House & Home: April 22, 2023

871 Deerpath Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108

At the top of a private cul-de-sac this special retreat provides soothing ocean & harbor views along with easy access to the Montecito Village, pristine beaches & downtown Santa Barbara. The recently renovated single level residence and fully permitted ADU on a private acre of estate-like grounds offers a perfect getaway in an ideal location. High end designer finishes are evident throughout the light-filled home which features 4 bedrooms, a fabulous great room & a separate fully equipped 2-bedroom guest cottage.

Offered at $5,895,000

Tour this incredible property at SBRivieraHomes.com

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Creating a designer tablescape

questions into this handy tabletop guide for you to save and review the next time you’re hosting a dinner party, or are just in the need of some inspiration.

How many plates do I need at each place setting for a dinner party? While the answer to a question like this is more dictated by the menu than a set standard (at least in this day and age), here are a few items I like to keep in mind when building up my place settings.

Chargers: Don’t forget about this foundational piece. It’s a great way to add texture and design to your place settings. Chargers can be made of a variety of materials and add a little extra oomph between your tableware and the table that makes each stack of dishes really pop.

Dinner plates: Depending on how you stack it, your dinner plates might not get that much time in the limelight before dinner is served, so feel free to stick with a simpler, more versatile option. Perhaps the hardest working piece, the dinner plate’s job is to make your meal look fabulous and help the food shine.

Salad and appetizer plates: Depending on the formality of your dinner, this could be one or two pieces and is a great place to incorporate more personality into your table. Use the appetizer plate as a way to tie in the colors from your centerpiece for a polished look.

Bowls: Bowls are a great opportunity to make your tabletop sparkle. Use them practically — for berries, soup, or something else yummy — or for decor, topping them off with design elements like boxwood balls or seasonal decor like sweet birds or bunnies during the springtime.

What glassware is appropriate at each place setting for a dinner party?

Stemware is typically located at the top right of the place setting, in a way that is convenient and symmetrical. For hosting an elevated soiree, here’s what you might need.

Wine glass: For elegant occasions (or events attended by wine lovers), you might have a glass each for white and red, but we think it’s acceptable to pick one for a standard event. I prefer the shape of a red wine glass, so I tend to lean in that direction.

Water glass: So many options available here, from goblets, to glasses and stems, in endless colors and textures. Incorporating fun drinkware is an unexpected way to add a dash of your style into the design and playing up the water glass makes it fun for everyone, since not all your guests may require the use of wine glasses.

Dessert glass: Are you planning a dessert wine or a toast of champagne to finish off the evening? If not, or if your event isn’t as formal, we say go ahead and skip it.

Hot beverage glass: During the cooler months and especially around the holidays, I love to offer a warm beverage that can be served with or without alcohol. To accommodate this libation, I like to tuck an Irish coffee mug or something similar among the other glasses.

How do I create a tablescape centerpiece for a dinner party?

Consider layout. If you plan to keep food on the table after it is served, think through how much space you have to work with for decor. If food will be kept elsewhere, or you’re serving buffet-style, you’ll have a little more room for decor.

Pay attention to scale and lines of sight. While a larger room and table may be able to accommodate a large arrangement, you don’t want to prevent your guests from seeing each other and easily conversing by plopping a huge centerpiece in the middle of the table. Draw your arrangement out across the table and keep the bulk of it low so guests can talk over it.

Incorporate varying heights. The goal is for your eye to travel throughout the tablescape vignette. While your guests should be able to see and speak over most of the centerpiece, incorporate a few taller elements to add some dimension. My favorite element to polish off a dinner party tablescape is light candlesticks for both movement and ambiance.

By Katie Laughridge

Spring is in full swing, and with it comes a host of opportunities to bring together family and friends in your home. But what happens once you get them all around the table? And what are the makings of a great tabletop?

Building a tablescape is a challenge every host faces at least once in their lives — but it’s not one you have to face alone. Whether you’re a seasoned decorator or a beginner looking for guidance, we’ve got you covered. I’ve compiled some of my most frequently asked

What are the essentials for creating a beautiful tablescape?

I hesitate to create rules around design, because it differs so much from depending on a person’s goals and personal style, but here are the things I like to have on hand when creating a tablescape.

