To Julia
The Julia Child Foundation honored Julia Child’s legacy in Montecito with Santa Barbara Culinary Experience events, a Hill House dinner for Bobby Stuckey, and the announcement of Sam Kass as the 12th annual Julia Child Award recipient.
Celebrating Julia Child’s Legacy in Montecito
Written by Jessica Ritz
“I don’t think about whether people will remember me or not. I’ve been an okay person. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve taught people a thing or two. That’s what’s important. Sooner or later the public will forget you, the memory of you will fade. What’s important is the individuals you’ve influenced along the way.”
When Julia Child shared this reflection in a 2001 Esquire magazine interview, her astonishing humility proved to be a core reason she remains so beloved. Her enduring impact was palpable this month when the JULIA CHILD FOUNDATION FOR GASTRONOMY AND CULINARY ARTS toasted to her legacy with gatherings in and around the Montecito environs—where Julia vacationed while growing up in Pasadena and eventually spent the final years of her life.
Festivities kicked off at one of the more than 80 SANTA BARBARA CULINARY EXPERIENCE events with a stunning dinner at Hill House, designed by Robin Donaldson of Donaldson + Partners, in celebration of Bobby Stuckey, last year’s Julia Child Award recipient. Within the striking interior topped with a living garden roof—where parabolic arches and other boldly geometric apertures frame mountain and ocean views, creating a hybrid gallery/living space—guests enjoyed a multicourse meal. Il Gusto della Riviera served as a nod to Stuckey, whose coining of the term “hospitalian” emerged from his experiences since opening Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder in 2004, and later at other lauded Colorado restaurants.
Surrounded by contemporary works of art in the home of artists and entrepreneurs Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman, it’s hard to imagine a more dynamic setting for the dinner, which featured an all-star lineup of Golden State–based chefs. Daniel Kim of Monte’s; Evan Funke of Funke, Mother Wolf, and Felix; Diego Moya of Little Mountain; Massimo Falsini of Caruso’s; Meave McAuliffe of Rory’s Place in Ojai; and Ben Spungin of Alto Group in Monterey presented courses that showcased technique and California’s best ingredients in the most dazzling of preparations, like Kim’s Korean miso-infused bagna cauda served with crudités grown down the road in Carpinteria at Rincon Hill Farm and McAuliffe’s wood-fired rib eye with Cortez bottarga butter. Carlin Karr, wine and beverage director of Frasca Hospitality Group, curated wine pairings for each course.
“Julia would have loved to have been here tonight. She would have been trying all the different foods and back with the chefs,” said Eric W. Spivey, chair of the Julia Child Foundation. “But she also would have loved that Bobby Stuckey was here.” Stuckey is ever the consummate hospitality professional, combining expertise, warmth, and comic timing in near equal measure. “One great thing about being a sommelier for three decades is you’ve met some really interesting people, and those moments are special,” he said the next day at Godmothers Books, when speaking with Spivey. The Master Sommelier and James Beard Award winner pointed to “a couple of timestamp moments in my career” that included Julia, from his days at the Little Nell in Aspen and the French Laundry.
The Godmothers presentation—which was followed by a lively conversation with Stuckey and fellow restaurateur and sommelier Caroline Styne of A.O.C. in Los Angeles and moderated by Summerland-based fashion designer Heidi Merrick—also revealed the 12th annual Julia Child Award recipient. Chef Sam Kass, senior policy advisor for nutrition and executive director of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, and partner at Acre Venture Partners, operates “at the intersection of food and health,” said Todd Schulkin, executive director of the Julia Child Foundation and host of the podcast Inside Julia’s Kitchen. “One of the things the jury said in making the decision for him was this idea that food can be a powerful force for good.” Kass has allocated the award’s $50,000 grant to three organizations: Urban Growers Collective, American Farmland Trust, and God’s Love We Deliver.
The original honoree would indeed delight in the convivial atmosphere and generous spirit that infused these food- and wine-centric occasions. After all, Stuckey described Julia as “a woman who was so great for all of us, and helped create the American industry of food and wine. The hospitality restaurant industry is so beautiful for so many things, and it was people like Julia that gave us a platform here in the United States.”
