This Rustic Ranch Is a Young Los Angeles Couple's Dream Vacation Home

Situated beneath rolling California hills and vast pastures is a ranch-style home that Rita Chan Interiors transformed into an idyllic country getaway.

February 18, 2022

By: Kamron Sanders

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Photo By: Gavin Cater

A Los Angeles Couple Escapes to the Santa Ynez Countryside

Designer Rita Donahoe of Rita Chan Interiors describes Santa Ynez as “a peaceful valley sprinkled with vineyards, wineries and horse ranches and surrounded by a beautiful mountain range — specifically the notable Figueroa Mountain, known for its stunning wildflower bloom in the spring.” This is what drove her clients, a young couple from LA, to purchase the property that, with Rita’s help, would soon become their dreamy country escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Her goal? To pull out the home's rustic roots and give much needed character to the recently renovated space.

3 New Guest Bedrooms Make Vacation Property Perfect for Hosting

The vacation property consists of the main house, a freestanding office space, a guest house, a garage and art studio, as well as multiple outdoor spaces to promote rest and relaxation, including a basketball court, vineyard and swimming pool. While the main house is home to three bedrooms, the renovation added three additional bedrooms spread throughout the various outbuildings. These extra rooms make the property the perfect getaway for guests who want to join the couple for weekends filled with olive canning, winemaking, floral arranging or simply sitting by the pool and enjoying the mild Santa Ynez climate.

Inspiration for This Home's Design Came From a Pendant Light

Because the home had already been renovated in recent years, Rita was met with an interior that felt nice, but uninspired. “When we first walked into the space, it was clear that it had been recently updated, and it did feel clean and fresh but was lacking in soul and character. Honestly, I didn’t instantly have a vision,” she notes. That vision came with time spent getting to know her clients as well as directly from the Santa Ynez valley itself.

While it’s evident how an area like Santa Ynez could inspire a home’s design, her other inspiration may surprise you. Hanging above the breakfast nook is a light fixture that was one of the only pieces that her clients owned prior and requested she include in the home’s redesign. “We were thrilled because we both loved the Apparatus fixture and because it was tremendously helpful in guiding the aesthetic for not only the lighting but the whole house,” she says. The light fixtures' bespoke, modern-meets-rustic appeal was the perfect jumping off point for the property’s design destination.

Natural Wood Gives a Rustic Feel to This Modern Ranch Home

To achieve the modern-meets-rustic aesthetic inspired by the Apparatus fixture, Rita's goal was to land somewhere between the ranch roots of the region surrounding the home and something more modern, intentionally using raw wood elements to point the design in the right direction. "If we were going for a more formal, traditional, ranch-style design, we would have incorporated more wood, with some darker, richer tones and detailing in the wood. But for this project, the intention was a light and bright modern ranch style that could still feel timeless," she says. "This resulted in a clean, more minimal foundation with rustic accents and more natural wood tones. The balance of materials always depends on the overall objective of the space. In this case, we wanted the warm, organic feeling of wood, but we didn’t want it to dominate, which is why it is layered into every room but in a more subtle way." She chose a bench more than 100 years old to line the entryway, cleverly outfitting it with a custom backing to hide the lower part of the window.

Natural Wood + Fresh Linens Give Main Bedroom a Destination Vibe

Rita's judicious use of wood flows into the bedroom from the continuation of the home's white oak floors to the exposed beams on the vaulted ceiling and via the modern white oak nightstands and impressive wood canopy bed. These naturalistic wood elements pair with fresh linens and a vintage rug to create a cozy combination that embodies the home's country getaway soul.

Earthy Finishes Help to Ground a Formerly All-White Kitchen

Rita's introduction of materials like unglazed Zellige tiles on the backsplash and a new dark limestone countertop offers an earthy, organic feel to the kitchen that was lacking before. "[The limestone] has beautiful exposed fossils, which really highlight its natural qualities. When we first walked into the kitchen, it was all white and almost felt as if it was floating away. The dark counters are meant to bring it all back to earth. I love how the dark color adds a bold contrast element and grounds the space," she explains. She did take advantage of the recent renovation and repurposed the existing white cabinets by simply replacing the hardware and paneling the refrigerator.

Expansive Bifold Doors Prioritize Indoor-Outdoor Living

Putting the outdoors front and center was part of the home's overhaul. In the main living area, this translates to a set of bifold doors connecting the dining room to a covered porch adjacent to the pool. Rita and her team worked closely with Dylan Henderson of SALT Architecture to make impactful architectural changes like this throughout the home. In addition to the expansive doors, Rita and Dylan raised the ceilings in the dining room, giving the space a much more open, inviting feel. The new bifold doors flood the space with light, bringing attention to Rita's carefully curated furnishings, while the newly expanded ceilings make room for yet another beautiful fixture from Apparatus. She chose vertical paneling throughout the space to accentuate the height of the ceilings.

Best Ways to Incorporate Bespoke Furnishings in Your Home

"Incorporating vintage and handmade pieces was key. All of the accessories throughout the home are either one-of-a-kind, vintage found items; handcrafted by local artisans; or collected by the clients from an artist that inspired them," says Rita. "All of the furnishings are either vintage or made-to-order by makers who focus on building one piece at a time vs. mass-manufactured on an assembly line. I think you can really feel the good energy behind each piece. Knowing that someone's good intentions and heartfelt attention went into the creation really makes a difference in both the way it looks and feels."

