![AB Design California renovation with pool addition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_hero-852x479.jpg)
Quarry House in California receives extensive renovation by AB Design Studio
Architecture firm AB Design Studio has remodelled and expanded a 1950s home that sits on a boulder-studded property in California.
Santa Barbara's AB Design Studio was tasked with remodelling and enlarging a 1954 house that was in disrepair, including a subpar foundation made of stone rubble. House of Honey, a studio in the LA area, served as the interior designer.
![AB Design Studio modern house extension](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_11-852x568.jpg)
The Quarry House is located in Montecito, a town in central California that lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. The single-storey home sits within a former rock quarry, hence the project's name.
While the home's original architect is unknown, there are rumours it was designed by Lutah Maria Riggs – the first female architect in California to be named a fellow of the AIA. In the 1950s, Riggs designed a nearby temple for the Vendanta Society, which drew many bohemians to the area.
![Modern home renovation with aesthetic boulders](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_9-852x543.jpg)
Honouring the area's creative and spiritual heritage was a guiding factor for the design team, along with retaining the large boulders that dot the property.
"The house reflects the artistic and Zen qualities of the area's past – a place once inhabited by a collective of bohemian poets, writers and artists – by maintaining original elements and reusing stones found on-site," the team said.
![Detached pavilion on modern California home](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x567.jpg)
To make more space, the architecture studio extended one end of the house to hold a primary suite. Just beyond, it added a detached guesthouse called the Living Room Pavilion.
Together, the buildings total 2,435 square feet (226 square metres) and wrap around a newly constructed swimming pool.
![Swimming pool and metal home facade](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_13-852x568.jpg)
For the facades, the team opted for vertical slats of ebonised redwood and dark metal. Aluminium was used for windows and doors, and standing-seam metal was used for the roof. Site walls are made of stone and board-formed concrete.
Materials were chosen for their ability to resist fire.
![Path leading to home in California with cactuses](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x525.jpg)
"The residence is located in a high-fire area, and all exterior materials were constructed to comply with California's wildland urban interface requirements," the team said.
Within the main structure, there is a division between public and private spaces.
![Floor to ceiling glass California home](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_1-852x1102.jpg)
Bedrooms are arrayed along a hallway running through the centre of the home.
The public spaces – a kitchen, dining area and living room – are found on the west end of the plan, where notable features include a marble island and a fireplace surround made of cold-rolled steel.
"The dwelling features expertly detailed and well-appointed interiors, including bright rooms with birch-veneered ceilings, custom cabinetry and woodwork, and hand-selected furniture," the team said.
In the guesthouse, the team placed a bedroom, bathroom, living room and an office. In both buildings, large windows offer immersive views of the surrounding oak forest.
![Cold-rolled steel fireplace](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/10/quarry-house-ab-design-studio-california_dezeen_2364_col_19-852x1278.jpg)
The project also involved major changes to the landscape, including the removal of a rear driveway, which allowed for the addition of a fire pit and lawn.
The team also expanded an existing deck, which now wraps around the entire house.
Other homes in central California include a Santa Barbara residence by Shubin Donaldson that has a wooden-screen exterior and a Carmel Valley dwelling by Sagan Piechota Architecture that sits among old-growth oak trees.
The photography is by Jason Rick.
Project credits:
Architect: AB Design Studio
Team: Josh Blumer (principal), Glen Deisler (project manager), Clay Aurell, Robert Pester, Joel Herrera, Amy Tripp
General contractor: J Weir Masterworks, Jed Hirsch General Building Contractor
MEP: Mechanical Engineering Consultants
Interior designer: House Of Honey
Landscape architect: Progressive Environmental Industries
Structural engineer: Darkmoon Building Design and Engineering