Decorating & Design
Step Inside A Stunning Montecito, California Vacation Home
Updated on May 20, 2016
Toronto husband-and-wife Ivan Fecan, one of Canada’s most notable media executives, and Sandra Faire, an award-winning producer, find a retreat from the cold in this sparkling Montecito, California vacation home. With sprawling views of the Pacific Ocean, the 4,000-square-foot adobe home was built in the 1970s by architect Jack Lionel Warner. Thanks to the work of designer Bruce Gregga, Stephan Jones and landscape designer Jessica Harlin, the space is an ideal mix of calming, classic and contemporary elements. Tour the interior and you’ll see why when Ivan and Sandra visit, they never want to leave.
A huge studio window is angled to showcase the mountains outside. The landscape is lit up at night, creating a spectacular view. Inside, deep lounge chairs arranged around a tufted ottoman emphasize comfort and anchor the central living space.
The well-appointed terrace serves as an extension of the interior living space and is used just as often. An open aluminum railing extends sight lines, and an architectural overhang provides shade. The aggregate patio is original, but the couple had the plunge pool retiled in bright turquoise.
Designer Bruce Gregga installed the set of wooden doors from India during the reno in the ’90s. They lead to the pool equipment and an exterior garden wall. A mature bougainvillea hedge adds texture and greenery.
A Buddha that dates back nearly a century is tucked into a vestibule leading to the family room and a guest room. “When I first saw it, I was instantly drawn to it,” says Sandra.
In the family room, watery blue artwork speaks to the ocean nearby. The ceilings had been stripped to wood planks and painted. Ivan and Sandra wanted something more in keeping with Jack Warner’s vision, so Gregga had them smoothed over with drywall that resembles plaster.
Gregga had the eight dining chairs reproduced based on an Italian Art Deco-era style. Sandra describes the 12-panel Coromandel screen as the home’s most unexpected decorative feature, and one that adds so much depth and pattern to the space. Studded with foxtail agave and dwarf olive trees, the tiered landscape outside is like a work of art.
When Gregga first worked on the house 20 years ago, he broadened the previously narrow hallway to its now-flowing proportions. A sliding door opens to the pool deck, blurring the distinction between indoors and out. The heavy oak door — original to the house — and polished credenza add contrast in the light space.
Like the other two bedrooms, this guest suite offers fantastic ocean vistas, especially from the private balcony. Hits of indigo in a variety of patterns keep it feeling fresh.
Standout rugs add color and pattern throughout the home, even in Sandra’s bathroom, where the serene watery tones of this one perfectly suit the space. The view from this window is one of Sandra’s favorites — it’s the only place on the property that has palm trees.
Stacey Brandford
House & Home May 2015
Bruce Gregga, Stephan Jones