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After losing their family home in the Montecito mudslide, a California family tasked designer Rita Donahoe of Rita Chan Interiors with crafting a healing new space. “To create spaces with fresh and uplifting, yet calm and peaceful energy that would help the family to heal from the traumas of the past and to create meaningful new memories,” shares Rita, was her directive. While the initial brief had a focus on modern, industrial design, the designer “also wanted to honor the past and to celebrate the present moment and the surrounding natural environment so we layered in warmth and natural textures that we felt would stand the test of time."
The architectural and design details of the Montecito home
As a 5,500-square-foot new build on undeveloped land in Montecito, replete with exquisite views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains, the new home featured architectural details like high vaulted ceilings, large-scale steel doors and windows offering panoramic views of the ocean and mountains. That connection to the landscape served both the architecture and the interior design of the home. As Rita points out, “We referenced a lot of the work of Howard Backen and Patina Home & Garden (Gianetti's) as inspiration. And naturally, the architect, Kas Seefeld, set the course of the design direction by building a foundation of structures so naturally connected to the outdoors.” The end result, she notes, is a home “that felt modern yet natural and connected to the land,” thanks to materials like Santa Barbara sandstone and smooth plaster.
The project posed a great opportunity for Rita, whose design philosophy embraces indoor-outdoor living and a marriage between architecture and the environment. “It's important to us to create interiors that feel like a natural extension of the exterior architectural style and surrounding environment to embrace the connection to the outdoors and to make the entire experience feel cohesive, calming and meaningful. For us, this often means colors and textures that reflect the outdoors,” she shares. “For this property, it was the blues of the ocean and the soft tones of sandstone and weathered tree trunks.”
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Rita Chan's creative process
Creatively collaborating with the clients, too, afforded her a great deal of freedom. She says of how she connects to each client across her range of projects: “I ask them personal questions, especially in the beginning of a project where it's crucial to know their history, heritage, lifestyle, values, hobbies, vision for the future and what their optimal life would look like. Ideally, we infuse all of these elements into their design. It gets personal fast when you have to answer these types of questions. And laughter is, of course, always the best way to connect. We try our best to keep it light and fun so everyone has a good time throughout the process.”
The most notable design elements in the home
Among her favorite features in the home is the large-scale plaster hood she conceptualized for the kitchen. “While we went through several rounds of drawings to get to the final size and shape, we ultimately worked with a skilled builder and carpenter on site to finalize all the details of the shape and curves to get it just right,” she explains of the process. The end result was worth the extra effort. “Sometimes it takes the most thought and energy to make something look and feel effortless and natural!”
Intrigued by Rita’s work? Learn more about her approach to design and book a virtual consultation here.