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The Sound of Music
The annual musical highlight of the Santa Barbara summer—the MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST’s Summer Festival—kicks off its roster of 100-plus concerts, master classes, and events on June 17 with something new
Audra joins the Music Academy of the West for the Music Note Gala
Written by Joan Tapper
The annual musical highlight of the Santa Barbara summer—the MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST’s Summer Festival—kicks off its roster of 100-plus concerts, master classes, and events on June 17 with something new: a two-week High School Intensive for 75 gifted young musicians. It will be followed by six weeks of orchestral works, chamber music, solo pieces, and opera performed by MAW’s extraordinarily talented 150 international Fellows and its 60 guest and teaching artists.
Then, as a culmination of the season—and to herald an exciting future—MAW’s Music Note Gala will take place on August 14 at the Bella Vista Estate in Summerland. Headlined by Grammy winner, six-time Tony winner, and star of HBO’s The Gilded Age Audra McDonald, the fundraiser will support full scholarships for the Fellows, the high school summer initiative, and Sing!, an after-school program that serves more than 160 local children annually. The event also honors board member Cheryl Goldberg, whose philanthropy is supporting MAW’s upcoming Music Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara.
A Juilliard-trained soprano known for the subtlety and insights she brings to a wide range of musical genres, McDonald will perform classics from the Great American Songbook—think Gershwin and Cole Porter—accompanied by a jazz trio led by music director Andy Einhorn. And, of course, the Sing! Children’s Choir will be there to share the stage.
“I’m delighted to join the Music Academy of the West for this special evening in support of music education,” McDonald says. “Having grown up in Fresno, I always welcome the chance to return to my home state, especially for a cause so close to my heart. The Academy’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists is deeply meaningful, because when we invest in young people and place the arts in their hands, we are investing in all of our futures.”
Last year’s gala raised more than $750,000, setting the bar high for this year’s event. “The Music Note Gala supports the heart of the Music Academy’s mission—bringing transformative music education and extraordinary artistry together for meaningful impact,” says Shauna Quill, MAW’s president and CEO. “It celebrates the power of music to inspire, connect, and transform lives across generations.” musicacademy.org
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Central Coast Bounty
With the return of Rosewood Miramar Beach’s BOUNTY series, alfresco dining in the hotel’s intimate garden is once again a summer highlight.
The communal dining series returns to the Miramar
Written by Joan Tapper
Dining alfresco in the intimate on-site garden of the Rosewood Miramar Beach is once again destined to be a highlight of the summer months now that the hotel’s BOUNTY series of communal feasts has returned. Designed to celebrate the agricultural heritage of the Central Coast and curated by Rob Smits—the director of wine whose work at Caruso’s led to a James Beard semifinalist nod for outstanding beverage program—the events offer guests the opportunity to savor wood-fired cuisine and seasonal ingredients from local farmers and artisans, served family style and paired with hyperlocal boutique wines.
On the schedule in June and July are Phelan Farm with Rajat Parr on June 4, Holus Bolus with Amy Christine and Peter Hunken on June 18, Tyler with Justin Willett on July 9, and Outward with Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace on July 23. The dinners continue on selected Thursdays until mid-October, culminating with a meal on October 15 that features Lady of the Sunshine x Scar of the Sea with Gina and Mikey Giugni.
Sophisticated but relaxed, Bounty wine dinners are a cherished new tradition and a delicious way to experience the extraordinary offerings of the Central Coast. $155 per person. sevenrooms.com/experiences/revereroommiramarbeach
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Geo Logic
The title of Kendall Conrad’s exhibit of sculpture—GEO LOGIC—is a clue to the meaning of her impressive new work.
Separate Reality and Kendall Conrad meld in the Funk Zone
Written by Joan Tapper
Photography by Stephen Simons
The title of Kendall Conrad’s exhibit of sculpture—GEO LOGIC—is a clue to the meaning of her impressive new work, which was celebrated at the Separate Reality Gallery in the Funk Zone on May 9. Gallery-goers encountered what was described as an “immersive landscape of sculptural forms exploring erosion, geological structure, and material tension…creating a striking dialogue between organic surface, shadow, and spatial rhythm.”
