Head to Toe
A pair of trailblazing shopping destinations are ushering in a stylish new era on Santa Ynez’s historic Sagunto Street
House of Hackney’s Hollyhocks wallpaper sets the playful tone inside Brass Tack.
A pair of trailblazing shopping destinations are ushering in a stylish new era on Santa Ynez’s historic Sagunto Street
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Sara Prince
SANTA YNEZ GENERAL, the shop that ignited its namesake town’s retail boom, opened its stylish doors in 2019. The boutique’s original location now showcases lifestyle and home goods in a slightly refreshed space, while a second Santa Ynez location opened in 2021 and focuses on apparel. It currently features several new lines for fall including Etro, Rosie Assoulin, and Nili Lotan. Founded by Pearson and Spencer Turnbull—a fashion industry veteran and an accomplished attorney, respectively—both tastemakers with an eye for destination-worthy shopping, Santa Ynez General has continued to broaden its Santa Ynez Valley-rooted reach. Summer 2022 brought a pop-up shop to Montecito’s Upper Village, and when The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection, opens this winter in Los Olivos, the eagerly anticipated luxe property will include a Santa Ynez General outpost. 3558 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 805-691-9947, santaynezgeneral.com.
A stone’s throw away on Sagunto Street, BRASS TACK mingles cheeky, couture glam with Santa Ynez’s Victorian, cowgirl grit. Opened in March 2022, the bright boutique’s motto, “If Georgia O’Keeffe and Dolly Parton crashed Fashion Week,” is reflected in the stylings and stock, all housed in a 120-year-old building. Owner Melissa Kanarek, a couture upholsterer and seamstress by trade, once inhabited and worked in global urban centers but she’s now a Santa Ynez Valley resident, specializing in pieces with a strong sense of story, much like her own. Kanarek founded her retail concept in Laguna Beach but relocated her store after settling in the Valley with her husband on the couple’s homestead, Ranchy McRanch (see page 114). This fall, the women’s boutique and hat bar will welcome Kanarek’s Born in the Barn line, designed and sewn in her barn, featuring dead-stock, limited-edition runs created by Kanarek’s fevered imagination. 3553 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 949-351-8748, brasstackstudio.com.
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Heads Above the Rest
Custom hat maker Kevin “KJ” Murphy
Custom hat maker Kevin “KJ” Murphy
Kevin “KJ” Murphy; the master at work.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by KJ Murphy’s, Sara Prince
Last year custom hat maker Kevin “KJ” Murphy expanded his business, KJ MURPHY’S, into a large Santa Ynez space with swanky saloon vibes and a modern twist—complete with all of the entertaining bells and whistles essential to a bespoke accessories experience. Murphy’s clients often get to watch the custom crafter at work, while they sip some of the finest spirits stocked behind his hand-built, mahogany back bar. Under the pressed-tin ceiling, a stone fireplace centers the long room where outdoorsy apparel and hats by Stetson, Resistol, DOBBS, the fashionable Charlie 1 Horse, and KJ originals are beautifully showcased.
Murphy’s hat-making trail began in 2009, when he purchased an old hat factory that included some machines dating back to the early 1900s. Months of mechanical refurbishing followed, leading to the opening of his first Santa Ynez Valley hat studio in 2011. Nowadays, patrons can listen to Murphy’s tales of his adventures while he designs their hats with custom touches like hand-tooled leather hatbands, beads, ribbons, horsehair, or other materials, transforming each piece of headgear into a unique, wearable, working piece of art. 3569 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 805-686-4790, kjmurphys.com.
WE LOVE
Get on Your High Horse
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Check List
Classic pieces with a fresh KULE twist and a wink to iconic autumn staples of the ’70s
Classic pieces with a fresh KULE twist and a wink to iconic autumn staples of the ’70s
All items available at KULE Pop Up at Montecito Country Mart through December 31, and kule.com.