In her opinion, the dining room is an easy place to start when looking to incorporate similar bespoke furnishings into your home. As far as the table itself, she thinks a good one is worth the splurge. However, chairs are a different story. "I think dining chairs are definitely a place you can save on. There are so many cool, affordable vintage finds on Etsy and Craigslist, and oftentimes, estate and garage sales have some amazing deals on sets. You can also add personality by a seat cushion in a cool fabric which will make an old vintage chair more comfortable."

The Colors of Nature Influence the Designer's Choices of Living Room Furnishings

Much like the rest of the property, the living room's design was heavily influenced by the home's natural surroundings. Rita recalls, "The green from the trees is represented in the deep green of the sofa, and the earth tones and natural woods are brought in through the lounge chairs and coffee table. We used a combination of natural linens that will stand the test of time and worn leather to remind you that you’re in the country."

Simple, Understated Furnishings Allow the Views Outside to Shine

In order to preserve and highlight the views that lie beyond the living room's many windows, Rita was intentional in not visually overwhelming the space with busy patterns and bright colors. "While I love a good patterned pillow, I also think there are times when they can feel a little loud or distracting. Here we wanted each piece to have its moment and for the real star to be the views of the vineyard and oak tree — there is really no competing with that view!" she says.

Roman Clay Walls Create the Perfect Backdrop for a Converted Stone Planter Sink

The powder room is best described as a simple stunner. The sink, sourced on Chairish, is actually an old stone planter that Rita had waterproofed and converted to a sink. Thanks to a talented contractor, the immensely heavy planter now floats delicately against the Roman clay walls.

A Stand-Alone Office Space Sits Adjacent to a Gorgeous Guest House

Situated between the guest house and garage is a stand-alone office space that's sure to beat the couple's LA commute. Large concrete pavers lead to and from the space, winding around the water-conscious landscape that so beautifully dresses the property. To tie the freestanding space into the rest of the property, it was clad with board-and-batten siding to match the main house.

A Freestanding Office's Interior Design Visually Connects It to the Main House

A step inside the office reveals an interior that riffs off the main house, while still feeling decidedly separate. Vertical tongue-and-groove paneling finished in Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee and a tall white oak cabinet pull Rita's rustic-modern elements into the office, while a long row of blue cabinets and a modern concrete desk give a polished look to the space.

French Doors and Accordion Windows Offer Views of the Surrounding Property

Opposite the workstation is a custom built-in bench and a set of accordion windows that mimic the bifold doors seen in the main house. Along with the French doors at the end of the office, the windows offer fresh air and picturesque views of the couple's vineyard just outside.

A Chic Black Garage Highlights the Greenery Surrounding It

One of the property's standout features is a long garage building that's dressed in all black, contrasting the light finish on the main house and other outbuildings. Dylan Henderson says, “In the garage/creative studio, we chose a black heavily textured shou sugi ban siding from Delta Millworks. The intent was to allow the garage structure to recede into the background of the site, allowing the airy greenery of the trees to be dominant and visible in the foreground. Black, as the negative of color, creates a playful contrast between the adjacent guest house, office and beautiful landscaping colors of the site.” The garage is home to the couple's art studio, a spot they "use as a creative space for painting, drawing, building and working with the florals that they forage from the property," notes Rita.

Marine Ply and a Vintage Worktable Give This Studio Space a Raw Feel

The art studio is outfitted with custom marine ply cabinets that were left natural, giving the space a chic yet definitively utilitarian look. Centered in the room beneath the vintage copper pendant is a reclaimed worktable that Rita sourced from Santa Ynez General to enhance the raw aesthetic of the multipurpose studio space.

Why Adding Windows Will Increase Home Value and Happiness

While Dylan Henderson of SALT Architecture worked closely with Rita throughout the property, his biggest contribution is the two-bedroom guest house. The former barn was taken down to the studs and fully reimagined by Henderson, who transformed it into a standalone oasis. His implementation of a massive wall-to-wall window in one of the bedrooms offers stunning views of the landscape and vineyard.

In Rita's opinion, expanding windows is almost always worth the expense. "I think expanding your window size to let more natural light in and hopefully views of nature is one of the most impactful things you can do to raise the value of your home. Good lighting is a game-changer and being able to see leaves and grass and sky and anything natural will increase your health and happiness," she says. "Of course, every situation is different. You may not want to increase your window just to look at more of the side of a building, so what you are looking at needs to be taken into account, but generally more light, more nature is always good!"

Guesthouse Bathroom Feels Straight Out of Tuscany

Foraged olive branches from the garden find a new home in the guest bathroom, tying together the interior with the grounds of the property. The softly contrasting two-toned textured walls give the space a laid-back Tuscan vibe that distinguishes it from the main house.

A Shaded Pool Is the Perfect Spot to Enjoy Outdoor Time

Wandering onto the grounds of the property offers a glimpse into the relaxing qualities of the Santa Ynez countryside, a view that the owners and their guests enjoy as they lounge by the shaded pool.

A Board-Formed Concrete Wall Creates a Private Spot to Experience the Outdoors

At the end of the pool, Rita positioned an outdoor living space that sits beneath the privacy of a board-formed concrete wall (wood-grained texture on the face of the concrete) with an integrated gas fireplace. The intimate space is the ideal spot to enjoy a glass of homemade wine beneath the wide-open starry sky.