BEST OF HOME
A FRESH EYE Abigail Turin
and John Gans caught “the Santa Barbara bug” more than 10 years ago when the San Francisco-based couple spent Thanksgiving at the Four Seasons Resort Biltmore. Gans, an investment manager, set out on a quiet search to find a property near Padaro Beach. “We came down with our daughter when she was just a month old,” says Turin, a designer and cofounder of architecture firm Kallos Turin, which is known for crafting sleek, architectural structures around the world. With their daughter strapped into a Björn, Gans led Turin through the underpass to investigate a property that intrigued him, which was a thorough surprise to his wife. She recalls: “I said, ‘Well, as long as we’re playing this game, I think that’s the one I would want,’” as she pointed to a low-slung ’50s modern home that appeared to have been untouched since its original construction. They inquired about the property, which was for rent, and during the next few years, spent as much time as their schedules allowed at the home. Eventually, they bought it, and Turin has since shepherded it through a loving renovation, replacing the giant panes of untempered glass, eradicating mold and termites, and maintaining the home’s original footprint while other less-sensitive designers might have been tempted to raze it. Turin even transplanted a small rose garden to a different parcel of the property to preserve its original character. “Because we lived in the home as-is for years, I felt attached to certain things,” she says. “And because this house is always filled with guests and kids, nothing could be too precious.” Turin is also expanding her professional reach and is working on her friend Elizabeth Colling’s gourmet takeout shop at the Montecito Country Mart this year. –C.L.
Abigail Turin at her Padaro Beach home; the Kallos Turin-designed guest bedroom with Roe Etheridge photographs and a Missoni rug; outdoor fire pit framed by Paola Lenti furniture; the B&B Italia-filled living room. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT:
S A N TA B A R B A R A
BESTOF15.home.indd 70
P H OTO G R A P H S : D O M I N I Q U E VO R I L LO N ; B OT TO M L E F T, J O E F L E TC H E R
“I love everything about Padaro, especially the mix of sun and fog, which means the view is always changing.”
BEST OF 2015
1/30/15 11:11 AM