SUBSCRIBE NOW
    • Homes

    Crowning the mountains, this California home by Corinne Mathern Studio blends into the scenery with an earthy palette

    MAY 22, 2023 | By Dyumni Pandit
    The roof eaves have a dark charcoal plaster while the roof fascia has been done by Benjamin Moore in a “Midsummer Night” shade. The chiselled stone hearth is in Indiana Buff Limestone; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    In the living room, the tile flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces. The chiselled stone hearth is in Indiana Buff Limestone and the custom pine block coffee tables in dark brown stain are by CM studio. The wooden sculpture is from Big Daddy’s antiques and the brass bowls are by Tom Dixon; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The primary bedroom has custom millwork and nightstands in white oak fabricated by Allen Construction. White oak flooring takes the floor while neutral linen fabric drapery and vintage Japanese block print add to the theme. Holly Hunt, Forbes and Lomax, Armadillo, Zak and Fox, Teixidors, Galerie Provenance, and Noomi Backhausen from Ponce Berga furnish the room. The dark bronze hardware is by Pruskin Hardware; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The rug is by Woven store,​​ “The Lutah Sofa” is by Corinne Mathern for Una Malan and has been upholstered in designs of the time boucle. The custom walnut coffee table here is by Christopher Norman. The arm chairs are by Nickey Kehoe and upholstered in Rose Uniacke with a heavy weight linen “Juniper.” The floor lamp is by Paavo Tynell for Gubi while the sconces are by Atelier de Troupe. The roman shade in natural linen is fabricated by Santa Cruz Designs. The cashmere knits are by Teixidors while the custom plan vessel by Eye of the Day; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The furniture is by Restoration Hardware in natural teak while Perennials fabrics lends a helping hand. The beige cashmere knit is by R+D.LAB; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The artwork is by Gala Porras Kim, titled “Rio Viejo Monument.” The dining table is by CM Studio, fabricated by Bananas and Hammocks. The dining table chairs are by Stahl and Band. The dining pendant is by Ruemmler and the wood carved bowl is by The Window Design Studio. The candlesticks are by Nancy Pearce. The flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces. The island pendants are by Atelier de Troupe and the vase is by Victoria Morris Pottery. The wooden sculpture is by Michael Wilson from JF Chen and the walnut cutting board is by Jacob May Design. The crockery is by Luvhaus ceramics and Paula Grief. The stools are by Nickey Kehoe in dark green maharam leather. The tile backsplash is by Pratt and Larson while the swivel chairs in the room are by Una Malan in Calvin Fabrics linen; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The tiling is by Exquisite Surfaces. The island pendants are by Atelier de Troupe and the vase is by Victoria Morris Pottery. The wood sculpture is by Michael Wilson from JF Chen. While the walnut cutting board is by Jacob May Design and the dishware is by Luvhaus ceramics and Paula Grief, the stools are by Nickey Kehoe. The kitchen stone is Honed “Sea Pearl” Quartzite as two-toned walnut cabinetry and shelving run along in the background. The tile backsplash is by Pratt and Larson and the swivel chairs are by Una Malan in the Calvin Fabrics linen; Photography by Nicole Franzen
    The flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces while the sconces are by Workstead. The vintage brass bowl on the counter is by Counter Space and the vintage kilim is from 1stDibs. The white oak stool is by Guillaume Sasseville from Garde while the faucets are by Waterworks; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    As the sun sets in the valley, it casts a golden glow on the Pacific. The sky turns a pinkish red as the warm California breeze wafts, undisturbed. A quaint home perches on a hilltop, its glass windows sieving the rich yellow. It’s as if nature is assembling all its elements for the perfect picture. 

    This 3,000 sq ft dwelling crafted by ​​Corinne Mathern, Founder and Principal, Corinne Mathern Studio and Dovetail Architects sits astride the ocean and the Mission Canyon in Santa Barbara, enjoying the best of both worlds. Outdoors enter the home through tall glass sliding doors, leaving their mark with natural materials and an earthy palette. 

    The dining room has artwork by Gala Porras-Kim, titled “Rio Viejo Monument.” It uses acrylic paint and reflective glass beads on paper in a mahogany frame. The dining table is custom with white oak and a obsidian quartzite top by CM studio, fabricated by Bananas and Hammocks. The white oak dining chairs are from Stahl + Band and the dining pendant is by Ruemmler in honey-coloured silk. Wood carved bowl is from The Window Design Studio while the bronze candlesticks are by Nancy Pearce. Tile flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces. The island pendants are by ​Atelier de Troupe while the vase that adorns it is by Victoria Morris Pottery. The wood sculpture by Michael Wilson from JF Chen decorates the island. The walnut cutting board is by Jacob May Design and the dishware and mugs are by Luvhaus ceramics and Paula Greif. The stools that are pushed to the island are by Nickey Kehoe in dark green Maharam leather. The kitchen stone is Honed “Sea Pearl” Quartzite as two-toned walnut cabinetry and shelving run along in the background. The tile backsplash is by Pratt and Larson. The swivel chairs in the room are by Una Malan in Calvin Fabrics linen; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    A blend of outdoor and indoor 

    “The focus for the home was to create a natural palette of materials to make the transition between the indoors to the outdoors seamless. The design expression of the home is structured around a deep appreciation for the setting,” muses Corinne.

