An Upgraded Guest Casita on the Coast

Happy New Year friends!!

Since it is the season for new beginnings, we're starting off the year with the cutest little guest casita reveal for a space that really needed some love. These clients came to us saying they had left this detached casita neglected for years, and wanted to fix it up for their guests that came to visit Santa Barbara, and also possibly use it for vacation rentals.

We love being able to work on projects large and small, and illustrate how to transform even the smallest of spaces, so scroll on through to see where we started and where we are now!

Lucky for us, there was already a small kitchenette and bathroom in the casita, so plumbing wasn't a concern. It really just needed a facelift and some rearranging of the plan to maximize the space!

The return counter felt like a larger commitment than this space needed for its intended future use, and those white full height storage cabinets also felt unnecessarily large. We opted to open up the floor plan and demolish most of the existing interior walls to keep the entire space open and airy.

Drumroll please...

So much better!!

To keep the space open, we streamlined the kitchen against the front wall and got rid of the return counter. We also opted for one long shelf above the kitchen rather than large overhead cabinets. That allowed us to have a space for functional dishes, as well as decor that reinforces this space being a short walk away from the beach.

That extra space we gained from relocating the kitchen gave us the room to add a banquette and small table with two dining chairs into the room, as you see above.

The bed and nightstands are tucked behind a wall when you first walk in, so you really see the kitchen and dining area (and this beautiful dresser) first as you enter the casita.

The blue tile backsplash is a nod to the Spanish history of the California coast, and we love the small hints of brass in the faucet. lighting, and the decor above the kitchen counter.

We also went for a bold square tiled shower in this bathroom and paired that with matte black faucets and shower fixtures. We just love the variety and depth of color throughout the tiles in the shower and how it paired with the woven mirror frame and textured window panels!

Would you love this casita? This family will get great use out of this space, and who knows - you may be able to stay here someday too! Hopefully you found some inspiration in this post for a neglected space in your home - it's time to try something new, right? Cheers to 2022!

All photography by Molly Rose Photo