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Don’t Miss…
The 38th annual Santa Barbara Vintners Festival’s Grand Tasting will be held at the Old Mission Santa Inés on Saturday, October 8
Written by Anush J. Benliyan
The 38th annual Santa Barbara Vintners Festival’s Grand Tasting will be held at the Old Mission Santa Inés on Saturday, October 8, and promises attendees the chance to taste vino from more than 50 nearby wineries, as well as gourmet fare from 30-plus regional restaurants and chefs. Enjoy live music as you meet and mingle with winemakers and winery owners. Pick up some new skills at a variety of culinary and viticulture demos, and don’t forget to stop by the Bubble Lounge to sample some bruts. 1760 Mission Dr., Solvang, sbvintnersweekend.com
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Surf ’n’ Turf
With their Coast Range restaurant, a powerhouse team of chefs is putting Solvang on the culinary map.
Leather banquettes, custom made-in-Italy sconces, and pressed-tin ceilings set the tone inside Solvang’s Coast Range restaurant.
With their Coast Range restaurant, a powerhouse team of chefs is putting Solvang on the culinary map
Written by Caitlin White | Photography by Sara Prince
Solvang is better known for Danish architecture than fine dining, but last year a trifecta of chefs and a James Beard-recognized sommelier put COAST RANGE on the map as a destination steakhouse. Helmed by Anthony Carron (800 Degrees Pizza), Steven Fretz (Church Key), and acclaimed pastry chef Lincoln Carson (Bon Temps, Mes Amis)—as well as partners Hillary Calhoun and Joseph Sabato—the place has a wine list from sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr that’s the cherry on top. Flanked on one side by a casual sister spot, Vaquero Bar, which opened in April 2021, Coast Range started offering indoor and outdoor dining on Mission Drive last fall.
Chef Anthony Carron, General manager and mixologist Joseph Sabato, Chef Steven Fretz
Head inside for a Victorian-meets-maritime feel—think leather booths, velvet curtains, and a sea captain’s portrait—and begin with a whole grilled California artichoke with “good butter” and melty pecorino, or try a spectacular daily fresh crudo bathed in shiro dashi, a Japanese chili paste called yuzu kosho, and baby cilantro. Next, a boatload of fritto misto including calamari, broccolini, and pepperoncinis is accompanied by furikake aïoli, Thai chili dipping sauce, and key lime. You’ll find those dishes on the brunch menu, served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Monday.
Reservations are highly recommended for the dinner menu, which is available starting at 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday and offers a hearty steak list filled with impeccable cuts from purveyors like Delmonico and Creekstone. Make any steak into a surf-and-turf combo with lobster tails always on offer, or indulge in oysters on the half shell and chilled shellfish for a seafood fix. Steakhouse staples like French onion soup and wedge salads round out the evening appetizers—or splurge on Regiis Ova caviar and call it a night. Before you go, brioche donuts with brown-butter glaze make for a fluffy, flawless finish, courtesy of Chef Carson. 1635 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-624-5420, coastrange.restaurant
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Fessing Up—Twice
April 2022 brought a grand refresh of the legendary FESS PARKER WINERY’s tasting areas and experiences, at the portfolio’s Los Olivos vineyard property along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.
A Kodiak Greenwood photograph of Fess Parker’s favorite spot on the family ranch is printed on metal and hung as a triptych above the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the refreshed Fess Parker Winery tasting room, on the Los Olivos vineyard property.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks
April 2022 brought a grand refresh of the legendary FESS PARKER WINERY’s tasting areas and experiences, at the portfolio’s Los Olivos vineyard property along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. Elevated updates and additions to the venue’s interiors and exterior tell the tale of the Parker family’s history in the Santa Barbara region. They also provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere for more private tastings and leisurely lounging while paying homage to the family’s famous patriarch, the late Fess Parker. Memorabilia from Parker’s acting career decorate the revamped space, and the family’s 30-plus years of winemaking history is showcased in the new Library Room Wine Tastings: private experiences with customizable tasting flights of four Fess Parker library wines. In September the Fess Parker Funk Zone tasting room opens in downtown Santa Barbara, offering wines from Fess Parker Winery and from the family’s boutique Epiphany and Fesstivity labels. 6200 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, 805-688-1545 and 116 E. Yanonali St., Santa Barbara, 805-770-2041, fessparker.com
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Rebirth of an Icon
Slated to open in winter 2022, THE INN AT MATTEI’S TAVERN, AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION, occupies a historic stagecoach stop in Los Olivos, adjacent to the site of the original Mattei’s Tavern from around 1886.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by James Baigrie
Slated to open in winter 2022, THE INN AT MATTEI’S TAVERN, AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION, occupies a historic stagecoach stop in Los Olivos, adjacent to the site of the original Mattei’s Tavern from around 1886. The new property will include 67 guest rooms and cottages that evoke storied Central Coast ranches, farms, and vineyards. Awaiting guests are an outdoor pool with cabanas and a poolside bar called The Shed, a signature spa, and indoor-outdoor event spaces, as well as five venues for daylong dining. Mornings might begin with coffee and freshly baked goods from Felix Feed & Coffee—named for Felix Mattei, the old tavern’s owner—while nights might be capped at The Bar with moody, Western saloon-inspired cocktails.
