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We’re thrilled to have finally begun construction on our second personal, full home renovation and design project - Casa Plunkett. This 95 year old Santa Barbara home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, beautiful arched doorways, high ceilings, and an old-world charm that we can’t wait to restore. Casa Plunkett was built in 1927 by renowned architect Joseph J. Plunkett- most well known for designing the Arlington Theater, El Presidio, and Spanish Colonial style homes in the Santa Barbara area. Casa Plunkett is a unique home intertwining Norman Cottage style with Spanish Revival. You can see these character attributes mostly in the roof of the house as it combines a shaker roof with a Spanish tile ridgeline.
Joseph Plunkett started his architectural journey in the early 1920’s when he took a trip to California and never returned to his home state of New York. His first project was helping with the design of the Santa Maria Inn in 1923, and from there, Plunkett moved to Santa Barbara and hoped to establish a collective look for the coastal town. One of his biggest projects to date is the design of the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara which Plunkett drew on a piece of hotel paper the night before his meeting with the investors of the project. To this day, you can spot a Plunkett design by the window treatments, ornamental iron, and tile designs.
Redesigning and restoring homes with so much history is a passion of ours. Like our last project, Casa Vista - a 1945 Spanish Bungalow, we want to give the home a much needed facelift while also keeping the architectural and design integrity it holds. Much of the exterior of the home will remain the same - we plan to put in all new landscaping including a ficus hedge, re-build and paint the window sashes and doors, replace the roof with the same style as the original home, and restore the old-world beauty of the home.
On the interior of the home, we are redesigning the primary suite by adding a new primary bathroom (featuring our Cove House London Vanity) and a walk-in closet. We are keeping the second and third bedroom as-but we will be completely remodeling the guest bathroom with warm terracotta tile for the shower and a playful rust, forest and ivory checker tile by Clé on the floor. We will be adding a combination of herringbone and wide plank white oak floors throughout the house. The kitchen will feature a Calacatta Viola marble and a mix of vanilla and moody green cabinetry. For hardware throughout the house we are going to be mixing metals and featuring both aged brass and brushed nickel.
We are so excited to share our progress with you via our Instagram. Be sure to follow along on social media for updates including Casa Plunkett and other design projects we have in the works!
Chase and Isabella