Best known as a wine region, Santa Ynez Valley is also a haven for some of the most architecturally stunning residences in Santa Barbara. These homes are thoughtfully designed in dialogue with their unique terrains and picturesque landscapes. Breathing life into these architectures are the best custom home builders in Santa Ynez Valley. These companies have helped many homeowners realize their dream homes.
Aside from producing structurally sound homes, these professionals also incorporate green building practices into their projects as an homage to the region’s glorious environment. These professionals have served the residential sectors for years, earned awards from leading institutions, and established lifelong relationships with designers and subcontractors to deliver homes in a range of styles and complexity.
Allen Construction
201 N Milpas St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Allen Construction is a notable general contracting and home building company that has been serving the region for over 35 years. Its sustainable, multi-awarded portfolio highlights luxury custom home projects recognized by a number of industry institutions, including the Central Coast Green Building Council (CCGBC) and NARI. These projects are also constant features in renowned publications, such as Architectural Digest, Santa Barbara Magazine, and California Homes Magazine. Many of these works grace some of the most prestigious communities and estates in California.
In Santa Ynez Valley, for instance, the firm completed the construction of a luxury custom home that draws its inspiration from the grand and timeless Mediterranean architecture. The 10,000-square-feet home features the signature elements of its Spanish colonial origins: thick walls in beige plaster exterior siding, low-pitched clay tile roofing, chimney caps, arched and columned entrances, and expansive, airy interiors and exteriors. The interiors include custom fixtures and metalwork relevant to its overall aesthetics. The spaces are planned to structurally and visually connect the interior with the vast outdoors. The choice of natural, sand-toned color schemes allows the residence to blend in with the home’s surrounding terrain and environmental palettes.
Young Construction
9 Ashley Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93103
From its headquarters in Santa Barbara, Young Construction delivers over 40 decades of experience to the region’s residential and commercial sectors. As a family-owned and operated company, its lead builders personally head every project—an approach that has helped the firm secure a solid client base. Leading review platforms highlight the firm’s cost-effective and detail-oriented services. The firm is also an advocate of sustainable and green construction, being members of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Built Green Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara Seasons, Dining and Destinations Luxe, Santa Barbara Magazine, Architectural Record, Trends, and Sunset Magazines are all on the long list of publications that recently featured many of the firm’s custom home projects. These residences celebrate a wide spectrum of architectural inspirations, including the clean and minimalist contemporary and modern, as well as the nostalgic and charming traditional, farmhouse, and craftsman styles.
DD Ford Construction
303 Palm Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93101
DD Ford Construction is a multi-awarded residential building company well-respected in the building and design community. Since it launched its services over 40 years ago, the firm has produced custom home and interior works recognized by the most sought-after industry commendations, including regional and national Chrysalis Awards. Remodeling Magazine has also consistently included the firm on its Remodeling 500 annual rankings. Projects of the same quality and outstanding designs can be found in its custom home building portfolio.
For a contemporary home in Santa Barbara, for instance, the company was commissioned to construct a minimalist abode that takes advantage of light, space, material, and palette to create spaces that visually and structurally connect to its surrounding terrain. The home’s warm and earth-themed palettes blend well with its surrounding environment: it looks as if it has always been a part of the terrain. Full glass walls and an extended second-level deck allow its inhabitants to experience all that the landscape has to offer. Its playful geometry is more than just aesthetics: it’s a way to optimize and expand usable indoor and outdoor space. The residence’s overall design reveals the character of its inhabitants.
Leonard Unander Associates
1328 De La Vina St. Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Leonard Unander Associates is one of the most established builders in the region. The firm’s history can be traced back to 1977 when it first launched its services as a small family-owned and operated business. Its decades of experience have allowed it to develop a delivery method that is to be commended for its detailed, transparent, and client-centered approach. Aside from its loyal Santa Barbara following, a large percentage of its project commissions come from referrals and repeat customers.