The pieces encompass a range of materials—wood, clay, and bronze—in forms that vary from dense and tortuous to sinuous and corporeal, all demonstrating the artist’s assured hand. For several decades Conrad had an impressive career as a successful designer of luxury goods, including handbags, sandals, and jewelry, with several eponymous retail boutiques. Since 2023, however, she has turned her attention to art full time, working in her studio at Rincon Point.
The spare, free-flowing space of the Separate Reality Gallery added to the impact of the sculptures. Says Conrad, “It was incredibly meaningful to see Geo Logic installed as a complete body of work for the first time. The opening felt less like a presentation of individual objects and more like an immersive landscape of matter, shadow, and form.” The show is on view through June 28. Open Friday and Saturday afternoons 2-6 or by appointment. 111 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara; 805-280-1635
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Hip Bunny
Birds, bunnies, and butterflies are hardly unfamiliar creatures to residents of the Santa Barbara area, but they hold special significance for the renowned New York–based neo-expressionist artist HUNT SLONEM
Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery hosts Hunt Slonem
Written by Joan Tapper
Birds, bunnies, and butterflies are hardly unfamiliar creatures to residents of the Santa Barbara area, but they hold special significance for the renowned New York–based neo-expressionist artist HUNT SLONEM, whose vibrantly colored, textured, and patterned paintings of the animals are immediately recognizable and highly prized. Slonem has described his work as “Exotica,” creating joy and surprise through his evolving techniques while maintaining consistent themes over the past decade.
The artist stopped in at the Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery on May 15 to herald the opening of an exhibit of his work, which is in some 250 institutional collections worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Slonem chatted with guests, signed his books, and added some hand drawings of his iconic images, as gallery-goers at the intimate reception noshed on hors d’oeuvres and sipped wines from Rideau Vineyard.
Seimandi and Leprieur, which opened in fall 2025, has brought an international flavor to the downtown gallery scene with a focus on art from the Caribbean island of Martinique, former home of the French proprietors. The Hunt Slonem exhibit will be on view until June 7. 33 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, seimandileprieur.com
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Project Runway
Anticipation is heightening for LOTUSLAND CELEBRATES: BOTANICAL SPLENDOR, this year’s edition of the garden’s annual fundraiser
Oscar de la Renta partners with Lotusland
Written by Joan Tapper
Anticipation is heightening for LOTUSLAND CELEBRATES: BOTANICAL SPLENDOR, this year’s edition of the garden’s annual fundraiser, which supports its work in plant conservation, sustainable horticulture, and educational programming. Inspired by Ganna Walska Lotusland’s artistry, world-renowned designer Oscar de la Renta has joined the gala as a premier partner; a portion of proceeds from purchases made online or in his boutiques using the code LOTUSLAND10 will benefit the garden. The memorable afternoon-to-sunset event—held on Saturday, July 18—will be hosted by actress Jane Lynch and also features author, television personality, and gardener Martha Stewart as a special guest. Beginning with cocktails and an exploration of the 37-acre Montecito estate, the gala continues with an alfresco dinner and program.
Tickets have already sold out, but live and online auctions allow others to show their support for the cause, and the roster of distinctive objects and rare experiences available is stunning. The curated list includes a visit to Martha Stewart’s estate in Katonah, New York, with a tour of her garden and an intimate lunch; a three-night stay for five couples at Chteau Troplong Mondot in Saint-Emilion, France; an archivist-led visit to the David Webb jewelry house in New York, with a $20,000 credit toward a unique creation, plus a stay at The Mark Hotel; and a custom-designed rose garden by Danielle Dall’Armi, founder of Rose Story Farm in Carpinteria. Additional items range from other travel opportunities to offerings that span design, garden collections, and rare jewelry. Online bidding opens on July 13 and continues through July 19 at 3 p.m.; advance (proxy) bidding for the live auction is available for those who register by July 17.
