This contemporary Montecito, California home has been designed by Maienza-Wilson Interior Design + Architecture, as a custom luxury and sustainable home that is LEED Platinum certified. The home has two floor-to-ceiling glass walls that noiselessly retract, fully opening the southwest corner of the space to the cool ocean breezes and magnificent views. Sustainable features includes radiant floor heating, icynene spray foam for insulation and a 5,000-gallon cistern located underneath the building to store rainwater to irrigate the low-water-demand garden that has been designed to complement the Zen-like feeling of the home. Flat rooftops have been planted with drought-resistant grasses to provide passive cooling. Photovoltaic solar panels are hidden from view on the butterfly roof, providing enough electricity to operate the entire home. The building and spaces have been oriented to take advantage of the natural sunlight so lights do not even have to be turned on during the day. Besides all of the green features, this home also offers spa bathrooms, wine cellar and an outdoor seating area surrounding a Zen-like fire pit.

The state-of-the-art kitchen plays an integral role in the open plan living room and dining area; retractable floor-to-ceiling glass walls extend the living room into the outdoors.

Under the floating staircase in the entryway, oversize recycled plywood “pebble” seats invite guests to sit down and remove their shoes, which reduces the amount of contaminants that are tracked throughout the house.

The pool house, clad in sustainably harvested ipe wood, provides a warm contrast to the luminous pool; floating steps line the edge of the spa.

Photos: Narayanan Narayanan, Andrew Petrich