A tablecloth, runner, or place mats: Although these pieces aren’t necessary, they do help anchor your centerpiece or place settings and are a great foundational element to build upon.

Building a tablescape is a challenge every host faces at least once in their lives — but it’s not one you have to face alone.

Photos courtesy Handout/TNS

Plates, bowls and other necessary dinnerware: Tailor your dishes to the menu being served. At a dinner party, the goal is to use every dish presented, not just creating a stack of pretty plates at each place setting.

Drinkware and stemware: These should also be tailored to the menu; we wouldn’t add a wine glass if we had no intention of serving our guests wine. In many instances it is completely acceptable to stick to having a water glass and allowing guests to bring their drink of choice to the table with them.

Flatware: This is another great opportunity to incorporate more fun details into your design and elevate your tablescape. I love the weight of quality flatware and like to match the formality of the event by keeping a couple of options on hand.

Napkins: Incorporate the napkin into your design. It could add visual interest to a stack of dishes or flourish to a wine glass. Adding a beautiful napkin ring is another way you can get creative.

A centerpiece: Of course, the centerpiece is quite often the star of the show. Although your centerpiece and place settings don’t have to match, per se, we do recommend using color or theme to tie them in together.

If you can only splurge on one thing for the tablescape, what should it be?

Definitely the table. This piece of furniture is the foundation for your entire tablescape, after all. Investing in quality dining room furniture makes a statement and helps creates a space that feels designer.

When searching for the right table, take into account the size and shape of your space. In a square room, a round table is a great option. In a longer space, a rectangular table works best. If you like to entertain often or have a large family, perhaps a piece with removable table extender is something you’d like to invest in.

With careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a tablescape that not only looks beautiful, but also serves its intended purpose. So take your time, be creative, and have fun designing your perfect tabletop!

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

While your guests should be able to see and speak over most of the centerpiece, incorporate a few taller elements to add some dimension.

Although your centerpiece and place settings don’t have to match, per se, consider using color or theme to tie them in together.

Adapted from nellhills.com. Katie Laughridge is the owner of Kansas City interior design destination Nell Hill’s. For more information, contact Katie at info@nellhills. com.

Depending on the formality of your dinner, appetizer plates are a great place to incorporate more personality into your table.

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL

Getting Board Meetings In Order Eight Tips Before The Balcony Inspection Deadline

Unruly board meetings may be the most discouraging part of HOA living. Mature homeowners avoid such meetings, managers fear such meetings, and directors cannot even discuss the agenda without interruptions. When normal manners and courtesies are abandoned, meetings end in frustration. Directors are discouraged that they cannot deliberate (consequently tempted to do so instead in closed session), and observers are discouraged not only from attending meetings, let alone volunteering. Here are eight tips to improve board meetings.

Meeting room setup. Avoid setting up the board table so that all directors sit facing the audience and not each other. That sends two bad messages at once - that the board is talking to the audience but not each other. Adjust tables so directors can better face each other, in a “C” shape with the open end facing the audience.

Disorderly open forum. Directors should not talk during open forum. If a director interrupts someone’s open forum remarks, it can seem fair to that person that they can interrupt board deliberations. Directors and managers should listen attentively to open forum remarks and save any responses to questions or comments until open forum ends. If the board desires further member input on an issue during the meeting, the board can re-open open forum on that issue.

Stay on target. Non-urgent matters can only be discussed after posting them on the agenda four days before the meeting. Directors need to be disciplined and focus on the agenda instead of topics that come to mind. When the discussion strays off topic, the chair or any director should politely object and request a return to the motion at hand. Avoid discussing a new motion until the pending motion is resolved.

Avoid lengthy meetings. Overly long

meetings lead to tired and cranky attendees. Energy and focus both decrease as the length increases, raising the chances of unfocused discussions and poor decisions. Avoid overly ambitious agendas and insist that directors read all meeting materials in advance. Limit repetitive and excessive argumentation by moving to close debate and vote when everyone’s position has become clear.

Don’t ignore disruption. Some owners or directors cannot control themselves and continually talk over others, interrupt, or otherwise interject themselves in a disruptive way into meetings. Support your chair’s reasonable judgment in reining in misbehavior. There are many possible measures including warning the violator, asking for a vote to censure, or even ejecting the disruptive participant.

