Creating Spanish Style Homes®

Spanish Interiors Collection 1

Go behind the scenes to this Santa Barbara Riviera neighborhood interior design renovation with Before and After photos.  Santa Barbara Home Designer Jeff Doubét shares drawings and a portfolio of 26 photos showing how this modern Spanish interior design project was developed in this two-story home.

Modern Spanish Interior Living Room with Fireplace and Staircase in Santa Barbara, California
a Modern Spanish Staircase in a Recently Remodeled Living Room in Santa Barbara, Ca
Modern Spanish Staircase in Santa Barbara Ca
Modern Spanish Contemporary Furnishings in a Santa Barbara, California Spanish Home.
Modern Spanish Home with Old World Charm

I love designing Spanish-style interiors. There are so many special details that can be imagined and built. Furnishings, appliances, art and other home goods are a big part of your “house jewelry”. But equally as important is designing the Interior Architecture.

a See Through Spanish Niche Frames a View into a Modern Kitchen with Plaster Range Hood.
a Spanish Style Plaster Range Hood Installed Above a Black La Cornue Range.
Black La Cornue Range with a Custom Spanish Range Hood
a Modern Spanish Style Staircase Design Has Painted White Wood Risers and Dark Wood Stair Treads in Santa Barbara, Ca
Contemporary Spanish Staircase Design in Santa Barbara Ca

This modern Spanish-style staircase was also designed as a collaboration with the homeowner. We combined his desire for a contemporary spin, with the traditional Santa Barbara Spanish details I had originally sketched. I think the combo of both is what made this overall home renovation extra special.

a Spanish Style Home Remodel in Early Demolition Stage in Santa Barbara, Ca
Spanish Style Renovations in Santa Barbara Ca

When I was first invited into this project, demo was well under way. A permit had been issued and construction was happening. One design dilemma the owner struggled with was the living room. He felt it needed more sizzle and charm and needed help designing it.

a Jeff Doubét Design Sketch for a Spanish Style Fireplace, Staircase and Interior Design of a Home in Santa Barbara, California.
a Jeff Doubét Sketch for Santa Barbara Style Spanish Interior

Here was an early design concept for the living room. It had a more traditional Santa Barbara Spanish vibe to it. The new fireplace design would become a feature focal point.

a High Quality Fireplace Insert Being Installed in a Spanish Style Home Renovation in Santa Barbara, California
Installing a High Quality Firebox for New Spanish Fireplace

The concept drawing was well received, and the high-end build continued.

a Spanish Style Fireplace Mock Up in a House Being Renovated in Santa Barbara, California
Spanish Fireplace Design Mock Up

Believe it or not, this early photo (above) shows how the early fireplace design concept was mocked up for the homeowner. They wanted to see and feel the scale and proportion within the room, before real construction began.

a Jeff Doubét Sketch for a Modern Contemporary Spanish Style Fireplace Design for a Home in Santa Barbara, California.
a Fireplace Design by Jeff Doubét

Once mocked up, the homeowner decided to put more of a modern contemporary spin on the fireplace design.

Spanish House Renovation in Santa Barbara, Ca with a View Through an Archway to a Living Room Fireplace, Beyond
Spanish Style Home Under Construction in Santa Barbara Ca

The design concept was revised and the independent General Contractor got right on it. Here, the overall design concept for the room starts to take shape.

2 Artisans Hand Crafting a Modern Contemporary Spanish Style Fireplace with Hood Design in Santa Barbara, California.
Artisans Making a Modern Spanish Fireplace Design
a Modern Spanish Interior Design in Santa Barbara, Ca with Contemporary Furnishings and a Fireplace in the Background.
Spanish Interior Design in Santa Barbara Ca

Fast forward a few months later, and you can see how everything came together. Look at how nice the simple color palette works with the built elements. The black staircase handrail and balusters look awesome with the black hearth and dark stained stair treads. Full credit to the homeowner for going this dark. I think it turned out super cool.

a Modern Spanish Style Home Interior Design Includes Contemporary Furnishings and is Accented with a Fireplace with Hood, and an Elegant Staircase with Dark Wood Treads and Painted White Risers.
Santa Barbara Style Spanish Interior Design

Imagine how you might design your own Spanish home with elegant, old world charm combined with modern and contemporary Spanish interior design.

Don’t be discouraged or underestimate what you will create in your own Spanish style home renovation. Great projects sometime start as humble beginnings.

Demolition of the Interior of a Spanish Style Home in Santa Barbara, California
Remodeling a Spanish Home in Santa Barbara Ca

Above, the BEFORE photo for the staircase and view to the future kitchen.

a Jeff Doubét Design Sketch for a Spanish Style Staircase and Interior Design of a Home in Santa Barbara, California.
a Jeff Doubét Sketch for a Spanish Style Staircase Design

Above: You can see a variety of design ideas you can consider in your own renovation. In this initial design concept there are proposed double framing of the walls at the archway, and a new see through niche at the base of the stair landing.

Design Planning of a Spanish Style Staircase is Temporarily Mocked Up with Wood in a Santa Barbara, California Home Renovation.
Design Planning for a Spanish Staircase

The photo above documents the design and planning stage for this special stair landing. The homeowner worked with his builder to mock up the sophisticated curves of the wing walls the iron railing would be built upon.

Construction Photo of a Spanish Style Staircase Being Mocked Up Inside a Home Renovation Under Way in Santa Barbara, Ca
Spanish Stair Landing Mock Up
Construction Photo of a a Spanish Style Staircase Under Construction in Santa Barbara, California
Drywall Work at a Spanish Staircase Under Construction

First, clean air return vent and other mechanicals were installed. The decorative wings and arched steps would be refined from here.

Technical drawings were developed by the artistic homeowner who was bent (no pun intended) on getting everything to look just right.

a Computer Drawing of a Spanish Style Staircase Design and Drawing in Santa Barbara, Ca
Spanish Staircase Cad Drawing
a Curved Set of Steps at the Bottom of a Spanish Staircase Landing in a Completed Home Renovation in Santa Barbara, California.
Close Up of Spanish Balusters
a Modern Spanish Remodel in Santa Barbara, California Showing a Grand Staircase and a Kitchen Beyond.
Custom Spanish Iron Railings and Staircase in Santa Barbara

Another thing to to take note: This custom installation has the iron balusters terminating into the plaster wing walls. A custom detail that looks cool.

a Completed Modern Spanish Remodel in Santa Barbara, California Showing a Sitting Area, Archway and Staircase Beyond.

Contemporary art and décor was brought into the space, proving to be perfectly compatible within a modern Spanish style home and interior design.

A high-end Spanish-style kitchen can be another high visual impact area of your custom home.

a French Black La Cornue Range Stove is Paired with a Spanish Style Plaster Range Hood in a Contemporary Modern Spanish Home in Santa Barbara, California
a French Style Black La Cornue Range in a Spanish Kitchen
an Artisan Hand Crafts a Spanish Style Plaster Range Hood in a Santa Barbara, Ca Remodel.
Santa Barbara Artisan Making a Spanish Style Range Hood
a Contemporary Modern Spanish Style Kitchen in Santa Barbara, California Has a Plaster Range Hood and a Black French Range.
Modern Spanish Kitchen Design in Santa Barbara Ca

The completed Spanish kitchen design in this high-end home renovation in Santa Barbara.

a Modern Spanish Living Room in Santa Barbara, California with Fireplace and Spanish Staircase in the Background.
Santa Barbara Interior Design for Spanish Homes
Jeff Doubét Book on Amazon
Creating Spanish Style Homes®