The Gathering Place
A sunken gravel courtyard with olive trees makes for romantic dinners and weddings.
The Santa Barbara House is ready to party
Written by Jennifer Blaise Kramer | Photography by Jen Huang Bogan
The Santa Barbara House.
Presiding over an Eastside corner is a stately Queen Anne that’s becoming quite the party house. The 1903 home was originally one in a row of Victorian vacation dwellings dubbed the Santa Barbara Houses for families who came in search of sunshine. “That’s why we named it the Santa Barbara House,” says Jen Huang Bogan, who took on the extensive renovation after purchasing the home in 2017 with her husband, Elihu Root Bogan.
Embarking on the project with two young children was truly a labor of love. While they briefly considered turning the dwelling into their family home, the couple quickly realized it needed to continue its multipurposed history: During Covid they opened the house for school pods; now it hosts small parties and weddings. “It’s for the right type of bride. You have to have a love for old homes and backyard weddings,” says Jen, a wedding photographer and stylist. “It has a European, villa-like feel with its own garden, and it’s downtown, so afterward you can really take the party anywhere.”
Four guest suites are furnished by RH.
With four suites (each with its own private entrance), a caterer’s kitchen, and a front lawn for ceremonies and cocktails, the home is primed for 30-person events, offering an intimate, affordable alternative to nearby hotels. The couple also launched a series of ticketed gatherings, allowing locals to experience the sunken garden for themed dinner parties and workshops, while giving back proceeds to good causes.
“The garden is meant to be shared for alfresco gatherings,” Jen says, nodding to the roses, Italian cypress, and ancient olive trees. “Outdoor living is so Santa Barbara, and this house just epitomizes that.” sb.house.