Allow disagreement. Build an environment in which disagreement is not viewed as disloyalty. There is nothing wrong with a “nay” vote if one believes that vote is in the association’s best interests. There is also nothing wrong with a 3 to 2 vote, which is just as binding as a unanimous 5 to 0 vote. Pressure to achieve unanimity increases the likelihood of tension as dissenters feel that pressure and the majority feels frustrated because they cannot get consensus. So, debates run too long, or tempers get short… or both.

Meeting rules and Code of Conduct. All but the smallest associations should have meeting and board conduct rules, describing meeting procedures but also establishing standards of conduct which are expected from directors and audience.

CAI. The Community Associations Institute has helpful education and publications regarding positive association governance. Find your local chapter at www.CAIonline.org.

On June 16, 2015, a fifth-floor balcony at a Berkely apartment building collapsed, killing seven people, allegedly due to weakening by severe dry rot. Three years later, the state of California adopted Senate Bill 721, requiring owners of multi-unit residential buildings to obtain architect or structural engineerinspections of above-ground “exterior elevated elements” by 2025 and every six years thereafter. The passage of SB 326 in 2019 imposed essentially the same requirements on HOAs with a deadline of 2025 except with a repetition requirement of every nine years instead of six. The new law is found in the Davis-Stirling Act at Civil Code Section 5551.

Unfortunately, many contracts presented to HOAs reflect misunderstandings of the statute’s requirements and propose more work (and expense) than required by the law. Here are 8 tips to help understand your HOA’s inspection contract to ensure your HOA is not paying for unnecessary costs.

1 The statute applies only to areas under HOA responsibility for maintenance or repair (5551((b)(1). If it’s not the HOA’s responsibility, it does not fall under the inspection requirement. Many planned developments do not fall under the requirement, since they typically do not maintain or repair residence balconies, elevated walkways, or stairs. Some townhouse style (side-to-side residences, no stacked homes) condominium associations are amending their CC&Rs to shift maintenance of second-floor balconies to the individual unit owners; thereby, taking the HOA out of the inspection requirement for those balconies.

2 The statute does not apply to all elevated elements but only to load-bearing components supported wholly or partly by wood or wood-based products (5551(a)(3)). Make sure that your HOA

is not paying to inspect steel elements.

3 An “exterior elevated element” is a component extending beyond the exterior building walls that has a walking surface over six feet above ground level. A deck on top of the building, garage, or part of the main residence may be excluded, as only parts extending beyond the exterior building walls are include per 5551(a)(3). Many associations have balcony patios that are partially within the main structure of the building or walkways, which are part of the main building structure, or other areas that do not protrude from the main building.

4. The statute requires inspecting enough locations to provide a 95% level of confidence that the sample represents the entire building. Some contracts propose to inspect 95% of the locations in a building, which in medium or larger sized buildings may be overkill. The statute doesn’t say how to achieve the 95% level of confidence — it might be the judgment and experience of the inspecting architect or engineer, or perhaps a formal statistical sampling calculation from a website such as www.calculator.net. The more locations in the HOA, the less percentage of the locations need to be inspected to gain a statistically valid sampling.

5 The required inspection is visual, not destructive, per 5551(a)(5). Inspectors need not tear open balconies or stairways (destructive inspection). Using moisture meters, infrared sensors, or boroscopes will satisfy the law.

6. When choosing the architect or engineer, consider contracting for only the inspection. Be wary of companies proposing to inspect and then design and perform the work all in one contract.

7 Don’t wait until the last quarter of 2024 to pursue this inspection.

Santa BarB ara County SaleS

This is a partial list of all recorded residential sales in Santa Barbara County from April 10 thru April 14, 2023. While these recordings are public record, the News-Press receives this information from an outside source. This list does not represent all sales that occurred over this time period. Consult your REALTOR® for further information regarding home sales in your area of interest.