Lotusland Celebrates brings together “an extraordinary community of supporters and collaborators,” says the nonprofit garden’s chief executive officer Rebecca Anderson. “The attention it continues to draw reflects a growing recognition of the garden’s artistic and horticultural significance and a shared commitment to its future.” lotuslandcelebrates.org
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Oh Hi, Ojai
Nathan Turner celebrated his new book I Love Decorating with an intimate dinner in the Herb Garden at Ojai Valley Inn
Nathan Turner and friends gather around the table
Photography by Sara Prince
Nathan Turner celebrated his new book I Love Decorating with an intimate dinner in the Herb Garden at Ojai Valley Inn, hosted by dear friends Kasey Crown and Lawren Howell. Surrounded by a wonderful mix of Ojai friends, guests gathered around beautifully layered tables dressed in Turner’s own fabric collection, creating a setting that felt both elegant and deeply personal. The evening featured incredible food, candlelight, and the relaxed California spirit that runs throughout Turner’s work and The Ojai Valley Inn.
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Baby You’re a Firework
It was sister against sister as Katy Perry battled Angela Lerche in the third annual Light Up the Court Pickleball Tournament in Santa Barbara last weekend
Katy Perry lights up the court for charity
Written by Joan Tapper
It was sister against sister as Katy Perry battled Angela Lerche in the third annual Light Up the Court Pickleball Tournament in Santa Barbara last weekend for the benefit of the siblings’ Firework Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering children from underserved communities through transformative arts programs and initiatives. Joined by pickleball professional Connor Garnett, Perry edged past Lerche and her partner, L.A.-based pro Wes Burrows, to take the trophy 11-8.
The real winners, though, were the kids who will enjoy a three-day sleep-away at the 11th Camp Firework next month, producing songs, learning choreography, and designing apparel in addition to gaining insights into health and wellness. They’ll also be putting aside phones and getting into nature through kayaking, archery, fishing, and ziplining—all activities inspired by the sisters’ own camp experiences.
“When I think back on these days,” says Perry, a third-generation Santa Barbarian, “I remember why it’s so important to share and bring access to that community connection and nature connection with our youth today.”
Founded by the sisters in 2018, the Firework Foundation has served nearly 1,000 youngsters from Lompoc, Goleta, and the greater Los Angeles area, not only with the camp but also with mentorships to high school students through its Leaders in Training initiative. Students have monthly opportunities to hone their skills in film and TV, fashion, music, and culinary pursuits. In addition, the foundation partners with L.A.-area Boys and Girls clubs for after-school arts programming during the year.
The tournament, which has its roots in an old family tradition of weekly pickleball games played by Perry and Lerche, has grown to attract pro athletes, industry leaders, and community members in support of the philanthropic cause. Marquee pickleball sponsor this year was Franklin Sports.
Says Lerche, who serves as executive director of the foundation, “Katy and I are deeply grateful to everyone who participated and share the belief that, in order to empower the next generation of leaders, we need to invest in them now.”
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Cocooning in Caramel
A rich and warm palette for a timeless vibe
A rich and warm palette for a timeless vibe
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Three’s Company
OBSCURA ESTATES founders Shelly Robertson, Kellie Bolton, and Amelia Simpson are something like the Charlie’s Angels of estate sales,
OBSCURA ESTATES founders Shelly Robertson, Kellie Bolton, and Amelia Simpson are something like the Charlie’s Angels of estate sales, each with their own individual expertise. Founded in 2020, the estate-sale enterprise was a natural progression, particularly for Bolton and Robertson, whose families had worked in antiques for decades. “My dad was a big collector, so I grew up going to swap meets and auctions,” Bolton says. For Robertson it was much the same. “My family has been in antiques dating back to the 1950s,” she says. “Then I became a dealer myself and even had a booth in Cominichi’s antiques for a while.” Simpson, a Vogue alum and fashion-industry veteran, complements her partners’ contributions through a penchant for narrative: “What really attracts me to this are the stories that come with each house we’re lucky enough to work in.”
Aside from traditional estate sales—which can take place at a client’s property or in a privately owned barn in Ojai—the dream team also takes consignments, offers appraisal services, and organizes moves. But no matter the job, sensitivity and a deft touch are paramount, because, as Robertson points out, it’s often an emotional experience for their clients. “I refer to it as the four Ds: divorce, death, disease, and downsizing,” she says about the situations they tend to encounter. “You’re usually getting people at their worst moments, but that’s our gift—helping them move through that difficult time.”
@obscura_estates
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Cruz Control
Cruz Ortiz Paints Santa Barbara in Residence at MCASB
Aloes in Wonderland by Michael Haber
For his residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, San Antonio artist CRUZ ORTIZ used plein air and portrait painting to document social history in and around Santa Barbara. He painted at Leadbetter Beach, the Douglas Family Preserve, and a spectacular private garden of succulents, aloes, and cacti on the Riviera that became one of his key subjects.
