Little Mountain Captures Coastal Warmth in Montecito

This article was written by Hospitality Design. Click here to read the original article

Little Mountain, the newest dining addition to Montecito’s Upper Village, is a celebration of Santa Barbara and the abundance of California’s Central Coast.

Founded by Graham Duncan alongside Eva and Bryan Schreier—who also own exclusive-use resorts Hacienda Los Milagros and Smith Fork Ranch—Little Mountain was conceived as a tribute to the city’s landscape and the community that shapes it. In line with this spirit, the restaurant’s menu, led by chef Diego Moya, draws inspiration from global seaside traditions and the communal spirit of each harvest.

Andrew Cosbie roots the design in Santa Barbara

To bring the vision to life, Los Angeles-based designer Andrew Cosbie infused the interiors with a sense of collaboration, permanence, and place, mirroring the restaurant’s culinary ethos.

Inspired by Montecito’s unique topography—where mountains meet the sea—and the Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean Revival residences that define the region, the design draws from historic references, including the work of architect Lutah Maria Riggs and George Washington Smith’s Casa del Herrero.

The design balances grandeur with ease, pairing salvaged redwood beams and hand-hammered copper with antique terracotta, Portuguese tiles, and custom ironwork. A palette of warm woods, burnished metals, soft plaster, and earth-toned ceramics lends depth and texture to the space.

The art program at Little Mountain

The art program, curated by Allison Harding, draws on Santa Barbara’s storied artistic history. Harding selected works that feel both personal and timeless, including Meredith Brooks Abbott’s plein-air landscapes of the Central Coast and Amy Applegate’s contemplative still lifes of local fruits and vegetables—pieces that honor the landscape and its abundance.

“I wanted Little Mountain to reflect the grandeur of Montecito’s landscape and the elegance of its architecture, but also to capture the ease of its understated charm,” says Cosbie. “I want people to walk in the door and be delighted, but not entirely surprised by what they see.”

Little Mountain Santa barbara Montecito’s Upper Village restaurant seasonal california central coast wine glass shelf