SHE AND HER DAUGHTER, LILA, WERE COMFORTABLY SETTLED IN A BEAUTIFUL HOME WITH A POOL IN THE HEART OF SANTA BARBARA.
Her mother, however, much preferred the country, cozied up on a dusty horse ranch 30 miles north in Santa Ynez. But when her mom passed away, Leanne found herself grieving, newly pregnant, and holding the keys to that 10-acre property. Without overthinking it, Leanne quickly shifted her lifestyle, shutting down her longtime rental property business to focus on just one place, the ranch. With visions of her mother riding through the rolling hills and holding full moon parties in the barn, Leanne took the reins of restoring what she branded Full Moon Farms.
“At first everything was challenging,” says Leanne, who had no farming experience. “I was getting shocked by the electric fence. Horses were escaping. I had to YouTube how to use a John Deere.” Then came planting and tending to crops, raising and birthing animals, and, of course, renovating. The stagecoach- era property has several structures steeped in heritage, but every single one needed attention, be it cleaning (the hen house), restoring (the 1800s Wisteria Shed), or modernizing (her home). Leanne opted to leave her mother’s “big house” alone for now and renovate the more manageable 1,000-square-foot, two- bedroom cottage that was historic yet unlivable for her family of four.
“I wanted to honor the history while balancing the needs for modern amenities—like heat,” she recalls. Getting the vintage cottage up-to-date required new electric and plumbing along with many cosmetic upgrades. She and her partner, Dakota, repurposed existing wood from the property for a new mantel and custom shelves, easing the budget while keeping things authentic. In going for “boho Western” decor, Leanne filled the interiors with wood tones, hides, and leather. The space is cozy and rustic yet easy to clean for a life that’s “dirty, muddy, and full of shoes and dogs.”
Outside, she insisted on keeping historical details—down to the original green and white palette. “I don’t know if I would have given this property as much attention and love if I hadn’t inherited it from my mom,” Leanne admits. “She was a single woman, a real rancher, and did all the hard stuff, including gating pastures and laying the foundation. But she was a horse woman and wasn’t into aesthetics. She couldn’t have cared less if the barn was green, pink, or purple.”
