Santa Barbara
Enjoy a rambling tour of downtown’s home stores; you’ll be sure to discover something special to brighten your day (and your abode)
Written by L.D. Porter | Photography by Sara Prince | Illustrations by Digital Sunsets
From the Funk Zone to the top of State Street, Santa Barbara is packed with purveyors of home goods and services to transform even the simplest abode into a shelter-magazine–worthy dwelling. Guided by the healing practices of his ancestors, Rafael Adón makes soaps with indigenous botanicals as well as skin-care creations and perfumes at Rancho La Paloma, his 800-acre ranch in Santa Barbara. His items are available online and at Field + Fort in Summerland. A picturesque alley off Anacapa Street and De la Guerra Plaza leads to Architectural Antique Salvage, a loftlike space housing a treasure trove of early California and European landscape paintings, antiques, rugs, and historical architectural salvage, all carefully curated by owners Judy Cota and Jay Friedmann. With three floors of vintage and modern collections, The Blue Door is ground zero for unique pieces that set the vibe for any room. Don’t miss the new Betsey Johnson pop-up on the first floor, featuring the designer’s clothing, art, home décor, and furniture collected over the years. The Cabana Home showroom, with its ever-changing display of furniture, art, and objects, hints at the extensive professional services founders/designers Steve Thompson and Caroline Thompson provide, including residential and commercial space planning and design (incorporating furniture, flooring, and window coverings), building-plan review, and project management. Celebrating 20 years on State Street, Celadon House is committed to providing full-service interior-design services promoting sustainable, ethically sourced materials in partnership with Cisco Brothers, a leading upholstery manufacturer; it also offers a selection of furnishings, home accessories, organic mattresses, and bedding. Diani Living, the sister store to Diani Boutique and Diani Shoes—all owned by retail maven Caroline Diani—offers an eclectic collection of everyday home and lifestyle items that are sustainably made and sourced from small artisans. Personalized interior-design services are also available.
With in-house interior designers and nearly unlimited inventory resources, Habitat Home & Garden can help guide projects big or small. With access to skilled tradesmen from around the world, they can track down what you need or will custom build it. Featuring furnishings from farmhouse to modern style, HOME Santa Barbara carries the Magnolia Home Furniture line designed by Joanna Gaines, in addition to Universal Furniture, Furniture Classics, The MT Company, Orient Express, Four Hands, Spectra Home, Loloi Rugs, and more. Recently relocated to a new showroom, the team at NS Ceramic is ready to display its unrivaled selection of handcrafted artisan ceramic, glass, stone, metal, porcelain, and mosaic tiles from around the world. Services offered include product specification, design sketches, and budget estimates. MichaelKate Contemporary Furniture—which originally opened in 1953 as Danica House, with a focus on Danish and Scandinavian designs—today specializes in American and European midcentury, modern, contemporary, and transitional pieces. A cozy boutique that invites lingering, Raoul showcases owner/designer Sally McQuillan’s exquisite handprinted linen textiles and wallpapers alongside elegant hand-picked accessories. The design business—Raoul Textiles—is a McQuillan family affair helmed by Sally with son Gene and daughter Madeleine. Married owners Jami and Eric Voulgaris of Rooms & Gardens have designed custom furniture for clients all over the country, working with A-list interior designers and celebrities, including customers like President Bill Clinton. Their interior designs grace projects in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Aspen, among others. Working with tile and stone factories worldwide, Tileco Tile & Stone Showroom imports and distributes ceramic, porcelain, marble, travertine, and natural stone throughout the Central Coast. It’s the perfect resource for materials that will enhance all styles of residential design.