“The historic cottages at Mattei’s, both historic and the face of the project from Los Olivos, were a unique challenge,” says Ryan Mills, principal designer with DMHA Architecture + Interior Design who worked with Auberge. “It was crucially important to find exactly the right balance to rehabilitate the architecture while elevating the guest experience suitable for a luxurious wine-country resort.”
Dinner at The Tavern, the jewel of the resort’s culinary crown, will be directed by Filipino-American executive chef Rhoda Magbitang, whose kitchen creds include work with chefs Suzanne Goin and José Andrés, as well as executive-chef stints at West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont and Petit Ermitage. The Tavern will feature California ranch cuisine and fresh ingredients, many of which will be harvested from the on-site garden; an extensive wine list culled from the large cellar; and cocktails incorporating house-infused spirits and botanic-driven tonics. Gin’s Tap Bar—a cozy smokehouse and bar—pays homage to the Goleta birthplace and Chinese heritage of old-time tavern chef Gin Lung Gin, with a menu that combines traditional ranch-smoking techniques with the flavors of Shanghai. 2350 Railway Ave., Los Olivos, 844-837-2999, aubergeresorts.com/matteistavern
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Perfect Pairing
Some collaborations seem destined to happen. Like the combination of art by COLETTE COSENTINO and two late-summer releases from ARTISTE WINERY—a sparkling rosé and a Chardonnay.
Anna Rice (left) and Colette Cosentino in the painter’s Santa Barbara studio.
Written by Joan Tapper | Photography: Exterior, Sara Prince; portrait and bottle, Kim Reierson
Some collaborations seem destined to happen. Like the combination of art by COLETTE COSENTINO and two late-summer releases from ARTISTE WINERY—a sparkling rosé and a Chardonnay.
“It was serendipitous,” says Anna Rice, who owns Artiste with her husband, winemaker
Bion Rice. The label had partnered with 50 artists over the years, but only a couple had been local, something Anna wanted to remedy. When she walked by Colette’s Santa Barbara studio and later happened to meet the artist, she felt “the universe had spoken.”
The labels feature details of a huge glittering woodland canvas Colette had worked on for the last five years. When they unrolled it, notes Anna, “the color and the notes of the rosé and Chardonnay seemed to coalesce.” The painting is “very effervescent. You can taste the bubbles! With the official launch [of the wines], we’ll feature Colette’s art in the tasting studio and gallery in Los Olivos through the fall.” The full mural will later be on display in Colette’s Anapamu Street studio.
“It was extra cool to do a wine label,” says Colette, who has created wallpaper and textiles in addition to her fine art. “I’m excited by the possibilities.”artiste.com; colettecosentino.com.
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Joie de Vivre
Under the rustic spell of the Santa Ynez Valley
Under the rustic spell of the Santa Ynez Valley
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Sara Prince
Seeking a lavish wine country retreat? SUNSTONE VILLA offers a taste of France in the Santa Ynez Valley to Sunstone Winery’s Club members and other private parties. The 8,500-square-foot residence—conceived, designed, and outfitted by the winery’s founders, Fred and Linda Rice—opened in 2012 after a decade of construction. Built with limestone salvaged from chateaus in Aix-en-Provence, Normandy, and the Loire Valley, the villa also features wood beams, rafters, and roof tiles reclaimed from a 19th-century French lavender factory. Now a private residence for Sunstone’s current owners, Teddy and Djamila Cabugos, the villa includes five master suites, eight fireplaces, a billiards room, an underground wine cellar, and multiple terraces and patios with sweeping mountain and vineyard views. Continuing enhancements to the property’s landscaping, furnishings, and fixtures elevate the luxe factor for wine club members; attendees of special celebrations, corporate events, and galas; and myriad photography and filming projects for which the villa often “stars” as a Provençal estate. 125 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, 805-688-9463, sunstonewinery.com
“A taste of France perched on Refugio Road”
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Easy Living
Set on three terraced levels with manicured gardens and ocean views, HOME CRUSH’s new Summerland showroom is a statement in coastal luxury.