Santa BarBara County SaleS

Sunday’s Open Homes

e aSt Side - Upper

21 East Quinto

Hope r ancH

1928 with an approximate total of 3,791 square feet on four-tenths acres. The home is an architectural marvel. 1-4 $4,300,000 Coastal Properties Gary Goldberg (805) 455-8910 # 01172139 5/4.5 e aSt Side - Upper 700 Via Hierba Elegant single level private, serene Hope Ranch home with tennis court, pool, spa, mature specimen trees, entertainment terrace, lovely gardens. 12-2 $5,795,000 Market Property Properties Alden Fairbanks 805-455-7416 # 00952941 4/2.5

12-2

# 01367001

To advertise in our Open Homes Directory for the Weekend Edition, use our submission form that is open Monday 8:00am. Go to newspress.com Click on “RESOURCES” then click on “TO PLACE AN OPEN HOMES AD” For more information please e-mail: openhomes@newspress.com

To Place Your Real Estate Ad contact us at 805-564-5247 or email: realestate@newspress.com

“Quinto” Essential Spanish-Colonial Revival gem embodies timeless elegance in the Upper Eastside. Built in 1928 with an approximate total of 3,791 square feet on four-tenths acres. The home is an architectural marvel. 5/4.5

21 East Quinto

Mike Richardson 805-451-0599

Sycamore canyon

# 00635254

5/5

12-2 $5,450,000 Home Realty and Investments Ben Rivera 805-452-6447

tUrnpike/ patterSon

2-4 $2,698,000 Coldwell Banker Realty Scott McCosker 805-451-1721

00494253 4/2

How waterwise, drought-tolerant garden landscapes are being developed

By Alex Groves

ures moisture by determining the amount of evaporation coming from the ground, is being used as a control in the research.

The idea behind the testing is to determine how effective the sensors are at determining irrigation levels in Bermuda grass and how they compare against the evapotranspiration sensor.

This summer, the center will also begin testing subsurface drip irrigation and evaluate its performance. Saxena said there are lots of possible benefits to this form of irrigation, including that it could limit the evaporation of irrigation and that more controlled amounts of water could be delivered to turf grass.

Saxena said her research right now is focused on determining the efficiency of these devices, but she wants to delve deeper into how long turf grass can go without water. One way that her team has been measuring water content in the turf grass is by drying it in ovens and comparing measurements from before and after it was placed in the oven.

Flowers, shrubs, and grass are pretty to look at, but they can also transform outdoor spaces into something that feels like home.

That, however, takes water. With an eye toward changing environmental conditions of the future, researchers are testing plants and newfangled tech that will help them stay lush, green and healthy while requiring less irrigation.

We talked with researchers in Southern California and beyond to learn about the research they’re doing and how it might be reflected in the landscapes of tomorrow.

Parched, but still pretty

The University of California’s South Coast Research and Extension Center in Orange County is testing to see how long some plants can go between waterings; the answer for some is a long time — think months — without water and they still somehow look good.

The South Coast REC is one of two California facilities — the other is at UC Davis — conducting the University of California Landscape Plant Irrigation Trial; its goal is to determine the watering needs for established plants in locations that require supplemental watering over the summer.

The trials began in 2004 in Davis and the South Coast REC began conducting trials of their own in 2017, according to South Coast director Darren L. Haver.

Every year, the program procures landscape plants from a number of sources. Some are found at big box stores and nurseries, some are given to the program from companies that breed their own plants, and most recently, some have come to the University of California through a collaboration with a plant breeding program at Oregon State University.

During a two-year trial, plants receive regular irrigation for their first year and reduced irrigation in their second year under three watering schedules. This year, some plants received water roughly once a week, some received it every three to four weeks, and some received less than three irrigations between the months of April and October. Some of those plants, including roses and a hibiscus, appear to have done well under the most restrictive watering schedule.

“Some of the roses do in credible even on only three irrigations and some don’t,” Haver said.

“It just depends on the actual individual variety of rose that’s being evaluated.”

Less weedy and less needy?

Sometimes researchers breed for a certain outcome and then examine how their plants stack up in other areas of scientific evaluation.

That was the case for Ryan Contreras, a professor at Oregon State University, whose research focuses on producing landscape plants that make fewer seeds so they don’t become invasive.

While the spread of some plants are limited by their need for irrigation, there are others that can pose a larger impact, Contreras said.

“They are weedy to the point that they are causing ecological and economic harm,” Contreras said. “They are replacing native flora, they are impacting stream flow in some cases and just generally causing ecological degradation.”

One of the ways that Contreras is trying to make plants less seedy is through a process known as polyploidy, by which he induces additional sets of chromosomes into plants.

