GARDENS

FROM THE GROUND UP

Thoroughly Integrating The Design Of His Montecito Residence With Its Site, Architect William Hefner’s Gardens Enhance A Resort Lifestyle

BY ROGER GRODY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA HULL & RICHARD POWERS

RIGHT Beyond the swimming pool is the multi-tiered “overlook”—an ideal perch from which to view the entire property—featuring blue agave and creeping rosemary.

BELOW A walkway planted with Westringia fruticosa ‘Smokey’ (coast rosemary) beneath an old grove olive tree, an example of Hefner creating interest in circulation elements and transitional areas.

OPPOSITE a View of gym building adjoining the tiered “overlook,” lushly planted with blue agave, coffeeberry, Pride of Madeira and creeping rosemary.

LOS ANGELES-BASED STUDIO William Hefner is one of California’s premier luxury residential design firms, offering sophisticated architecture, landscape architecture and interior design services. In the coastal community of Montecito, where the firm maintains a branch office, founding partner William Hefner built himself a retreat that reflects a relaxed resort lifestyle. The property’s gardens, inspired by the natural environment, are central to the architect’s vision. In contrast to Hefner’s more formal residence in L.A.’s stately Hancock Park neighborhood, the laid-back Montecito home is fully integrated into its rustic Romero Canyon site, not far from historic San Ysidro Ranch. Reflecting the architect’s longstanding philosophy, the property showcases an indoor-outdoor lifestyle while optimizing views.

This view toward an orchard of fruit trees encompasses rosemary and purple salvia, with a towering coast live oak in foreground and boulders recovered during excavation.

Profoundly connected to its one-acreplus site, the residence is truly a product of the local environment. After a substantial vein of Santa Barbara sandstone was discovered during excavation, that material was liberally incorporated into the home’s design, indoors and out. Not only does it bring warmth to Hefner’s contemporary aesthetics, but the indigenous golden stone provides a sense of place, just as the project’s low-profile structures emulate the original equestrian ranchstyle homes and haciendas of the region.

“The buildings were pushed as far to the perimeter as possible to create generous useable exterior spaces, taking advantage of Montecito’s ideal climate,” explains Hefner, who forfeited a traditional front lawn in favor of more private outdoor spaces. The inspiration for the design was a resort lifestyle, here translated into a compound of three primary buildings with their own dedicated functions, each one enjoying unfettered access to the gardens.

“My concept for the landscaping was to create plantings that are native in character and would not be perceived as overdesigned, but rather more natural and organic,” explains Hefner. The parcel is shaded by magnificent oak trees, some up to 250 years-old, and the structures were

ABOVE Scene of an outdoor living area adjoining the main building, planted with coastal buckwheat and Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’ amidst a mature coast live oak.

BELOW LEFT Beyond an ancient oak is the pool cabana, landscaped with coffeeberry and native rock.

BELOW RIGHT Sitting area, warmed by a fireplace clad in Santa Barbara sandstone, where a coast live oak tree and Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’ contribute to a natural, organic theme.

Sixty-foot pool with views of a fruit tree orchard and mountains beyond, a scene accented with blue agave, fern pine and coast live oak trees.

sited to ensure these ancient living things would continue to thrive. With the oaks protected, much of the parcel’s extraneous growth was removed to reveal panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

One of the home’s five wood-burning fireplaces is outdoors, a prominent stone feature that warms a cedarplanked open-air living area, with the 60-foot-long swimming pool just steps away. An orchard features fig, apricot, peach and citrus trees that Hefner suggests present a subtle symphony of colors, while raised planters on the property, created from Santa Barbara sandstone, supply the kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables.

An area Hefner refers to as the “overlook” is a garden studded with blue agave and enveloped by creeping rosemary over multiple levels, each tier artfully created with the site’s signature sandstone. “It’s the last part of the property to receive sunlight, which makes it a perfect place to enjoy a glass of Champagne at the end of the day,” reports the architect, who clearly appreciates a healthy work-life balance. CH williamhefner.com