Darrell Becker and Kirsten Kemp Becker, purchased this 1960s ranch home in Santa Barbara, CA, through a limited-liability company for about $1.7 million in January. In July, the home was listed for $4.975 million was reduced to a price of $4.695 million, and has since been sold through Riskin Associates of Village Properties Realtors. The couple, aka Becker Studios, successfully remodeled an outdated hacienda and turned it into a stunning contemporary bungalow with a Mexican-Spanish feel. The home measures about 3,650 square feet and includes four bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. The master bedroom opens up to a newly renovated yard and pool area. An outdoor area features a repurposed trellis above a herringbone brick patio and stone fireplace. The property also includes a 18-by-40-foot pool and a separate spa.
The couple co-own Becker Studios, a real-estate design and construction company that works on both residential and commercial projects. They purchased this home as an investment property. When they did their first walk through of the home, they knew exactly how they wanted to redesign it. “We both walked out, looked at each other and said ‘contemporary hacienda’,” said Mrs. Kemp Becker. Much of the property was ‘just weeds’ when the couple began their extensive renovation. They added landscaping across the property, including 15 mature olive trees, which “immediately gave it a sense of time, said Mr. Becker.
“The most compelling component of the house is the siting on the parcel,” Mr. Becker said, noting that it creates a “very bright and inviting home.” The living room, like the rest of the house, was renovated “down to the studs,” Ms. Kemp Becker said, including new heating, plumbing, electrical systems and finishes. They estimate spending $2 million on the renovation, not including architectural and design fees. The couple added aged wood beams on the ceilings of some rooms that were inspired by their travels to the Yucatán in Mexico. “We really wanted to infuse a lot of that Old World, Mexican-Spanish feeling,” Ms. Kemp Becker said. The fireplace was existing, but they installed a corbel detail above it that creates more visual interest, they said. In the dining area, they painted the wooden ceiling beams white and used rough fabrics to create a look with more ‘pop,’ Ms. Kemp Becker said.

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