The firm’s homebuilding practice has produced some of the most unforgettable residential structures across the region. These projects have been featured in well-known publications, including Luxury Home Quarterly, Architectural Digest, and Santa Barbara Magazine, as well as books 200 House and Pacific Houses. From the enduring appeal of Spanish, Tuscan, Mediterranean, and European classical elements to the nostalgic craftsmanship of traditional, ranch, farmhouse, and craftsman architectural details, the firm exhibits a profound understanding of a wide range of designs and building complexities. Its portfolio also features the functional and minimalist concepts of modern and contemporary architectures.
Elliott & Pohls Construction
1797 Mission Dr. Solvang, CA 93463
Elliott & Pohls Construction has been serving the region’s luxury construction market since 1974. The firm has one of the most celebrated portfolios of classic, ranch, farmhouse, craftsman, modern, and contemporary structures across California. This range and knowledge of the old and emerging building methods can be attributed to its local team of carpenters that specialize in framing, tile and concrete work, and finish carpentry. The firm’s project list includes commercial spaces and structures that have been commended for their architectural relevance and building performance.
For the residential sector, its service scope covers new construction, custom homes, remodeling, home improvement, and maintenance. In recent years, the firm has been recognized by the industry’s most respected award-giving organizations. In 2019, for instance, the firm earned the Best Residential Remodel Awards from the Solvang Rotary Club. The firm was also a winner of the Santa Ynez Beautification Awards.
Mark Trabucco Builder
1797 Mission Dr. Solvang, CA 93463
Mark Trabucoo Builders presents a highly collaborative approach to custom home building. Aside from relying on its team’s over two decades of experience serving the residential market, it also encourages clients to play an active role in the construction process. The result is a portfolio of residential havens that embody the individuality of their inhabitants while responding to their functional and lifestyle needs. These projects are often featured in industry publications, including a highlight in the national architecture magazine, Veranda.
Mediterranean, Tuscan, and Spanish-inspired homes make up a large portion of the firm’s project list. These structures are often set in interesting terrains and scenic landscapes. Every one of the firm’s successful builds exhibits the firm’s ability to take on architecturally stunning, complex, and structurally challenging projects. Its knowledge in contemporary and modern architecture is also exemplified by the high-performing and space-optimized homes. Over the years, it has also delivered homes with inspiration derived from the light and homey materials of traditional and craftsman designs.
Mitch Williams Construction
3324 State St. G, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Since Mitch Williams Construction launched its services in 1985, it has delivered a wide range of homes that highlight diverse architectural inspirations, including ranch, contemporary and modern styles. The firm relies on specialized techniques developed over its years in the industry as well as materials from leading manufacturers. The goal is to build structurally sound homes that remain stylistically relevant for generations to come. The Turner Residence, for instance, is one of the firm’s most commended contemporary residential developments. The haven features its style origin’s signature appeal of letting indoor spaces visually and structurally interact with the outdoors.
Full glass walls, sliding doors that lead to outdoor seating, and tall window groupings let in generous light during the day and provide scenic views of the home’s surrounding landscapes. Its asymmetrical geometry and rectangular forms generate more usable spaces for the interiors and exteriors. The use of a dominant white palette for its façade is contrasted with the dark lines of framing and metalwork as a nod to modern architecture’s clean and minimalist design. Its interiors, on the other hand, opt for a more warm and cozy theme through warm colors, stained wood materials, and luxury finishes.
Curtis Homes
254 E Hwy. 246, Buellton, CA 93427
Founded in 1978, Curtis Homes started out as a family-owned, Santa Barbara-based local construction company. Over the years, the firm has expanded its design, planning, and building services to reach other communities in the region through several additional offices. Aside from developing a delivery method that centers on collaboration and client focus, it incorporates sustainability elements into every build. The result is a portfolio of projects that features architecturally and structurally unique residences recognized for their green design.
An example of one of the firm’s custom residential projects is a contemporary home perched on a mountainside. The home embraces and takes advantage of its breathtaking landscape through the clever use of light, space, geometry, and materials. Its major indoor spaces, for instance, frame the scenic landscape view through full glass walls. Its choice of earth tones and an overall neutral palette for its façade also emphasizes its oneness with the natural surroundings.
