1. Perfect HarmonyNate Modisette Makes
Bohemian and Modern Design Sing
By Joshua Brayer
A
musician by trade, Nate Modisette describes his
architectural and building design philosophy much like
one might talk about their favorite song: “When we set
out to create something in which a person can live well,”
he says, “it just feels right — there is an inexplicable
melody that’s there, a thread of harmony in everything we do.”
Modisette was raised by parents who were passionate about
building and designing beautiful homes. During summers growing
up, he would work with his dad, a builder in Carpinteria and
Summerland.
However, wanting to go his own way, Modisette followed his
desire to be a musician to Los Angeles, where he studied history
and architecture at UCLA; while also gigging regularly, he found
himself crossing paths with other musicians who were interested in
architecture and design.
Modisette moved into a home that had strange lines and angles,
and he couldn’t find furniture that would fit. So he leaned on the
skills he had learned in his father’s shop to build his own furniture,
a passion he continues to pursue. It wasn’t long before his friends
took notice and asked him to build pieces for them.
He began to consider his future and saw the music industry going
in a direction that didn’t sit well with him; so he opted to pursue his
other love, and it’s proven to be quite fruitful for him.
renovate
“Architecture is much more than shelter; it bonds a continuous and worldwide mystery to its inhabitants. The client’s lifestyle,
inherent attitudes, cultural background and specific dreams or desires can often inspire new ideas from which a design may spring.”
—G.K. “Mickey” Muennig
22 May 2014

2. ALL IN THE FAMILY
Modisette returned to Santa Barbara
and went in on a collaborative tear-
down and rebuild with his mom: a
one-and-a-half-year project that helped
him truly experience every nuance
of the industry, from purchasing and
permitting to designing and building.
“We just built it for ourselves, but
people definitely took notice,” said
Modisette.
That house, a craftsman with a
heavy dose of modern Asian aesthetic,
became his family home, as well as an
example of what he could accomplish,
and he has only blossomed from there.
Modisette started BoMo Design in
2003 and incorporated in 2007, with
the goal of running a modern, edgy
millwork and construction studio, a
combination rarely seen in today’s
segmented and specialized home
industry. His team is fully capable of
building an entire home from scratch,
including consulting clients on choosing
the building site. >
Furniture designer, builder, and founder of BoMo Design, Nate Modisette approaches projects in the vein of a true
craftsman, sweating every detail until each piece is dialed in, like this sleek teak sideboard (opposite). The visionary
has established a contemporary millwork and construction studio on Gutierrez Street in Santa Barbara (above), in
which he and his team turn out modern, edgy furniture and custom home installations (top; photo by Ciro Coelho).
Keys to Paradise 23

3. In fact, BoMo is currently
in the process of putting
the finishing touches on
such a home on the lower
Riviera in Santa Barbara.
However, in the long run,
he sees BoMo as the firm
people hire to create and
build that special design
element — from hand-
crafted furniture to custom
installations — that makes
a home unique and gives it
its signature.
“Architecture is art,” said
Modisette. “It lives and
breathes — you can feel
it. We build environments;
that’s our key objective. We
want to build something
that not only looks
beautiful, but is amazing to
live in every day.”
BoMo has grown in
size and then scaled
back, but it has never
stopped evolving. At the
moment, the firm consists
of a relatively small, select
group of craftsmen.
“This way, we can be
driven by the creative
process without having to
be so overly concerned by
margins,” said Modisette.
BoMo partnered with AB Design Studio to renovate the master suite and exterior of a home on Sherwood Drive in Santa Barbara,
achieving a Japanese Modern sensibility with a handmade, darkly stained wood finish in this spa. Photo by Ciro Coelho
24 May 2014

4. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Having spent a part of his childhood in the Carmel-Big Sur
area, Modisette originally became influenced by the architectural
concepts of Mickey Muennig, who designed the Post Ranch Inn and
who relies on a mostly bohemian-inspired aesthetic. While in Los
Angeles, Modisette was exposed to Mid-Century Modern design,
having visited the Eames House in Pacific Palisades, among other
landmarks of the 1940s and 50’s architectural renaissance.
“I’ve always appreciated both styles,” Modisette said. “But the
bohemian stuff felt just a little too loose, and the modern design
was just a little too cold and hard.
“So I took the things I like best from each and fused them into
one happy medium.”
And that’s how BoMo earned its name.
Although Modisette certainly brings his own aesthetic to each
design and piece of furniture, his concept of the ideal project is
true collaboration, in which the client’s vision is realized through
an open dialogue of ideas.
“Our job is to find the essence in the home’s architecture and
design, find its pure essence, and build pieces that extract every
bit of that essence,” said Modisette. “We are tapping into and
extracting the client’s inspiration.”
While some firms in his industry attempt to cast themselves as
polished and glossy, Modisette relishes being the underground
artisan firm that gets its hands dirty, and he embraces being a bit
of an underdog with a chip on his shoulder.
“Every single project, we set out to prove what we can
accomplish,” he said.
Modisette is a connoisseur and a champion of his craft, and
realizes that what he is trying to accomplish is pretty unique to the
area, and it’s not something that will be achieved in the short term.
However, with his trademark grit, utter determination, and his
desire to “just build beautiful things,” it would be a shock to not
see BoMo get there.
BoMo Design, 805-682-2666 or bomodesign.net.
BoMo spans the spectrum from Bohemian to Modern; the classic, clean millwork on the island and the floor of this kitchen add warmth to an otherwise super-modern design.
Keys to Paradise 25