“I often think about painting in the Barbie [Santa Barbara]—especially when I’m painting in plein air,” he says. “The first thing I noticed was how clean and blue the light is there. Painting here in Tejas, there’s a yellow pinkish light that hangs in the air into evenings. But in Santa Barbara it’s a super clear, even light throughout the day—even as the paint lies out on the canvas, the colors seemed not to have to work as much in producing the hues.”
“In Santa Barbara it’s a super clear, even light throughout the day.”
Through this residency, Ortiz continued his practice of honoring important figures in social justice and the places they inhabit, translating local beaches, preserves, and private gardens into vividly observed scenes that link personal experience, landscape, and broader social narrative. T.M.
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Double Take
Two books published this spring come from the same household, the work of a couple whose achievements are well known on both coasts: artist Gerald Incandela and garden aficionado George Schoellkopf, who split their time between Summerland and Connecticut.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photography Mia Kiera Sweeney
Two books published this spring come from the same household, the work of a couple whose achievements are well known on both coasts: artist Gerald Incandela and garden aficionado George Schoellkopf, who split their time between Summerland and Connecticut. Incandela’s photography-based painterly works reside in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Schoellkopf is the founder and creator of Hollister House Garden in Connecticut, a garden property he has nurtured since 1979 that affiliated with the nonprofit Garden Conservancy.
The recent solo show of Incandela’s work at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford provided the impetus for GERALD INCANDELA (12 Candles Press, $52), a monograph on the artist’s oeuvre. The large-format book is packed with glorious images of art created over five decades, showcasing his singular technique of painting developer on photographic paper in the darkroom while using multiple negatives. This groundbreaking method became his trademark in the early 1970s, and he has continued to refine it. James Glisson, the chief curator at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, notes that Incandela’s work “stretches out time for longer than a photograph’s paltry fraction of a second . . . Incandela slows us down to the speed of reading poetry or listening to music.”
In HORTICULTURAL HERETIC ($45), Schoellkopf relates how the classic English gardens of Great Dixter, Sissinghurst, and Hidcote inspired him to become an impassioned self-taught gardener. He dispenses realistic advice for plant lovers gleaned from 40 years of patient trial and error. His tone is that of an enlightened theater director, describing plants as players in an ongoing drama, including a special variety of evening primrose that opens at precisely the same time each evening, providing entertainment for dinner guests. His ongoing struggles with unruly plants—dubbed “swashbuckling thugs”—and frustrations over low-performing but adored prima donna plants are delightfully portrayed, and the book’s lush color photographs of Hollister House Garden belie his self-described amateur gardener status. Both books are available at Tecolote Book Shop, 1480 E. Valley Rd., Santa Barbara, tecolotebookshop.com
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An Eye for Style
Destinations for the aesthetic traveler
Destinations for the aesthetic traveler
Signature black-and-white striped floors are synonymous with the hotel’s style.
EAST SIDE STORY
For more than a century, The Mark has defined NYC chic
By Caitlin White
In a city where hundreds of hotels vie for the chance to host luminaries for a night, this New York City landmark has welcomed celebrity guests for nearly a century, since it opened in 1927. One block off Central Park, THE MARK is steeped in the elegance of the Upper East Side and frequently touted as the unofficial fashion headquarters for the annual Met Gala at the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2005 the hotel underwent a complete renovation helmed by French designer Jacques Grange, who designed the signature black-and-white striped floors; the property also showcases work by Ron Arad, Vladimir Kagan, Mattia Bonetti, and Karl Lagerfeld, among other artists and artisans. The luxurious 106 rooms, 44 suites, and three penthouses feature heated towel racks, fine Italian linens, and Crestron panels that control temperature, lighting, and entertainment. A spa is slated to be added for summer 2026, and a recent coffee table book, The
Mark (Assouline, $120) captures the exclusive hostelry in all its glory. The Mark Restaurant by Chef Jean-Georges serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also offers 24/7 in-room dining. themarkhotel.com
“In 2005 the hotel underwent a complete renovation helmed by designer Jacques Grange.”
