Furniture in wood, light colors, and refined accessories: new vintage style with boho-chic touches, Sixties references, and contemporary choices that invite relaxation. A tone-on-tone mix and match with material elegance.
In Santa Barbara, there is a villa surrounded by marvelous nature, kissed by the sun all year round. The tastes of its owners have been clear from the beginning: they wanted a house that was welcoming, with furnishings that were beautiful to look at but also comfortable to use every day, without giving up that typical boho-chic touch of Californian homes. And the choice to turn to Corinne Mathern’s studio for the interior design, emblematic of this style, could not have been more fitting.
The large living area on the ground floor.
California The project was born from a palette of neutral colors, to which materials, textures, and a design studied to create warmth and character in every space were matched. Drawing inspiration from the Aman Hotel in Kyoto, Japan, ochre and beige tones were chosen, paired with wood in its various essences, raw clay, and stone, for a harmonious and welcoming style..
A corner of the living room, furnished with vintage wooden armchairs and a designer sofa.
This can already be seen in the large living area on the ground floor, where the kitchen and dining area have been designed in a single open space, furnished with furniture and accessories in delicate and homogeneous shades. Even the finishes are light, with bleached stone flooring and a honey-colored wooden ceiling.
IDEA FOR THE LIVING ROOM
For those who don’t like vintage furnishings and prefer more contemporary furniture, there’s the Reform lounge chair from the Swedish company Reform Design Lab. It is produced using 3D printing technique and made of DuraSense®, a sustainable and versatile material, consisting of wood fiber-based biocomposites. For a craft touch, Dusty Deco offers the Lisboa rug. Inspired by the shape of Portuguese tiles, it is handwoven in pure wool and available in two different sizes.
On the left, Lisboa rug by Dusty Deco, €1,500 – dustydeco.com; on the right, Reform lounge chair by Reform Design Lab, €2,500 – reformlab.se
In the living area, the kitchen has been designed to be practical and functional. Two walls alternate built-in furniture covered in dark wood with moss-green tiles on the walls. The island counter, with a white marble top, serves as a breakfast table and also contains the sink.
The kitchen corner, with a light marble island counter, long shelves, and custom-made dark wood cabinets.
IDEA FOR THE KITCHEN
To give an instinctive touch of elegance to the kitchen, combining quality and attention to detail with innovative color and shape play, Andrea Fontebasso 1760 – a historic brand of the Tognana group – offers the Ikonic tableware collection. Perfect for creating an outdoor or indoor mise en place, it brings all the warmth of the summer season to the table, consisting of plates in 4 different shades, to be mixed and matched as desired.
To add brightness, the terracotta wall lamp model Wall lamp n. 1 by Serax illuminates the wall and the floor below with a warm and welcoming light. A more modern stool, which modernizes the classic model with contemporary details, is Bollo from the Swedish group Fogia. Made of white metal with upholstered seat and back, it is available in two different heights. An alternative to monochrome tiles can be the Time line by Mutina. Designed by Barber and Osgerby, it comes in eight different colors, two finishes, and three modules with different sizes, to be combined to create customized layouts.
On the left, Ikonic collection plate by Andrea Fontebasso 1760, €4 – tognana.com; on the right, Wall lamp model n. 1 by Serax, €119 – serax.com
On the left, Bollo stool by Fogia, €1,773 – fogia.com; on the right, Time tiles from Mutina, starting from €10, photo Claudia Zalla – mutina.it
The dining area is located in the brightest corner of the large ground floor living area, surrounded by large French doors that open onto the garden. Light tones also in the choice of furnishings, with a solid wood table, chairs with fabric-covered seats, as well as the large chandelier.
The dining area furnished in ton sur ton material.
IDEA FOR THE DINING AREA
A different chair, to be matched with the table – always keeping a light color – can be the Celeste 2 model by Roche Bobois. It has a rounded and airy line, upholstered in fabric available in other colors as well. While a sculptural chandelier, which also functions to muffle noises, thanks to the sound-absorbing fabric with which the spheres that compose it are covered, is the one proposed by Abstracta. Si chiama Holly e si può scegliere in vari formati e colori.
It’s called Holly and can be chosen in various sizes and colors. A dining table, still made of wood but lighter in form, is the one from the Bough collection by the Californian studio Kalon Studios. It is available in ash, walnut, or white oak, for 6 or 8 guests. An extra touch of color? Iittala offers the Taika Sato ceramic line, designed by Klaus Haapaniemi. Beautiful to use as a flower vase, but also as a centerpiece.
On the left, Celeste 2 chair by Roche Bobois, €1,470 – roche-bobois.com; on the right, Holly chandelier by Abstracta, starting from €2,721 – abstracta.se
Bough collection table by Kalon Studios, €5,343 – kalonstudios.com
Taika Sato vase from Iittala, €149.90 – iittala.com
The same boho style, achieved by combining light tones with few furnishings with simple lines, has also been created in the master bedroom. The light wood floor and an entire wall covered in wood contribute to softening the intense reflections of light, also modulated by rough linen curtains.
The master bedroom, with large windows overlooking the garden.
IDEA FOR THE BEDROOM
A chair that can be used for sitting but also for hanging clothes, easy to match the style of the room, is the Bistrot Valet model. Offered by Fermob in metal and folding, it is available in many colors and has a practical coat rack built into the backrest. A textile collection for the bed, which combines the classic style of cotton with the timeless elegance of linen, is the Incontri line, proposed by Fazzini. Designed for single or double beds, it is made of linen and cotton dyed in garment with reactive dyes and with a StoneWashed treatment that gives volume and elasticity, ensuring maximum resistance to washing.
Project by Corinne Mathern Studio – corinnemathern.com
Photo by Nicole Franzen.
On the left, Bistrot Valet chair by Fermob, €113 – fermob.com; on the right, Incontri line by Fazzini, €199 – fazzinihome.com
Cover: the room of a Californian villa
