Rincon Classic
Surf’s up at this ultimate family beach house
Surf in Rincon
Written by Jennifer Blaise Kramer | Photographs by Michael Haber
When photographer and ocean-lover Michael Haber had the chance to create a nautical-inspired family home on Rincon Point, he dove in headfirst. Having dreamt for years of a light, airy, midcentury beach home where his three sandy-footed surfer kids could run wild, this 1965 original post and beam fit the mold. Since it needed a ton of TLC, he turned to his lifelong partner and coparent, Eileen Cavanaugh of CH Design, to help upgrade the home and give it heart. “We went for the Streamline Moderne look,” says Eileen. “And with the help of the talented Mark Shields from Design Arc, we took that seed and carried it up to this century.”
The team was able to make the house much more contemporary without it turning too cold or sterile. The goal was a light, open concept without compartmentalizing every room; by popping in skylights and knocking down interior walls, they made it happen. Thousands of pounds of new 25-foot-long support beams were added in the attic to simply get rid of numerous posts and dividing walls cluttering the first floor. This gave them a clean slate, which eased the interior flow for an active family who loves to entertain. “Beach houses should be indestructible. Kids and animals track in sand, tar, and wet bathing suits,” says Eileen. “I love when a home feels like it’s lived in and not too precious. It should reflect the souls of its inhabitants.”
Open shelving is filled with Michael’s favorites, including a 12-string guitar, an early 1900s pond racing boat, and a photograph by his mentor, Jacques Henri Lartigue. maison k pillows and throws add texture.
While bringing the home into the Art Moderne realm, Michael also wanted to give it a nautical spin and make people feel like they were standing on a boat. To emphasize this, he used fabricated polished stainless steal stanchions with teak rails inside and out. “My heart lies deep with the ocean and sailing the seas!” he says, adding that a few round windows lend peekaboo water views and a nautical look that comes off authentic and not contrived since they were placed strategically and used sparingly.
The kitchen—which Michael calls “the helm of the ship”—became much larger, gaining a five-by-ten-foot marble island. White walls throughout give a clean backdrop to colorful surfboards, guitars, Art Deco furniture, and Michael’s collection of original photographs from his “heroes” such as Henri Cartier- Bresson and Herb Ritts. Most surfaces are simple and low maintenance—from the graphic Moroccan encaustic cement tiles in the bathroom to the wide plank oak floors that were bleached to a beachy white. “My children are avid surfers with a propensity to have their bodies wet and their toes sandy on a regular basis,” Michael adds. “Here, you can be barefoot with sandy feet or play a role of Mad Men and have a martini soirée.”
In the dining room, Michael repurposed a mid-19th century carpenter’s work bench found in Montecito into a console able. A steel statement mirror from Cabana home and succulents in bamboo from millworks.
“Here, you can be barefoot with sandy feet or play a role of Mad Men and have a martini soirée.”
Atop the house, he built a third-story tower, where tons of light, ocean views, and salt air abound with two decks on either side for taking in the sunset from the couch and teak side chairs. During construction, a dumb waiter was integrated to send cocktails up to the tower for happy hour.
In the backyard, 25 bamboo trees were planted along with two 25-foot-tall queen palms. For nighttime lighting, Michael strung Edison bulbs throughout the yard and put in low-profile lounge furniture and an iconic round Gordon & Grant cedar hot tub, which he says is usually full of exhausted surfers.
Whether kicking back outside or watching the waves from the deck, this streamlined surf shack is everything the family wanted it to be. Adds Michael: “The house feels like my dream ship permanently moored on land with ocean views throughout.”
