A gracious makeover transforms a dated Moon Valley house into an elegant entertainment oasis.

Some homes are just meant to be enjoyed by many. Such is the case for Paige and Thomas Lewis’ dwelling in Moon Valley. Inside and out, the Santa Barbara-style abode is perfect for entertaining—whether it’s a group of 100-plus or just the couple and their adult children. Spacious patios and balconies offer views of the country club below and provide plenty of room for socializing or lingering, while the comfortable interiors reflect the traditional Southern roots of the owners, both natives of Florida.

But the two-level dwelling was far from gracious when Paige, an interior designer, and Thom, a retired insurance broker, bought it several years ago. Built in 1981, the house was time capsule of its decade, sporting heavy gold stucco on the exterior walls. The neglected landscape featured a pool and little else, and there was virtually no connection between the home and its surroundings.

But the most unusual touches were waiting for the Lewises indoors, which was finished in dark, gloomy hues. “The interior had a hot tub big enough for six, next to the kitchen, which made the whole house smell like chlorine,” Paige recalls. “It also had what I called ‘the spiral staircase of death’ up to the loft above the living room and lots of wet bars throughout. I guess it was a party house.” Despite the home’s design quirks, the couple loved its hillside locale, so they opted to embark on a down-to-the-studs renovation.

“The original 4,500-square-foot house was pretty typical for its 1980s era,” remembers architect Jason Chouinard. “The interior had no connection to the outdoors, the finishes were dated, and the floor plan was unique—what with that hot tub in a sunken room next to the kitchen.” To link the residence to its setting, Chouinard designed some 4,000 square feet of covered patios and second-floor balconies to wrap around the north and east sides of the home.

He added numerous windows and doors to access the outdoors, including a floor-to-ceiling window wall that stacks open to connect the living room to one patio. Upstairs, the master suite was reconfigured to include a spacious bathroom and closet, while a third bedroom and a bath shared with the home’s original second bedroom was added above one of the garage bays. The loft’s narrow spiral staircase was replaced with more traditional steps, and the wet bars were swapped out for built-in shelving. The generously proportioned kitchen was updated with a butler’s pantry and a vast island that can easily seat six. “It’s so big, I call it a continent,” Paige quips. And that hot tub? It was removed and replaced with a raised floor; the remodeled space is now the site of the dining room.

With the architectural fixes in place, Paige chose warm finishes and millwork to create an inviting backdrop throughout the house. Pale travertine flooring flows from inside to out, while the living room and bedrooms are warmed by deeply hued European oak flooring. New limestone fireplace surrounds and a stone kitchen hood reiterate the home’s Santa Barbara aesthetic, as does the wrought-iron railing that accentuates the foyer’s grand curving staircase. Decorative beams that incorporate recessed lighting highlight the living room’s vaulted ceiling.

For the furnishings, Paige used a mix of pieces from previous homes, family heirlooms and new items, all with traditional to transitional lines. “I’m a pretty conventional Southern person,” she explains, “and I wanted our interior to be comfortable, but with a sense of sophistication.”

Working with a neutral palette, the designer chose deep, sumptuous sofas for the living room, pairing them with a square coffee table large enough for both tablescaping and acting as a landing spot for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The dining room’s expansive wooden table invites lingering over meals. In the master bedroom, Paige updated a wrought-iron bed with plush custom linens and used her mother’s antique oak table as a nightstand, covering it with a glass top and custom skirt.

Art and accessories give the interior its polish and add a personalized touch. In the living room, custom floating shelves next to the fireplace showcase Paige’s collection of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. A hallway off the foyer displays framed folios culled from a French book that she found at a flea market, while a grid of images above the living room sofa comprise a series of calendar pages. And the watercolors in the dining room were done by Paige when she attended art classes while living in California. “I’m no Leonardo da Vinci,” she says with a laugh, “but everyone seems to enjoy my work.”

During the renovation, the yard was transformed into numerous living spaces. “The Lewises wanted to have different destinations in the landscape,” landscape contractor Jeremiah Padilla explains, “and they wanted to have enough room for entertaining.” Off the living room, Padilla added low garden walls and a fire pit, creating an intimate conversation area. An outdoor kitchen draws guests out from the new interior dining room. On a small patio adjacent to Thom’s den, several plant beds in metal troughs provide favorable conditions for growing tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Padilla also updated the existing pool, replacing a pile of volcanic rocks that Paige called “a Flintstones waterfall” with a fountain that echoes the home’s architectural lines.

During the renovation, the yard was transformed into numerous living spaces. “The Lewises wanted to have different destinations in the landscape,” landscape contractor Jeremiah Padilla explains, “and they wanted to have enough room for entertaining.” Off the living room, Padilla added low garden walls and a fire pit, creating an intimate conversation area. An outdoor kitchen draws guests out from the new interior dining room. On a small patio adjacent to Thom’s den, several plant beds in metal troughs provide favorable conditions for growing tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Padilla also updated the existing pool, replacing a pile of volcanic rocks that Paige called “a Flintstones waterfall” with a fountain that echoes the home’s architectural lines.

Salvaging two old mesquites and several existing palms, Padilla further softened the steeply sloped lot with new plantings that include Australian bottle trees, myrtle, Japanese boxwood and bougainvillea, then lined the winding driveway with shady tipu trees.

The remodeled home perfectly fits its new owners’ lifestyle. Paige runs her interior design business from her office in the loft, while Thom works on projects in the den, which sits adjacent to and a few steps down from the living room. When it’s just the two of them, the couple can enjoy drinks by the fire pit and look out over the golf course below. Coyotes, javelinas and lizards visit them on the hillside above the house.

But the home really shines when it comes to entertaining, and the Lewises frequently host friends and family for casual gatherings as well as special occasions. “We’ve had our huge annual Christmas party here,” says Paige, “and between the kitchen island, the dining room, living room and patios, there’s plenty of room for food and people. In November, we hosted our son’s wedding. We had 250 guests, with a dance floor at the top of the driveway. The house worked like a dream.”

Architect: Jason Chouinard, Chouinard Design Studio. Interior Designer: Paige Lewis, Paige Lewis Designs. Landscape Contractor: Jeremiah Padilla, MasterAZscapes LLC.

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