Lowcountry Highlight
John Derian designed the Derian suite at The Dewberry
Coastal setting, historic architecture, and the eternal appeal of Lowcountry cuisine make Charleston, South Carolina, a prime destination. John Dewberry’s namesake luxury hotel, THE DEWBERRY CHARLESTON, has consistently been recognized as one of the best in the region. “The Dewberry honors Charleston’s historic architecture and culture through a disciplined, contemporary lens,” he says. “I assembled a team of architects and designers, and together we were able to combine locally sourced materials, custom craftsmanship, and enduring finishes to create a setting that’s warm, refined, and distinctly Charleston. Every detail reflects intentional design, functional luxury, and a modern interpretation of Southern hospitality.” Furnishings have been sourced at auctions worldwide, and custom Stickley-style armoires and Vermont Danby marble bathrooms impart glamor to the 153 guest rooms. thedewberrycharleston.com
Photography by Andrew Cebulka
DESERT DREAMING
The landscaping on this vast estate has been updated to feature a local drought-tolerant plants
Celebrating its 100th birthday this year, the status of LA QUINTA RESORT AND CLUB as a stylish escape in the California desert has only become more established with time. An extensive renovation, led by architectural firm Leo A Daly, was completed last year to update and refresh the structures with contemporary comforts. Contrasting with the cream-colored stucco of the architecture are plentiful fuchsia bougainvillea, and the 45 acres of this desert oasis are planted with citrus groves, cypress trees, and cacti. As for amenities, the resort boasts 5 golf courses, 42 pools (some at private villas), 21 tennis courts, and 6 restaurants. Body renewal treatments, massages, and facials are available at the 23,000-square-foot Spa La Quinta, and a new adults-only plunge pool is another recent update. On-site dining options are a highlight, particularly at the Adobe Grill, a Oaxaca-style Mexican restaurant with award-winning tamales and free-flowing margaritas. At Morgan’s in the Desert, the iconic steakhouse atmosphere serves as a reminder of why this hotel became a Hollywood retreat in the first place. laquintaresort.com
Must Do
From the legendary $50 martini to the Warhol painting on the wall, Bar Cecil continues to surprise and delight Palm Springs with its endless cachet, impeccable service, and showstopping cocktails. If you can get a spot, there’s no better place for a drink, dinner, and fascinating people watching—except maybe its brand-new sister bar next door, Beaton’s. barcecil.com
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Game On
Mahjong madness has taken over, so why not dedicate a magnificent and maximalist room to your addiction?
Mahjong madness has taken over, so why not dedicate a magnificent and maximalist room to your addiction?
FROM TOP LEFT: Various mahjong sets, from $425, themahjongline.com. Scarlet and Gilt Tole Hall Lantern, $3,000, chairish.com. Crown Armchair in Tiger Mountain Chenille, $1,600, interioricons.com. Scalamandré Tigre Gold Rug, from $139, ruggable.com. Woven Rattan and Wood Boxes, $149, potterybarn.com. Shell Panel, $3,500, luludk.com. Green Cocktail Set, $888, foundbymaja.com. Worlds Away Burlwood Game Table, price upon request, at Cabana Home.
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His ’n’ Hers
HOUSE RUPERT is a full-service interior design studio founded by Santa Barbara native Bailee Roberts.
Written by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
Photography by Erin Feinblatt
Bailee Roberts
HOUSE RUPERT is a full-service interior design studio founded by Santa Barbara native Bailee Roberts. After more than 15 years in London working in fashion and traveling extensively, Roberts returned to Santa Barbara with her young family during the pandemic—a transition that transformed her long-held passion for interiors into a deeply loved profession. Encouraged by a friend at a respected design firm, she enrolled in an interior design course at Santa Barbara City College and quickly found her calling. While pursuing her interior design degree, Roberts worked with a top local designer before launching her own firm in 2022. “Design and architecture were interests of mine from a young age, but it wasn’t until moving back to Santa Barbara that this passion resurfaced,” says Roberts. “Once I committed, things fell into place organically, and I feel incredibly fortunate to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional for my clients.” Focusing primarily on residential projects, House Rupert’s design aesthetic blends European sensibility with California chic. Roberts and her team are careful to honor the integrity of a structure while thoughtfully reflecting each client’s taste and vision. houserupert.com
Nod to the Neutrals
Interiors dynamo Diego Monchamp shares his layered go-tos for 2026
Manifattura is around the corner from our studio, but feels as if is around the world. If it’s full (which it usually is), I walk over to Aperitivo, their other outpost.
