By Nancy Ransohoff
Among the hallmarks of good architecture is a harmonious relationship between the structure and its setting. A beautiful case in point is a recently completed project by Dylan Henderson, principal owner of Salt Architecture in Santa Barbara.
Set into a lush hillside on an 18-acre parcel in the Summerland foothills, the ranch includes a 5,600-square-foot main house, detached carport-style garage, barn, and tack room. Henderson began design work on the project in 2020 and the build was completed by general contractor Gavin Moores with CP Custom Builders in 2024.
“The clients really wanted a house that was very connected to the landscape,” says Henderson. “We started the design by tying into the natural landscape of the hillside, taking the existing topographic line that was weaving through the property and holding it to connect to the deck edge so it felt like an extension of the hill.”
Up on the roof
Another design element that contributes to the organic, integrated effect is the use of green roofs, a sustainable system where vegetation is planted over a waterproof membrane. “If you look at the project from the front, the sitelines of the roof follow the stepping of the hillsides beyond,” says the architect. “The green roofs with native plants created these beautiful moments such as when you walk into the house you have a view of green roof above and one to your side. It feels like this plane just got lifted up and you’re inhabiting the inside of it. That was really fun.”
Inside, the home’s floor plan flows seamlessly from one light, airy room to the next. “The clients wanted it to be very open with as few walls as possible,” Henderson says. “That created some challenges, like ‘how do you create privacy with no walls and still make it feel appropriate?’ I think we were able to accomplish it.”
In keeping with the overall aesthetic, natural materials including wood, stone, and natural plaster in a simple palette were used throughout the house, creating a grounded, serene feel. “We used reclaimed wood inside and out, including on the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator panels,” says Henderson, who also designed the interiors. Custom cabinetry for the kitchen and throughout the project was provided by Interior Wood Designs. The flooring is natural limestone from Europe in dove gray and creamy hues.
In the details
Henderson is always mindful of designing for the rhythms and small moments of daily living. “The majority of people’s time gets spent in the kitchen and surrounding spaces,” he says, “so the nook was important. It has a popout with three sides of windows and an upholstered banquette, making it a great place to have coffee in the morning.”
The house embraces indoor-outdoor California living while exuding an understated elegance and warmth. A spacious great room is adjacent to the dining room, with its rugged oak ceiling and stone wall, and expansive clean-lined steel windows framing chaparral and avocado orchard views. Doors open onto a fixed screened-in porch that provides comfortable year-round outdoor living and entertaining space with a wood-burning fireplace, while offering protection from insects and wildlife.
Two primary suites are highlighted by beds with headboards wrapped in reclaimed hardwood, and integrated drawers and cubbies, along with facing views to Rincon Point. There is also a guest bedroom in the main house and an existing guest house that occupies a back corner of the property. Bathrooms include elements like sinks carved out of limestone and a monolithic marble shower opening to the land.
Stewards of the land
The integration of the home with its setting extends to the understated drought-tolerant landscape design. “This project has such a beautiful view of Carpinteria Point,” says landscape architect Keir Smith of Bosky Landscape Architecture and the lead on the project. “That was the driving force. We wanted to let the Pacific Ocean do the talking and not distract from that or from the architecture.” The beautifully restrained design incorporates timeless natural materials that echo those of the house, with stone pathways and walls, and a gravel driveway.
California native plants including atlas fescue, deer grass, and yarrow, and flowering perennials were used in both the green roofs and the landscape. “The concept of the green roofs was to take the landscape that we proposed for the outside of the house and seamlessly integrate it into the roof,” says Smith. “We also feel that for every square foot of roof we plant we’re kind of giving back to the land, and to the habitat for pollinators. It felt like it was consistent with the clients’ desired concept and allows them to be stewards of this land on a property that will evolve over time.”
www.saltarchitect.com
www.boskyland.com
