Marc Normand Gelinas is widely recognized for his timeless and welcoming design aesthetics, spanning from traditional to modern. Drawing on his expertise in color, scale, and artistic background, he believes in tailoring each project to mirror the personality and individual style of the client, resulting in well-designed, comfortable, and functional spaces.
With a unique perspective acquired from extensive experiences in New York and Paris, Gelinas has been consulting on projects since 1987, spanning locations such as New York, Chicago, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Aspen, and his home state of Rhode Island. His portfolio encompasses projects of varying scales; from decorative enhancements to comprehensive renovations, involving floor plans, elevations, hard surface selections, and project management. He collaborates closely with clients, architects, and contractors to ensure a seamless outcome.
A core aspect of Gelinas’s approach is integrating the client’s sense of style harmoniously with the overall style of the house. Take the Montecito home you see here: “I really enjoyed working with the client on this project,” he says. “They approached me seeking color and casual elegance for family comfort and entertaining. We drew inspiration from the outdoors, including the blues of the ocean and sky.” He engages in phased approaches; encompassing both decoration and architectural redesign to meet the evolving living needs of the client.
At his retail establishment in Montecito’s Upper Village, Gelinas offers a curated selection of 18th-century antiques alongside being Southern California’s distinctive home to SALADINO furniture, providing accessible upholstery services for the general public, designers, and architects alike.
Gelinas’s work has garnered recognition in prestigious publications such as the Wall Street Journal, House Beautiful, and Traditional Home. Additionally, he has been featured in Window Style, a hardcover book published by Traditional Home. And his show house projects, including “The Newport Decorator Show House,” have received widespread acclaim.
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Sponsored by Marc Normand Gelinas. Photography by David Palermo.
Recent Comments
Technically, it's Santa Barbara, but it already feels way more like Montecito than any part of Santa Barbara, geographically and otherwise. And when they'e done… — Erik Torkells
That is… I wouldn’t consider it to be *Montecito 😅 — Jonny
Excited to try the new coffee shop. That said, I wouldn’t consider The Post development to be Santa Barbara from both a technical and a… — Jonny
As Erik mention on Oct 30th “everytime i mention Wexler’s someone complains about it”. I’ve heard lots of complaints too! Bottomline - there are better… — WarrenB
THAT’S A SLICE OF HEAVEN! — Christine!
The developer doesn’t have the Magic Cabaret building or the apartment building behind it. But the former gym and Stella Mare’s are part of the… — Erik Torkells
Ooooh. Paradise Pie! Only for a month, though? Dang. Wexler's just got in there...and now they are out? That was fast. — Jillian
What happened with Wexler’s? They’re getting the boot? Rebranding? I’m confused. They were so highly anticipated and opened not that long ago. — Nina
Thank you for the great update on The Post! Very exciting! Did the developer acquire all property between Stella Mare and Ospsi? I am hopeful… — Mike Smith
Happy to see the news about Miracle reservations raising funds for CALM. We officially changed our name a few years ago and CALM is CALM,… — Meredith