Portia dining chairs, $789 each, Bowman table, $1,999, and Heatsail outdoor lamp, $5,497
Written by Danielle DiMeglio | Photography by Sara Prince
Set on three terraced levels with manicured gardens and ocean views, HOME CRUSH’s new Summerland showroom is a statement in coastal luxury. Oyster-shell-encrusted birdbaths, neutral-toned woven chairs, and sleek Belgian outdoor heat lamps round out the alfresco vignettes curated by Montecito-based Aimee Miller (a California residential designer for more than 20 years). “Walking up through the trumpet trees, visitors can see different designs and furnishings as they ascend to the top terraces,” she says of the quarter-acre venue. The interactive lifestyle and outdoor center—or “deconstructed store” as she describes it—is an extension of Home Crush’s downtown Santa Barbara shop and design studio. Find everything from padded picnic blankets from Germany and linen beach towels from Rome to herb-scented citronella candles and textured outdoor pillows. “Everything a visitor sees or touches is available with interior and exterior design services, as well as Smart Home Integration by California Smart Homes,” says Miller. (Think single-touch systems for lighting, music, and more.) 2500 Lillie Ave., Summerland, 805-837-8836, home-crush.com.
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Gimme Shelter
What started about 10 years ago as a quest to create the ideal camp blanket has resulted in four rental cabins in Joshua Tree, an online home-goods shop, and, more recently, the opening of the first CAMPOVER store in Los Alamos.
Campover's modern essentials
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
What started about 10 years ago as a quest to create the ideal camp blanket has resulted in four rental cabins in Joshua Tree, an online home-goods shop, and, more recently, the opening of the first CAMPOVER store in Los Alamos. Consciously sourced, handcrafted housewares and “modern shelter supplies” line the shelves in the retail space that reflects the company’s utilitarian-design ethos and approach to hospitality. Coming soon: An expanded array of online offerings—including proprietary Campover products—and a handful of Campover-renovated Central Coast accommodations. 235B Centennial St., Los Alamos, campover.com.
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Farm to Your Table
Elder Flat Farm, the 102-acre property organically farmed by Carla Malloy, has famously supplied many of the region’s best restaurants.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
Elder Flat Farm, the 102-acre property organically farmed by Carla Malloy, has famously supplied many of the region’s best restaurants. It now offers its goods to home cooks at the ELDER FLAT FARM SHOP in Los Alamos. Open Thursday through Sunday, the farm store displays Elder Flat’s bounty of organic produce and flowers and farm-fresh eggs along with curated collections of artisanal products and provisions. The venue also hosts live music and other events, including classes on cheese-and-charcuterie-board styling, “how-tos” on raising chickens, and canning workshops. 325 Bell St., Los Alamos, elderflatfarm.com.
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I Walk the Wine
An active wine-tasting experience awaits those who embark on the new hiking tours at renowned ALMA ROSA WINERY.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
An active wine-tasting experience awaits those who embark on the new hiking tours at renowned ALMA ROSA WINERY. The appointment-only hikes traverse the historic El Jabali estate, a 628-acre property in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. The two tours—Caracol Hike ($75 per person) and Attente Hike ($95 per person)—vary in duration and intensity and showcase different sides of the estate, rewarding adventurers with spectacular mountain and valley views plus glasses of wine, followed by a private wine tasting and cheese plate at Alma Rosa’s ranch house. Alma Rosa will offer a similar hiking excursion on July 23, during its third annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction fund-raising walk to benefit both One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. almarosawinery.com.