A coveted bar spot at Loquita for El Facil cocktail and Jamón Tasting.
I’m so happy to see more men’s stores opening in Santa Barbara. Clothes by NN.07, Samsoe Samsoe, and Scaglione are now at The Optimist at The Post.
Tortoise sunglasses by Salt from Cynthia Benjamin at Montecito Country Mart.
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Blooming Business
Tucked into a corner of The Post, Montecito’s boutique shopping center, you’ll find SCENERY, a floral design studio founded by Tedde Minogue.
When Emma Lauter designed the florals for a friend’s wedding a decade ago, she wasn’t planning on starting a business. But when guests began to ask her to create arrangements for their events, “I realized this passion could become something far greater than I imagined,” she says. The result was EMMAROSE FLORAL. When it comes to floral design, Lauter lets the blooms set the tone. “I have found that simple can be best, and a few varieties are often all you need,” she says. “I love the idea of allowing natural beauty to speak for itself.” Her arrangements favor restraint over excess, highlighting texture, movement, and seasonality rather than spectacle. “Flowers teach us that beauty lives in presence,” she says. “Nature reminds us that beauty is not meant to be possessed, but experienced.” emmarosefloral.com
We Love
When printmaker, artist, floral designer, and candlemaker Louesa Roebuck talks about beeswax, she does so with reverence. Her love and appreciation for the balm produced by honeybees is tied to her family’s beekeeping heritage in Ohio, including apiarist and beeswax candlemaker
A. I. Root. “Everyone has a nostalgic sensory response to the scent of beeswax,” Roebuck says. “It’s comforting, golden, warm, and ancient.” Rather than work with synthetic aromas, she makes candles that celebrate the smell of beeswax and, she says, “occasionally the botany adorning each candle.” The majority of her candles have a gothic look, but Roebuck refuses to be typecast.Her custom creations for a Wicked cast party included one for Ariana Grande—a springy and feminine candle reflective of her character Glinda. louesaroebuck.com
Perfect Setting
Tucked into a corner of The Post, Montecito’s boutique shopping center, you’ll find SCENERY, a floral design studio founded by Tedde Minogue. The art historian approaches her arrangements with a discerning eye, often incorporating ceramics into the work, which she calls “vessel-forward florals.” The result is a deliberate interplay between bloom and container, with florals and vases in harmony. “Scenery is here to cultivate beauty, and the ritual is a part of our process, but our customers [are] as well,” Minogue says. “I love seeing what people create from blooms we’ve selected or what a certain vase looks like in their home.” 1809 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara, sceneryflorals.com
Must Have
Candle in the Wind, $175, highcampsupply.com
Gather Ye Rosebuds
Forage Florals embraces local blooms.
FORAGE FLORALS in Santa Ynez started in 2014, “from a love of working with natural materials and creating arrangements that feel organic and artful rather than overly structured,” says founder Jill Redman. Staying true to its namesake, Forage believes in being “collaborative with nature,” creating locally sourced arrangements that embrace imperfection. The flower studio also functions as an event space, hosting private parties, receptions, corporate events, retreats, and more. “The goal is to create arrangements that feel effortless and natural,” Redman says, “as though they belong exactly where they are.” forageflorals.com
Written by TM
Photography - Emmarose Florals: Elizabeth Messina; Louesa Roebuck Candle: Mariana Schulze Studio, Scenery: Emmy Laine Pickett; Forage: Sister B Studios
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Re-Vision Quest
Founded by David Weber in 2008 as David Weber Architecture, the Santa Barbara firm was reborn eight years later as Anacapa Architecture, a sustainability and innovative-solutions-focused architecture and interior design firm.
Form and function are the two key elements of every Anacapa Architecture project.
