CALIFORNIA ROMANTICA | Rizzoli
“THE FRENCH RANCH”
2007
Diane Keaton | J.D. Waldie “The French Ranch is one such memory. It faithfully recalls
an earlier house on the site, designed by the noted Santa Monica architect John Byers…
The result is not the recreation of the vanished house but a collaboration with the idea of
the Byres original – as hacienda in the relaxed manner of the Spanish southwest with a
long, arcaded facade, substantial courtyard gateway, and cool interior passages.”
Creating a NEW OLD HOUSE | Taunton
“RECAPTURING the Romance of SPAIN”
2003
Russel Versaci “Thomas, an architect, designed his home in the lush foothills of
Montecito, keeping the three Pillars of Traditional Design in mind. First, the house
Respects the Character of Place, fitting snugly into the landscape so it looks as if the grove
of ancient oaks and eucalyptus trees had matured around it over the past hundred years.
Second, the house is Crafted with natural Materials to give the home its tactile beauty.
Finally, by recreating Details of Authenticity, such as the wrought -iron balconies, the
house is faithful to the historic style of the Spanish Colonial Revival. All of the elements
are handled with simplicity and restraint, a key lesson in creating a new old house..”
SANTA BARBARA STYLE | Rizzoli
“CASA DEL LA TORRE”
2001
Kathryn Masson “With its harmonious blending of ornamental and architectural features,
Casa de la Torre (House of the Tower) captures the romance and charm inherent in Santa
Barbara’s older Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.”
SANTA BARBARA ARCHITECTURE | Capra
“BOLLAY HOUSE”
1995, Third Edition
Bob Easton | Wayne McCall “…this house (like so many of George Washington Smith’s
Spanish-styled houses) is based upon the Andalusian farmhouse…a handsome turret,
typical of Santa Barbara’s Spanish Colonial revival during the 1920’s serves as a focal
point to the building’s rear facade.”
NEW OLD HOUSE MAGAZINE
“CASA Del La TORRE”
Spring / Summer 2011
Janice Randall Rohlf “Architect Thomas Bollay creates an authentic Spanish Colonial
house in California’s Montecito foothills.”
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD
October 2010
Newsmaker: Thomas Bollay
Bryant Rousseau “Meet the man who very wisely acquired the Architect.com
Web site,…
CALIFORNIA HOMES
THE MAGAZINE OF ARCHITECTURE
THE ARTS AND DISTINCTIVE DESIGN
June 2009
Events and Affairs, highlighting the American Institute of Architects “Architects Home
Tour” in Santa Barbara including, Casa del la Torre, “Santa Barbara’s signature 1920’s
style.”
The Robb Report COLLECTION
“ARCHITECTS”
July 2005
“Bollay’s revivals perfectly capture the look of the 1920’s with indoor and outdoor spaces
reflecting the lifestyles of modern families. His 2002 expansion to the 1920’s -era Four
Seasons (Santa Barbara Biltmore) Resort is seamless.”
PERIOD HOMES
PROFILE THOMAS BOLLAY ARCHITECTS
“SPANISH EYES”
Summer 2003
Eve M. Kahn“A house by Thomas Bollay Architects is identifiable at first glance. With
Thomas Bollay’s signature tiles, as well as his other distinctive architectural elements,
his Spanish Colonial Revival residences create a unique, powerful mood. … Bollay
bases all his measurement decision, … on decades of study of 1920s structures and
drawings. He is virtually a self-taught traditionalist.”
The Best of SUNSET Outdoor Living
“COSTA DEL SOL”
August 2003
Danial Gregory “…The fluid indoor-outdoor relationship, the thick, white washed
walls, the brick and tile accents recall the architectural traditions of Spain. Indeed
Bollay studied the courtyard architecture of Andalusia before beginning his design”
PHOENIX MAGAZINE
“SPANISH TIES”
January 2003
Linda J. Barkman “An architect’s Santa Barbara home is as much a tribute to the past as
it is a present-day pleasure”
SUNSET MAGAZINE | cover
“SPANISH STYLE TODAY”
“PLEASURES OF THE PATIO”
June 1998
Danial Gregory compares past to present “the ornately patterned tile work …recalls the
ceramic traditions of Andalusian Spain— a favorite source of inspiration for revivalist
architects like George Washington Smith and Reginald Johnson, who designed many of
area’s great estates in the early part of the century. Bollay carefully studied their work
before designing his own house.”
SANTA BARBARA MAGAZINE
“THE ROMANCE IS BACK”
May 1992
David Gebhard picks five standout architects, “of these designers, Thomas Bollay comes
closest to the revivalist atmosphere of the 1920’s. His Own house in Montecito 1990-
1992… captures the flavor of the earlier buildings of George Washington Smith, Reginald
D. Johnson and Wallace Neff. He is especially close to Johnson’s domestic work of the
1920’s with its romanticism countered by a degree of coldness and rationalism.”