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Immortal Femmes
Angela Perko is fascinated by precious objects, and her recent series of paintings focuses on ancient female fertility figures.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Angela Perko is fascinated by precious objects, and her recent series of paintings focuses on ancient female fertility figures. Perko’s paintings are always packed with quiet symbolism and deep layers of meaning; and while her new works acknowledge that women have been constantly reproduced as objects over time—from Paleolithic venus figurines to plastic Barbie dolls—the females showcased here were revered as powerful fertility symbols. At the same time, Perko has juxtaposed these symbols with carefully chosen background visuals that resonate with present day concerns, a dialogue-sparking device inspired by artist Kehinde Wiley’s dramatic Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of Savoy-Carignan (2015) displayed at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Perko’s striking portrait of a prehistoric Japanese Dogū figurine, which floats on a background of bright red polka dots, is a direct reference to feminist artist Yayoi Kusama of Japan—known internationally for her commandingly beautiful and obsessive installations—who frequently employs a similar polka dot pattern in her art. Using a 10-by-10-inch square format, Perko’s exquisite figurine paintings are small but mighty. They are on view, along with other works by the artist, July 29 through September 26 at Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery. Don’t miss the opening August 4 (5 to 8 pm). 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, 805-730-1460; sullivangoss.com.
Stoked
Jeff Divine’s iconic snap at Hollister Ranch, 1972
Jeff Divine’s iconic snap at Hollister Ranch, 1972
Chromogenic print, unframed, from $2,500, clic.com. Photographer Jeff Divine, who documented surf culture from 1970 to 2009, has one of the largest archives of surf photography in existence. jeffdivinesurf.com.
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O’side Opens Up
The Mission Pacific Hotel makes a splash in San Diego
The rooftop pool at Mission Pacific Hotel offers unmatched views of the Pacific and the 1,942-foot-long Oceanside Pier.
The Mission Pacific Hotel makes a splash in San Diego
Written by Caitlin White
Oceanside has long been a skate and surf paradise. Now it’s becoming a haven for visitors of all stripes. This sleepy little San Diego suburb, nicknamed O’side by locals, was recently outfitted with two new ocean-facing hotels (both under Hyatt’s umbrella). The Seabird Resort is a kitschy, family-oriented getaway with Cape Cod flair, but its sleek bohemian neighbor, MISSION PACIFIC HOTEL, is the one to watch.
Of the two hotels, located across the street from each other a short block from the beach, Mission Pacific feels like the older sister of the pair. Its modern architecture gets a beachy boost with warm, natural materials that create a tranquil space and emphasize coastal living. The bulk of the hotel’s 161 rooms offer unobstructed ocean views, and the rooftop pool and bar double down on panoramic views of the coast.
With a fine-dining restaurant on the ground floor—Valle, from chef Roberto Alcocer of Baja Mexico's Guadalupe Valley—the hotel also hosts the more casual High/Low oceanfront café from F10 Creative hospitality group, the masterminds behind Palm Springs dining staples Cheeky’s and Mr. Lyons. Mission Pacific also recently debuted its very own dessert haven in a classic 1887 bungalow dubbed the Top Gun House because it was featured in that 1986 Tom Cruise film. Relocated from elsewhere in Oceanside, the carefully restored venue now sits safely in Mission Pacific’s courtyard, serving up its signature HIGH-pies and other sweets. From $319/night. 201 N. Myers St., Oceanside, 760-655-1332, missionpacifichotel.com.
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Desert,Three Ways
The best way to beat the heat this summer? Embrace it!
The best way to beat the heat this summer? Embrace it!
Written by Caitlin White | Photographs: The Sands Hotel & Spa, Tim Street-Porter; Hermann Bungalows, Jim Bartsch. Photographs: The Pink Cabana, Jamie Kowal; Azure Sky, Sheva Kefai.
Hermann Bungalows
The zero-edge pool at Hermann Bungalows boasts serene mountain views; the 24 smartly appointed bungalows feature floor-to-ceiling windows. Midcentury interiors at Hermann Bungalows.
