There’s something about a Santa Barbara home that should instantly make you want to slow down. Sunlight pouring through the windows, doors opening to the outdoors, and interiors that feel polished without ever feeling too precious.
When it came to designing my Santa Barbara beach house, I knew I wanted it to feel relaxed, timeless, and completely connected to its surroundings. Madison Nicole, founder of Madison Nicole Design, understood that vision from the beginning and brought it to life so beautifully.
I’ve loved getting to work with Madison throughout this project, so before taking you through the finished spaces, I wanted to reintroduce her and share a little more about the designer behind the home.
GM: Tell us a little about yourself?
MN: Hi there! I’m Madison, founder of Madison Nicole Design. I started the company after receiving my Master of Interior Architecture degree and gaining experience at a high-end architecture and interior design firm in Los Angeles. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been expressing myself through creating. That passion for bringing the ideas in my mind into a living reality is what initially drew me to design. My background in architecture gave me a foundational understanding of how homes are built from concept to completion, and that continues to inform the way I approach every project.
GM: How would you describe your interior design style?
MN: We specialize in creating refined spaces for relaxed living. Our clients often tell us that our homes feel put together while still being livable, comfortable, and never over the top. We really try to capture the essence and feeling of California and translate that across different design styles.
That approach is one of the things that immediately drew me to Madison’s work. I wanted this house to feel elevated, but never formal. Beautiful, but still somewhere you could actually live, gather, and relax.
The Vision for the Getaway House
GM: Can you walk us through your design process for the Getaway House?
MN: The Getaway House was such a fun and unique design process because Gray has an entire portfolio of images that we were able to pull inspiration from to help set the tone and direction of the house as a whole, while also giving each individual space its own personality.
Gray’s “East Coast meets West Coast” style was a major influence on the design in addition to his artwork. We always focus on the envelope of the home first, making sure the layout and function of each room have been intentionally considered before diving too deeply into the aesthetics. From there, we moved through construction drawings and hard materials before layering in the furniture, decor, textiles, and finishing details.
Seeing the before and after really shows just how much thought went into every part of the house. Madison wasn’t simply decorating existing spaces. She was helping rethink how we would actually live in and enjoy them.
Inspired by Santa Barbara
One of the things I love most about Santa Barbara is how much inspiration is everywhere you look.
The botanical landscape, sandy shorelines, Spanish-inspired architecture, and relaxed coastal lifestyle all create such a distinct sense of place. Madison has an incredible ability to bring that feeling into a home in a way that feels natural rather than overly themed.
Throughout the house, she incorporated natural textures, soft coastal colors, warm woods, playful patterns, and thoughtful details that make every space feel layered and collected.
Designed for Gathering
Some of my favorite areas in the house are the spaces designed for everyone to come together.
The dining spaces immediately make you want to sit down for a long meal, while the mix of lounge areas and entertaining spaces gives everyone somewhere to gather. Outside, that same feeling continues with areas created for dining, relaxing, and spending time together.
Nothing feels too formal or untouchable. Every space invites you to sit down, stay awhile, and enjoy it.
Bringing Gray Malin Into the Design
GM: What aspect were you most excited about for the Gray Malin Getaway House?
MN: It has been an absolute joy to work with Gray to infuse the Getaway House with his personal style. He does such whimsical and vibrant shoots, so bringing some of his signature colors into the space through different materials and textiles has been such a fabulous approach to design and something we had never done before.
Naturally, artwork was always going to be an important part of the home for me. I loved working with Madison to make sure the photography felt like part of the overall design story rather than something added at the very end.
Throughout the house, the artwork brings in additional color, personality, and a sense of escapism. One of my favorite things about decorating with art is that it doesn’t always have to perfectly match a room. I think the most interesting spaces come from choosing pieces you genuinely love and allowing them to live alongside different colors, textures, and styles.
Kitchen + Dining Room
The kitchen is the heart and soul of a home, so I knew I wanted this space to be a showstopper. We completely gutted the original space, added a new island, and created a custom bar area where guests can kick back and enjoy a drink.
In the adjacent dining room, we redesigned the fireplace with new tile, a hearth, and mantel to bring warmth into the space.
Of course, the artwork helped bring everything together. We incorporated Torrey Pines Beach in the kitchen, while Spritz O’Clock and Bon Voyage bring a playful, jet-set feeling to the bar.
Great Room
With high ceilings and so much natural light, I knew the Great Room was going to have one of the most dramatic before and afters.
We completely reimagined the fireplace and created a custom design centered around my Beach Bronco, Nantucket photograph above the mantel. This is one of those spaces where I really wanted guests to walk in and immediately feel like they were staying in a Gray Malin getaway.
Primary Bedroom + Bath
Madison truly took the primary bedroom and bathroom to another level.
The bedroom’s vaulted ceiling gave us an opportunity to do something special, so Madison selected grasscloth for both the walls and ceiling, along with a beautiful light fixture and large canopy bed.
The bathroom was completely gutted and redesigned to feel like a luxury escape within the suite.
One of my favorite pieces, Beach Day Pups, San Diego, lives in the bedroom, while Navy Striped Umbrellas, Miami brings that quintessential beach feeling into the bathroom.
A Coastal Retreat Made for Living
What I love most about the finished home is that every space has its own personality, but it all still feels connected.
There are natural materials, playful colors, layered patterns, beautiful artwork, and so many thoughtful details throughout. Each room feels considered without feeling overly designed.
Madison created a home that feels beautiful, comfortable, and incredibly personal, which is exactly what I hoped for.
The finished space reflects so much of what I love about Santa Barbara: relaxed, effortless, colorful, and meant to be enjoyed.
I’m so excited to finally share the transformation and the incredible work Madison Nicole Design brought to it.
Cheers, friends x
Gray