A Minimalist Retreat in Montecito Designed as a Dream Location

Clean lines and crisp contours define the minimalist ethos, masterfully realized in the Montecito. … (+) home of designers Richard and Catherine Frinier.

Kelly Teich

Simple lines, neutral tones, clean furnishings. This minimalist residence in one of Southern California’s most desirable coastal neighborhoods sticks to these seemingly basic design elements. The truth is, simplicity is hard.

“It’s one of the most challenging architectural styles to achieve,” says owner Richard Frinier, “because every element and finish is exposed, requiring time, attention to detail and patience.” Frinier is an award-winning furniture, textile and lighting designer known for redefining the concept of outdoor recreation spaces in homes and resorts around the world. Originally from California, his motto is “to bring the quality of indoor living outdoors and the relaxed spirit of nature indoors.”

Award-winning furniture and textile designers Richard and Catherine Frinier made thoughtful decisions … (+) about every finishing and furnishing element for their minimalist home.

Kelly Teich

He did so at 581 Freehaven Drive in Montecito, about 95 miles from Los Angeles. It was the masterful exile he created with his wife and business partner, Catherine. A secluded sanctuary that would help them live in the moment and, under Frinier’s midcentury modern influence, live inside and out at the same time.

Outside, clean horizontal planes blend into the curves of nature.

Kelly Teich

The home’s natural setting, on a ridge with mountains in the background and the Pacific Ocean below, became the couple’s canvas. Architect Thiep Cung, CEO of Warner Group Architects, was brought in to refine the plans. With a background in building homes in Montecito, near Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, Cung understood the desire to create spaces that fit seamlessly into the natural habitat.

The home’s ascetic aesthetic comes from the owners’ thoughtful adherence to avoiding clutter and … (+) show only what is necessary.

Eric Foote

This low-rise, four-bedroom home combines form and function, much like other mid-century modern masterpieces that stand tall in the Hollywood Hills. The Friniers made thoughtful decisions about what would and wouldn’t be included in their home. Avoiding clutter and ornamentation was an exercise they repeated repeatedly during the design process. “When you’re looking for something in the house that you need, it’s thoughtfully “It’s not there,” Frinier said. “While what we don’t really need isn’t there.”

The large meditation room and adjoining patio “bring the quality of indoor life outdoors and the … (+) “The relaxed spirit of the outdoors indoors.”

Village Properties

The architectural glass walls are the home’s most striking feature. Walls, ceilings and overhangs follow one another in an unbroken line that cleverly blurs the line between inside and out. Frinier’s favorite room is a large glass-walled studio facing the ocean.

The sleek kitchen opens to a spacious terrace facing an infinity pool, two spaces for entertaining al fresco. Limestone flooring and a simple square-frame fireplace in the great room add a calming element. Richard Frinier incorporated some of his own furniture and textile designs for the interior space. Taupe and gray chairs and side tables add organic curves to the discipline of straight lines.

Linear and cool efficiency makes the kitchen a creative space.

Kelly Teich

The home’s master suite features walk-in closets, porcelain tile floors, and a whirlpool tub with windows that also overlook the outdoors. Choosing paint colors to blend in with the natural tones was equally important. The Friniers opted for six similar neutral hues that would subtly change from moment to moment in natural light. The ceilings in the great room and dining room soar 9 to 12 feet high, letting in sunlight.

While the aesthetic is austere, it’s also smart. A single control system controls lighting, temperature, music, entertainment, skylights, automated shades and security cameras. The home is solar-powered and has two electric vehicle charging stations in the garage.

The west-facing infinity pool: complete privacy amidst lush vegetation and a Pacific breeze just beyond.

Eric Foote

Outside, mature olive trees and tiered gardens create a natural privacy, leaving the house set back almost invisible from the street view. It all contributes to the Friniers’ plan to make the home a calming, instantaneous experience. “When people come to visit, they say they can feel a sense of calm come over them, as if their inner spirit is taking a moment to exhale,” he says.

Montecito is one of the area’s wealthiest and most discreet enclaves. The Santa Barbara-adjacent community saw a major surge in global interest when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle bought a home there in 2020. But the hillside neighborhood remains unobtrusive to outsiders speeding by on Highway 101.

No ornamentation, no excess. Just sleek, boxy shapes that house a vision of modern minimalism, … (+) inspired by mid-century masters.

Eric Foote

The Friniers’ Montecito home was designed with exquisite precision. Its refined canvas could now be adapted by future owners who wish to inject it with a different style. It is currently on the market with agents The Grubb Campbell Real Estate Group of Village Properties for $11,950,000.

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