Written by Dewey Nicks
Photography by Dan Weber
Founded by Dan Weber in 2008 as Dan Weber Architecture, the Santa Barbara firm was reborn eight years later as ANACAPA ARCHITECTURE, a sustainability and innovative-solutions-focused architecture and interior design firm. With more than 20 years of experience in creating engaging environments, Weber has assembled a diverse team of architects and designers who transcend their professional, multidisciplinary roles to create immersive, narrative-driven experiences that seamlessly blend traditional and modern elements.
From a modern farmhouse in the Santa Ynez Valley with its stone exterior sourced from nearby quarries (and installed by local stonemasons) to a custom home in Montecito inspired by the region’s traditional hip-roofed homes, each project is an exercise in raising the bar of aesthetics and function through design. As for the Dawn Café and Dusk Bar on the ground level of Santa Barbara’s popular Drift hotel, those boast contemporary interiors that, according to the firm, “celebrate the dance between light and darkness, offering a space where every moment is an opportunity to savor the beauty of life’s daily rhythm.” anacapaarchitecture.com
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Garden Glory
This year the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden celebrates its centennial of championing native plants.
Over the decades, visitors have reveled in the sight of brilliantly blooming poppies in the Meadow, where the backdrop of Cathedral Peak provides one of the quintessential vistas at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
Written by Joan Tapper
Photography courtesy Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
This year the SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN celebrates its centennial of championing native plants. Founded in 1926 by Anna Dorinda Blaksley Bliss with a focus on California species, the garden has grown from 13 acres in Mission Canyon to more than 78 acres, including new paths and family features in a Backcountry section. More important, its mission has expanded from showcasing the 1,000 indigenous species on its grounds to carrying on extensive conservation, preservation, and research programs throughout California.
Visiting the garden—with its sections of redwoods, desert flora, manzanitas, meadow, and more—remains a delight in any season, but there’s also vital work behind the scenes in the Pritzlaff Conservation Center, home to laboratories, the Clifton Smith Herbarium (with more than 230,000 specimens), and the Seed Bank, a repository of more than 4 million examples of 424 rare plants. How better to honor a century of success than by ensuring the future of native spieces for centuries to come? 1212 Mission Canyon Rd., Santa Barbara, sbbotanicgarden.org
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Coup De Jardin
Author, TV personality, and gardener Martha Stewart is the special guest at this year’s Lotusland Celebrates: Botanical Splendor gala on July 18.
Martha Stewart
Written by Joan Tapper
Author, TV personality, and gardener Martha Stewart is the special guest at this year’s LOTUSLAND CELEBRATES: BOTANICAL SPLENDOR gala on July 18. Hosted by actor Jane Lynch, the always sold-out event is a fundraiser for Ganna Walska Lotusland to support plant conservation and its horticultural education mission. The festivities begin with cocktails and a garden walk—with surprise performances and installations—and continue with an alfresco dinner and a lively auction with one-of-a-kind items. lotusland.org/celebrates
A planting of agave, cacti, and other greenery at Lotusland.
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Change of Scenery
Walking into The Well in Summerland or Montecito, one thing is immediately clear…
Well, he’s gone and done it again
Patina-rich antiques lend warmth and character to Shane Brown’s curated outdoor living spaces.
“When people walk into the store, I’m looking for that immediate ‘Wow’.”
Walking into THE WELL in Summerland or Montecito, one thing is immediately clear: Owner Shane Brown of Big Daddy’s Antiques has mastered the art of creating immersive environments. Rather than modeling his stores after conventional furniture shops, Brown designs interiors that shift the focus from a single item to the room as a whole, inspiring patrons to re-create that feeling at home. “When people walk into the store, I’m looking for that immediate ‘Wow,’ ” he says. “Not a day goes by without someone saying, ‘I want to live here,’ or ‘I want my own property to look like this.’ ” In April, Carpinteria becomes home to Brown’s newest outpost: THE WELL GARDENS. With nine acres of land (including more than two acres of greenhouse space), olive trees, coastal plants, and landscapes featuring water elements and gathering areas, The Well Gardens is envisioned as both a retail space and a community hub focused on botanicals, design, and California outdoor living. Says Brown, “As Big Daddy’s roots expand along the California coast, the mission remains unchanged: to design a living, timeless story—yours and ours—with a palette of historic antiques binding human experience with botanical life.” 3376 Foothill Rd., Carpinteria,thewellbybdantiques.com
