A Little Story about
a love for hotels, blending into the landscape and Michelin stars.
We caught up with Michelin-starred chef and founders of @bellslosalamos Daisy and Greg Ryan in the Santa Ynez Valley, California.
Little Stories is our way of jotting down the stories we come across while building homes in California.
Words & Photographs by
Isabel Reimer
not Claude
When you arrive at Daisy and Greg's new home you instantly get what they meant when they talk about 'blending in' with your surroundings. The slope they built their ADU on is covered with large old trees. Through the branches, it's quite hard to point out the wooden house from a distance.
Blending a home into nature doesn't mean they blend in much themselves.
Daisy and Grey stand out quite a bit. Earning a Michelin-star and leading a highly successful restaurant while raising a family is no small feat.
Daisy's parents own the front of the property. Her dad owns a garden decorating business that sells beautiful enormous handmade pots and plants.
While we park the car under one of the old trees and get our cameras out, Daisy's already outside with her signature smile and Greg returns from a run to welcome us in.
So, I love really good
hotelrooms.
Why here, why an ADU? And what's up with that Green House?
Haha, you noticed the greenhouse? It started as a small side project for the restaurant and slowly grew into something more intentional. We're cultivating our own special vegetables there for the restaurant.
Why we decided to live here? That answer is pretty simple. My parents both live here, and as I began raising a family of my own, being close to them mattered more and more. And by close, I mean quite literally in their backyard type of close. Close enough for shared meals and borrowed hands, creating everyday moments that make a place feel like home.
Why an ADU is a harder question to answer, says Greg. I think it has something to do with our love for hotel rooms.
We travel quite a bit for work, and over time you start to notice when a space is truly well designed. Like a great boutique hotel room. Nothing extra. No clutter. Just what you need, and nothing you don’t.
They’re small spaces, but they make it work. And when you travel often, that’s something you come to really appreciate, even look forward to. Compact, intentional, and a sense of calm. Everything has its place. It feels good. Maybe we love it to balance out our more chaotic kitchen and restaurant life, but having a space be intentional feels really grounding and mindful.
We bought the two-bedroom, 800-square-foot Home, which for us is perfect. We have a master bedroom with bathroom on our side of the home, and a bedroom with bathroom on the other side for our son, separated by our communal living area. Funny how the kitchen here is also central to our life.
The kitchen area is where we spend most of our day, and because it’s an open living and kitchen space, it doesn’t feel small. It opens up to the extended deck area, which really emphasizes the blending of indoor and outdoor living for us. You don’t really think about going inside or outside, you just use it as one home.
That’s such a hard question. That’s a good thing, right? I really love it all for what it’s intended to do. My favorite is the living area, because that’s where we all spend most of our time. Separate but together. One of us at the kitchen island doing homework with our son, while the other is reading a book on the couch. It just feels so good to be together in a space while still being able to do our own thing.
One of the many trees surrounding and covering the ADU.
It’s such an important part of our choice. When I read about the mission and how sustainability was at the core, it really made me think about doing things the right way. Being a part of the solution through everyday choices. And of course the look and feel of the wood definitely helps.
'And the smell,' Greg chimes in. 'It smells great.'
Not realIy, no! People do that? We could, right? Greg called it his fortress of solitude once. Henry, our son, calls it the UpTop. Those are names, right?
I don't know, I guess we just call it home.
It's true, though. We really love our new space and we feel grateful every day to call this home.
