This is how you do coastal style tastefully – how a redesigned Montecito home became the perfect Californian coastal retreat

Three images of Montecito home family room, kitchen and living room.

It's hard to imagine it, looking at it now, but until recently this cool, calm and collected ocean-front vacation home was dated and in a bad state of repair.

The original house design dates back to the 1980s, a classic California coastal ranch in an idyllic spot overlooking Butterfly Beach in Montecito. The setting couldn't be bettered. The house, however, had to be stripped to the studs to put right the damage from previous leaks, wood rot and lack of insulation.