After a tenure with New York–based firm Peter Marino Architect, Barry Winick moved to Santa Barbara where he now leads his own eponymous boutique architecture company, Winick Architects, creating stunning homes throughout California and beyond. Well-versed in everything from contemporary glass-and-steel structures to sprawling Mediterranean estates, Winick is a master at creating homes for modern living. Here, he shares his knowledge about one of the most difficult styles to master.
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What about Spanish-style homes do people often get wrong?
Well, the truth is that a Mediterranean-style home, rather than something that is purely Spanish, tends to be more successful. Spanish homes tend to be very dark, while Mediterranean homes are more about lovely indoor/outdoor spaces on a grand scale, with Spanish-tile roofs, thick walls, palm trees, and courtyards. The most important thing, which people often get wrong, is that the materials have to be authentic, especially the tiles. One home we completed in Carpinteria, [a nearly 11,000-square-foot home on a bluff at 2779 Padaro Lane], features all reclaimed tiles. Right away, the home has age and history instead of looking like a replica.
What has made this an everlasting style?
There’s a comfort to it. When done right, there’s a lot of details that really draw people to it. I love interiors, I love landscaping, but when you walk through a building, the architecture is what people engage with, and homes like these are so tactile. The plaster on the walls, the tiles your feet touch on the floor…there’s comfort in the materials. For instance, on Padaro, we mixed in a range of materials for the flooring, with wide-plank French oak in the main living areas and a mix of stone and other woods in other areas.
What’s the formula for creating a successful home with historical reference?
The formula is that you can’t treat anything like a formula. Good things come from good relationships and working with talented artisans, and you need to have discovery, discourse, and input from them. Building out the right team and letting everyone have the freedom to create their best work is key.
—Samantha Brooks