A visit to the desert is all about escape—relief from the mundane. Tucked away in a hidden corner of L’Horizon Resort and Spa’s manicured grounds, HERMANN BUNGALOWS offer the kind of decadence that eclipses ordinary life. Proprietor and Montecito resident Steve Hermann has continued his vision for indoor/outdoor living in this new venture. A pathway leads to his hotel’s incredibly private, completely enclosed mini resort. Inside the property, an 85-foot, zero-edge wading pool lined with deep blue tiles lends a tropical aura to the whole area. Situated in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains, the enclave has been landscaped with romantic olive trees and equipped with crisp white lounge chairs, along with a private bar available only to guests. The 24 bungalows arranged around the glistening water feature comprise studio suites, junior suites, and a presidential suite that includes a living area, bedroom, and private hot tub on a large enclosed patio. Custom dark wood and magnificent tile round out each bungalow’s luxe desert feel, while Venetian terrazzo floors, gold fixtures, and even TOTO smart toilets add to the sense of opulence in every room. Each bungalow is slightly different from the others, but they all include private outdoor spaces and plush furniture. A select few boast soaking tubs and outdoor showers. An ideal desert oasis, Hermann Bungalows ups the ante for L’Horizon’s guests, doubling down on its already celebrated hospitality. From $1,000/night. 1050 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 760-323-1858, hermannbungalows.com.
“I wanted to design a luxurious, modern hotel that felt like a fine curated home”
Sands Hotel & Spa
The Sands Hotel & Spa's poolside lounge chairs and cabanas beckon; the Moroccan-inspired lobby designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard; an in-room soaking tub at the Sands.The Pink Cabana restaurant at the Sands.
There are nine cities in the constellation of the Coachella Valley, and Palm Springs is merely one of them. Venture a little deeper into the Greater Palm Springs area, and you’ll come upon Indian Wells, a small outlier best known for its tennis tournament. Even if you have no interest in hitting the court, the SANDS HOTEL & SPA is enough reason to draw you here. Since reopening in 2018, this boutique property by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has become exceedingly popular. Bullard’s vision for the hotel, which encompasses 46 rooms, embraces a Moroccan take on the desert, with arched entryways, intricate patterned-tile inlays, and art deco flourishes. The on-site restaurant and bar, The Pink Cabana, is a glittering haven that serves Mediterranean cuisine with Moroccan influences. Select rooms include balconies or private patios, and custom-built furniture carries the hotel’s playful decor through the property. From $329/night. 44-985 Province Wy., Indian Wells, 760-321-3771, sandshotelandspa.com.
Azure Sky
Azure Sky's guest rooms feature custom millwork and built-in beds; the retro exterior; the lobby at Azure Sky pays homage to the property's midcentury roots.
With just 14 rooms, AZURE SKY is a newly renovated microhotel embracing a midcentury modern ethos in South Palm Springs. Originally built back in 1959, the hotel, now operated by Santa Barbara’s Acme Hospitality, features serene grounds that have been thoughtfully transformed. A grassy meadow, formally the original pool, features an inviting fire pit. The expansive new pool area is now the focal point of the property with unobstructed views of the San Jacinto Mountains. Restored and redesigned with a neutral palette, muted black finishes, and glossy wood, the accommodations include plenty of natural light. Boasting custom-built beds, the spacious suites—12 of which feature kitchenettes—call to mind an airy apartment more than a hotel room. With a lobby that doubles as a retro living room, complete with a cocktail bar, guests don’t have to leave the property to enjoy all the desert has to offer. From $299/night. 1661 S. Calle Palo Fierro, Palm Springs, 760-469-4498, azureskyhotel.com.
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Sun, Surf, Sand Essentials
Sun, Surf, Sand Essentials
Trend Report
Gigi Hadid for Gigi x Frankie collab collection, from $80, frankiesbikinis.com
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Shopping Spree
Jump-start your summer with elevated seaside staples
A spate of new shops stocking summer staples is cropping up at the Montecito Country Mart
Written by Elizabeth Varnell
Photography by Sara Prince
Stella Peters in Heidi Merrick Mimizan swim bottom, $95, and Duchess sweater, $295, heidimerrick.com.
