch above the bedroom addition underneath it required this structural upgrade.
THE EASY BUTTON TO VIEW ALL PROJECTS ON SITE
Jeff Doubét 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 hand wrought iron window grille adds to the architectural interest, as do the unique oversized plaster columns supporting the iron railings stair stepping up to the covered deck.
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.
Spanish-style products on Amazon, and my project overviews where they were installed.
At the top of the stairs, Tecate clay floor tiles continue right up to the French doors of the eat-in kitchen. You can also see the red tile roof above the front door, and the scroll details incorporated into a 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 leaderhead. 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.
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 small Spanish home design project. Scroll to explore more helpful links and resources for designing and building your own Spanish-style home and landscape.