    With a front row seat to the Santa Barbara coastline, the streamlined architecture of the dwelling blends into the green foliage. Originally made of two rooms —- the main residence and the game room, the space divides into two floors. With some wooden furniture, neutral-coloured decor accessories, and potted plants, the game room morphed into a bedroom, bathroom, and a living room. 

    The flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces. Atelier de Troupe lends its pendants while the vase on the table is by Victoria Morris Pottery. The wooden sculpture on the counter is by Michael Wilson from JF Chen. The walnut cutting board is by Jacob May Design as Paula Grief and Luvhaus Ceramics lend their dishware. The stools here are by Nickey Kehoe while the tiles are by Pratt Larson. The swivel chairs are by Una Malan in Calvin Fabrics linen; Photography by Nicole Franzen

     

    The media room houses a rug by Armadillo and an “extra soft” sofa by Living Divani that runs in dark green linen. The walls are done by Benjamin Moore with a “Victorian Garden” theme while the roman shades in natural linen are fabricated by Santa Cruz Designs. The pillows are by Treko and the custom oak side tables are by CM Studio. The knit on the sofa is by John Pawson for Teixidors; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    A worthy climb 

    A steep driveway leads to the abode crowning the mountain top. The tiresome trek is worth it! Lush landscape nestles the home as a path of natural flagstone escorts to the open patio. A custom fire pit sits by the mountainside for a Sunday cookout. The living room’s glass window opens in the courtyard, gazing at the setting sun, enticing you to sit after the long walk. 

    A solid oak framed glass door opens into the living room. A lap pool peeks from behind a floor to ceiling glass window in front, as if inviting you to take a dip. A pocket door separates the cosy media room from the hallway. 

    The flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces while the custom console is designed by · Christopher Norman in Douglas Fir. The chiselled stone bowl is from Big Daddy’s Antiques and the vintage table lamp is from JF Chen; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    Benjamin Moore “Victoria Garden” lends his expertise to design the den-like room. Dark green couches huddle together in a corner as a large cushioned table sits in the centre. Comfortable throws lay on the bed as bamboo shutters shade the room from natural light to make it the perfect place for a movie marathon. There’s a certain elegance in the room that comes from the understated, natural colours. Although small, the room doesn’t look clustered, the abundance of windows makes it look cosy and open. 

    The living room, dining room, kitchen and bar sit adjacently to each other, flowing into each other without walls binding them. 

    The chairs are by Stahl + Band, the dining pendant is by Ruemmler, and the wooden carved bowl is by The Window Design Studio. The bronze candlesticks are by Nancy Pearce. Tile flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    A getaway inside

    Subtle white and hues of brown wood dominate the living room. As two plush armchairs sit next to each other, a bespoke centre table kneels in front of them. A wooden bench and stool surround the table from the other sides. A small fireplace is lined with a panel to accommodate a custom planter. The room resembles a wooden cabin. 

    A simple open white marble country top with specks of grey sits by the living room to make the kitchen. Dark brown wooden cabinets line behind it. The light brown dining table sits under a hanging light.

    The headboard panel is in Holly Hunt fabric while the lumbar pillow is in a Zak+ Fox boucle. There is a vintage Japanese block print in the bathroom. The bronze tray is by Counter Space; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    Retractable sliding doors open to the backyard pool, spa, and barbeque through the area. A narrow staircase leads to the second floor that accommodates a guest bedroom and bathroom. A short path leads to a secluded primary suite, away from the rest of the home. A separate door opens into its living room, bar, bedroom, and bathroom. 

    Two dark wooden chairs turn towards the centre table as a cream couch sits in the background. Although detached, this suite follows the same colour palette and theme as the rest of the house. 

    “Our clients had travelled to the Aman Hotel in Kyoto and loved the flow of the bedroom through to the bathroom. We created a connected space for them with a wall of pocketed wooden doors that allowed the spaces to be as connected or disconnected as they wanted,” says Corinne. The space is separated with a monolithic wood form. Abundant light and soft breeze tour the suits through its windows. The room opens into a deck on the terrace, designed with wooden furniture. You can also imagine it glimmering with yellow fairy lights under the night sky that shines with millions of stars itself. 

    Exquisite Surfaces has done the flooring here while the sconces are by Workstead. The vintage brass bowl is by Counter Space and the vintage kilim is from 1stDibs. The white oak stool is from Guillaume Sasseville from Garde and the facets are by Waterworks; Photography by Nicole Franzen

     

    The custom millwork is in white oak. The flooring is by Exquisite Surfaces and the stone countertop is in mediterranean quartzite. The sconces are by Workstead while the vintage brass bowl on the counter is by Counter Space. The vintage kilim running is from 1stDibs and the white oak stool is by Guillaume Sasseville from Garde. The faucets are by Waterworks in polished nickel; Photography by Nicole Franzen

    Warm wood and earthy greens 

    “Wood walls are an element common in luxury spaces but we added architectural details to them that unlevelled them,” adds Corinne. Other natural materials like clay, plaster, solid woods, linens, and cottons make the home timeless. Blues, green, and yellows with deep pigments are splitting images of the hues outdoors. The serene colours balance the wood. 

    The architects swerved away from making the space clunky, something that happens with wooden furniture. They adroitly designed the home in a way that wooden structures hid background installations. While the landscape is the primary artwork of the home, a work by Gala Porras-Kim captures the essence of the home, standing at the crux of it.

    You may also like: A vacation home in Mumbai indulges in forest bathing crafted by Studio Grid