As the sun reaches its apex, daylight hours stretch, and shadows shrink, a spin through the newest additions to the Montecito Country Mart (1016 Coast Village Rd., Montecito) beckons. Slip into a light-as-air prairie-printed frock from sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland of DÔEN, who trace some of their sharpest and most influential memories to their youth in Santa Barbara. It seems particularly fitting that their voluminous blouses, pretty swimwear, printed shorts, gingham dresses, wispy skirts, and a host of organic cotton staples are now housed at their new brick-and-mortar shop at the mart. The collectively owned, women-run, online apparel label collaborated with L.A. design team Nickey Kehoe to create the shop, inspired equally by the area’s Spanish Revival architecture and midcentury design. Ojai artist Rebekah Miles added her hand-painted patterns—reminiscent of those adorning her ceramics—to the earthy shop walls. shopdoen.com.
Doên dresses are beloved for their romantic silhouettes and nostalgic patterns.
Cynthia Benjamin stocks a range of retro and designer glasses for women and men.
Fight the glare at CYNTHIA BENJAMIN eyewear boutique. After more than two decades working with specs, Benjamin and Cynthia Montoya have a sixth sense about frames and fit. Their new shop, co-owned and operated with Jordan Feldman, stocks a curated collection of luxury glasses from an array of independent lines as well as one-of-a-kind vintage, new old-stock frames from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s with sun or optical lenses. Richly colored Kirk & Kirk optical glasses are also on offer with embellished hinge pins. As the longest day of the year approaches, Cynthia notes, “Salt Optics is releasing a new collection of titanium Aviator sunglasses made in Japan, just in time for summer drives along the Pacific Coast.” cynthia-benjamin.com.
Handwoven linens at Heather Taylor Home.
Another new addition, HEATHER TAYLOR HOME, is stocked with all manner of cotton tablecloths, napkins, tea towels, coasters, and place mats in stripes, ginghams, and plaids ideal for coastal gatherings. Taylor, who vividly remembers childhood visits to Montecito, is also conceptualizing an exclusive pattern for the pop-up shop, which is filled with all the accoutrements—designed in Los Angeles and handcrafted by artisans in Chiapas, Mexico—for alfresco dinners in town and picnics near the water. heathertaylorhome.com.
Parker Thatch tennis bags and more at Montecito Mercantile.
Carrie Schei’s MONTECITO MERCANTILE general store is filled with the sort of finds she sources for sister shops Salt House Mercantile on Washington’s Bainbridge Island and in Sag Harbor, New York. Photographer Dewey Nicks’s summer snaps are on display, as are a variety of ceramic tablewear, linens, gifts, Parker Thatch bags, Peter Beaton hats, what Schei calls the “ultimate white shirt” from Sarah Alexandra, and key apothecary items from Bamford, plus cards, books, and magazines. montecitomercantile.com.
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Close to Home
When a restaurant space with a sprawling patio and room for a big kitchen came up for rent at Coast Village Plaza, Michael Sheldon jumped.
Head chef Jonny McDermott (center) created the all-day menu.
Written by S. Irene Virbila | Photography by Sara Prince
When a restaurant space with a sprawling patio and room for a big kitchen came up for rent at Coast Village
Plaza, Michael Sheldon jumped. The retired tech CEO had an itch to open a restaurant for the community—and did just that. LOCAL invites the Montecito set to dine, drink, and lounge (with live acoustic music at night) from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. An avid cook who’s eaten all over the world, Sheldon, with chef Jonny McDermott, has designed a menu of his favorite comfort foods and more sophisticated dishes from his travels.
The best seller—no surprise—is the double burger (a short-rib/brisket blend), which comes with French fries and a garlicky aioli. There’s also a lot to like about the Korean maple-glazed chicken wings, crudo from the raw bar, a shrimp po’ boy doused with Crystal hot sauce, shrimp Louie salad, and pan-seared salmon in red-curry coconut broth. The latest menu additions are a Snake River Farms Wagyu rip-cap and Alaskan halibut with caviar beurre blanc. And there’s more to come, promises Sheldon. Pastry chef Peche (who goes by just one name) turns out a mean panna cotta and chocolate peanut butter pie. Almost everything on the menu is gluten free, including batter for the Nashville fish and chips. You can even get a gluten-free burger bun if you ask.
Live music—perhaps a pianist, guitarist, or jazz trio—often starts around 7 p.m. in the bar, next to the grand piano. Cue in a late-night menu that includes that double burger. 1187 Coast Village Rd., Stes. 8 and 9, Montecito, 805-770-2269. localmontecito.com. S.I.V.