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This Small California Cottage is Brimming with Big Style
With pared-down furnishings and functional collections, a Santa Barbara couple made the most of every square inch of their quaint (1,300 sq. ft.!) casita.
Too small. Those were the words that Kelley and Greg Motschenbacher, who already have a beautiful ranch in Ojai, uttered after touring their Santa Barbara soon-to-be dream home five years ago. While there were plenty of pros to the property—a lush and private lot, gorgeous Pacific Ocean and downtown views, quintessential 1920s Spanish Colonial architecture—the couple could not get past the fact that the two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow was just a tad too little. On top of the minimal square footage, the house also needed practical electrical and heating updates. “We thanked the agent and walked out the door,” says Kelley. “Of course, once we got back in the car, we couldn’t stop talking about it.”
After halfheartedly looking at four other, larger properties, the Motschenbachers returned to the blue-and-white casita on that pretty (if not overgrown) piece of land. Kelley, a designer and Greg, a project manager, realized that the home’s boundless potential outweighed the negatives of a tiny footprint. “It just needed some love,” says Kelley. While Kelley had to think long and hard every time she brought a piece into a small room, she says she wouldn’t trade small-scale living for all the square footage in the world. She’s been there, done that.
Take a tour of every style-packed corner...
Airy and Comfortable Living Room
Throughout the house Kelley had all of the original white oak floors re-stained a driftwood gray and removed layers and layers of old paint from the walls. Once the original walls were revealed, she hired a local master craftsman to stucco throughout, and then left them natural.
In the petite living room, she wanted a sofa that could fit beneath the arched windows, but not one that felt comically slight. The solution: a just-right 76-inch custom piece that can accommodate two people. A pair of equally scaled-down wingbacks reinforces the idea that small furniture needn’t feel modern nor minimalist. A square antique table (cut down from a taller table) completes the puzzle, and a simple lantern provides plenty of light without breaking up the space.
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Hanging Lantern: Small Lantern by Chapman & Myers
Vintage Style Throughout
Furnishing the house presented a whole new set of challenges. “I really like antiques because they’re often weird, nontraditional sizes that are ideal for smaller rooms,” Kelley says. Her collection of Hubley dog door stops sit (and stay) on the living room mantel.
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Cast Iron Dogs: Vintage Dog Door Stops for a similar look
A Simple, Hardworking Kitchen
High on the priority list was bringing the 1980s kitchen into the new millennium. A narrow rolling island—“It’s our mobile cutting board,” says Kelley—with industrial legs provides the perfect prep space. Honed concrete countertops and Italian porcelain floors both offer soft, subtle contrast to the room’s airy white palette.
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Rolling Island: Maple top work table by John Boos
Countertops: Raw Concrete by Ceasarstone
Open Storage
“I wanted the room to be simple—just a place to cook a nice meal. I didn’t want an over-the-top kitchen, full of over-scaled things,” Kelley says.
A Compact Range Nook
After replacing a massive Thermador stove with a more right-sized model, the Motschenbachers installed a petite shiplapped hood that adds understated character instead of heavy, hulking metal. To keep spices and ingredients easily accessible, Kelley outfitted custom shelving with hand-rolled steel brackets.
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White Paint Color: Super White by Benjamin Moore
Range: 5 burner Thermador stove
Pot Rack: Mount wall rack for a similar look
A Room for Two Dining Room
In the dining room, an X-brace dining table positioned on the diagonal maximizes space and enhances the flow between rooms. And because the couple primarily entertains on the adjacent gravel patio, there is no need to force four or six seats around it. Instead, two oversize seagrass chairs are substantial enough to carry the space.
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Chairs: Seagrass dining chair by The London Factory
Table: Trestle dining table for a similar look
A Dreamy Bedroom
For the bedroom (that was converted from a sleeping porch) Kelley searched high and (mostly) low for a king bed with a low-profile headboard that could fit beneath the window. Simple white 8-inch-wide tables fill the remaining space on either side (and seamlessly blend in with the surrounding white shiplap). An acrylic-legged woven bench offers seating, and a cheerful bolster adds color and pattern without competing with the view (which is provided thanks to a new wall of windows that crank open).
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Bed: Copenhagen bed for a similar look
Upholstered Bench: Modern bedroom benches for a similar look
Spacious Bathroom
An oversize mirror in the home’s only bathroom enhances the space’s sunny disposition, and two large sconces complement its heft. Blue-gray cabinetry offers ample storage.
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Mirror: Studio framed wall mirror by Pottery Barn
Sconces: Single sconce bathroom lighting for a similar look
Laundry Room
In the mudroom/laundry room, a sampling of Kelley’s many woven totes and baskets—“One of my weaknesses!” she says—conceals odds and ends while adding a textural touch to the wall. A small antique bench offers additional storage for gardening supplies or the next load of laundry.
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Bench: Antique benches for a similar look
Woven Tote: French market basket for a similar look
Outdoor Dining Room
The California sunshine, cafe lights, and a long teak table make for an exceptional al fresco dining experience. “If it’s sunny, we’re outside,” Kelley says. Millie the dog basks in the Golden State glow.
Get the look:
Table: Gather table from DWR
Chairs: Director's Chair by Serena & Lily for similar look
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