A side effect that appears to happen in some plants that are polyploids is that they exhibit a certain level of resilience toward water deficits. Contreras thinks that’s one of the reasons his research goes hand in hand with the research at South Coast REC.

“If we can make landscapes consume less water that’s a good thing,” Contreras said.

Terrific turf tools

Priti Saxena, director of the Center for Turf, Irrigation and Landscape Technology at Cal Poly Pomona, says the center has been testing various technologies that could help businesses that use turf grass – golf courses and sports fields, for instance — to improve water usage efficiency.

The center has been testing three soil moisture sensors from different companies to determine the amount of water available at a plant’s root system.

A traditional evapotranspiration sensor, which meas-

Saxena said the center has also been using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles put together by Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Aerospace Engineering to collect data on the grass. She said the UAVs fly over the plots of Bermuda grass and collect data on chlorophyll levels using sensors to determine plant health. The drones’ memory cards are then inserted into computers by Cal Poly Pomona’s Computer Science Department for data analysis.

Pointing to another area of study, Saxena said that Bermuda grass tends to go dormant in winter and lose its color, so suburban homeowners and businesses will often sprinkle it with seeds from perennial ryegrass, which stays green but needs more water. Biostimulants — substances that can kickstart normal plant responses — could help Bermuda grass stay greener longer, stave off the need for perennial ryegrass and help conserve water.

Saxena said that she’s excited not only for the technologies that could be beneficial to the industry and consumers, but also for the impact it’s having on students.

“Through this research, we are also creating the new researchers or scientists: the students,” she said. “We are training them to go into the market, into the professional world, and continue to solve these problems.”

©2023 Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. r

Researchers are looking at everything from plant breeding to tech to prime landscapes for ways to reduce future water usage. Photo courtesy Dreamstime/TNS

Biostimulants could help Bermuda grass stay greener longer, stave off the need for perennial ryegrass and help conserve water.

Photo courtesy Colleen Swiatek, Dreamstime

Yard Sale Tips

Yard Sale Tips Yard Sale Tips

Before Your Sale

• Prepare to start early. Collectors and antique dealers like to show up early in the morning.

• obtain a permit if required

• Clean up your space. People like clean and neat places.

• Gather lots of shopping bags. Gathering Items

• Test any electrical items to make sure they work.

• Collect your items and sort it by type. (clothing, toys, tools, etc.)

• Take time to clean or repair your items.

• Wash all the clothes so they smell fresh.

WhaT SellS BeST?

• Tools: Guys love it all, any kind.

• Baby items of all kinds, especially clothing.

• Kitchen appliances.

• Clothing: Kids and adult.

What Should You Not Sell?

• Items missing safety parts.

• unused prescription drugs or medications.

• Personal hygiene items.

• halogen floor lamps.

• old baby cribs or playpens, incomplete child safety seats.

adverTISING

• Tell your friends, family or coworkers about your sale. Word travels.

• Place a classified ad in the Santa Barbara NeWS-PreSS!! remember to check the publication’s deadline.

• In your ad, give lots of details. Include the address, day(s), time of your sale. list major items such as “lots of kids clothes.”

SIGNS

• Check your local ordinances.

• list your address and sale date on all signs.

• Post your signs at main intersections, street corners and at the end of your driveway.

• use same colors and writing on your signs as people recognize them at a glance.

• Keep a list of where you posted your signs. It will be helpful when it’s time to take them down.

The consumer Protection Agency offers a complete list of dangerous items to avoid selling at yard sales. Visit www.cpec.gov

Open Sunday 2pm-4pm

New Listing - 7386 Calle Real #35 Goleta, CA 93117

O ered at $760,000

Brookside is a wonderful condominium complex. Only 37 units in this community with lots of grassy common areas, mature trees and a refreshing pool! This corner unit townhouse o ers 2 bedrooms upstairs. One of the bedrooms has a walk-in closet. Both Bedrooms have large picturesque windows. There is also a 1/2 bath downstairs. Private enclosed patio is o the Kitchen/dining area. There are two on-site laundry rooms. Assoc Fee: Includes water, trash, common area maintenance, Insurance, Earthquake Insurance and property management. Call for additional details.

Christie Gallagher, Broker chrsgall@aol.com

O ce 805-682-8433

Cell 805-886-0933

5553 Hollister Ave, Suite 4

Goleta, CA 93117

DRE #00827584