Santa Barbara

Sotheby’s - Baker

Berkshire Hathaway - Kotllyar

MARSHA KOTLYAR ESTATE GROUP

$10,900,000 | MONTECITO, CA

TOP 1% OF AGENTS NATIONWIDE BY SALES VOLUME IN 2021, 2022

RANKED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REAL TRENDS

2035 CREEKSIDE ROAD

DOUBLE VISION

Written by Kelsey McKinnon. Photographs by Dewey Nicks

COLLECTIVE SOUL 92 104 116

Written by Jennifer Blaise Kramer. Photographs by Julie Pointer Adams

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT

Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter. Photographs by Michael Haber

RANCH HANDS

Written by Elizabeth Varnell. Photographs by Sam Frost

BACK PAGE 130

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EDITORIAL

DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Gina Tolleson

CREATIVE CONSULTANT

James Timmins

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Rutledge

SENIOR EDITOR

Danielle Torres

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

Tia Seifert

PHOTO EDITOR

Lauren White

Maravilla / masthead

.

CONTRIBUTING

Charles Donelan

Anna Ferguson-Sparks

Amelia Fleetwood

Jennifer Blaise Kramer

Christine Lennon

Dawn Moore

Lorie Dewhirst Porter

Gabe Saglie

Katherine Stewart

Joan Tapper

Erik Torkells CONTRIBUTING

Blake Bronstad

David Cameron

Leela Cyd

Sam Frost

Blue Gabor

Tierney Gearon

Michael Haber

Brian Hodges

Elizabeth Messina

Dewey Nicks

Victoria Pearson

Sara Prince

Lisa Romerein

CHAIRMAN

1999-2003

Robert N. Smith

PRESIDENT

Jenny Murray

PUBLISHER

Amy M. Lipson

CONTROLLER

Leila Allen

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sandy Hubbard

©2023 BY SMITH PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC.

Village Properties - Dore Oneill / mast-

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent from Santa Barbara Magazine.

TO OUR READERS

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ADVERTISERS

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FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Crow About,” page 104). Designed by former owner and famed architect Marc Appleton, the home’s expansive outdoor areas inspired Ashley to take up horticulture classes, pull up her sleeves, and get down in the soil. The result is a garden lover’s dream featuring greenery-draped arches, roses, dahlias, beehives, and even a chicken coop.

And if it is all about coming back to the land, I can’t think of a better place to sit and be with it than Lotusland. I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural event with Palma Colectiva (“Collective Soul,” page 92) in the gardens focused on all things wellness. Doing Kundalini yoga amid the agaves with the sun on my face through the dappled branches was pure heaven.

While renovating my dream home, I have learned firsthand the intricacies and challenges that can arise when bringing one’s vision to life. Finding a way to make the property more livable while honoring its origins can be a delicate dance. Working with the topography, navigating permits, finding the right team to execute—every step can feel all consuming, but it makes the end result that much sweeter. Now that I am deep in the construction phase, I can truly appreciate how much goes into creating a place that will be one’s sanctuary.

Edit Note

Meanwhile, in Santa Ynez, stylist Paula Tabalipa and her husband, Skechers president and cofounder Michael Greenberg, prove their eye for style isn’t just relegated to the fashion world. In this issue’s cover story, the duo has not only dreamed up a modernist hilltop residence but also acquired and transformed a winery down the road into an elevated Westernstyle locale—set to debut its first rosé offering this summer (“Double Vision,” page 80).

The couple named their revitalized winery Living Life Vineyards—a phrase that not only serves as a mantra but is also a sentiment that rings true throughout this spring issue of Santa Barbara Magazine

In this issue dedicated to all things Home and Garden, we showcase the talented makers and shakers of Santa Barbara, Ojai, Santa Ynez, and surrounding areas, while also highlighting the beauty of the land that inspires them. From the tastemakers who inspire and the interior designers who bring ideas to fruition to the owners who reinvigorate and rebuild, their passion is reflected in every editorial page. That they all choose to live in and around the amazing American Riviera only adds to the magic.

Jewelry designer Jes MaHarry brought her artful sensibility to her sprawling Ojai ranch, built from the ground up as a haven for her family of five, her design studio, and rescue animals aplenty (“Ranch Hands,” page 116). The property is lush with florals and greenery—something homeowners Ashley and Michael Adelson know a thing or two about after moving into their Montecito estate, Villa Corbeau (“Something to

Jennifer Smith

ON THE COVER: Paula Tabalipa poolside at her Santa Ynez home. Esse Studio dress from Santa Ynez General.

Photographed by Dewey Nicks.

CONTRIBUTORS

KELSEY MCKINNON

“Spending the day with Paula and Michael tooling around in vintage cars, strolling through vineyards, and meeting their adorable animals was a dream assignment,” says the Malibu resident and longtime C Magazine senior editor, who penned this issue’s cover feature, “Double Vision” (page 80). S.B. MUST DOS • Everything on the menu at S.Y. Kitchen is magic. • Perusing the chic design shops along Lillie Avenue in Summerland. • Santa Ynez General for apothecaries and accessories.

DEWEY NICKS

PEARSON MCGEE

The cofounder of Santa Ynez General, who helped design the winery featured in “Double Vision” (page 80), says, “Working with Paula is a dream. When it comes to style and design, we communicate almost telepathically and hardly need to speak to reach our conclusions.” S.B. MUST DOS • Don Nacho’s Cafe in Solvang. • Cassoulet at Bell’s in Los Alamos. • Any excuse to go to the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Contributors

A frequent contributor to Santa Barbara Magazine, the photographer of “Double Vision” (page 80) says, “The spirit of what’s going on in the Santa Ynez Valley is contagious. The hospitality and joie de vivre that Paula and Michael share with guests makes every minute packed with fun and the warmth of friendship. They have a real commitment to the history and intention of the land they now live on.” S.B. MUST DOS • Sama Sama Kitchen’s signature wings. • SeaVees store in the Funk Zone. • Lunch at Metropulos Fine Foods.

JULIE POINTER ADAMS

Even though the photographer grew up very close to Lotusland, featured in “Collective Soul” (page 92), and drove past the garden gates every day, she had been inside only once, when she was about 13 years old. She says, “Photographing the Palma event gave me the chance to explore the grounds at my own pace, and to experience the magic of this place completely anew. I was blown away by its transcendent beauty.” S.B. MUST DOS • Tennis at Upper Manning Park. • Hikes on San Ysidro Trail. • Browsing in Mollusk Surf Shop in the Funk Zone.

JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER

The Santa Barbara resident, who wrote “Pillow Talk” (page 42), enjoys a deep dive into local businesses: “I love getting to know new shopkeepers in town and hearing the story of how they got here. Indian Pink is such a jewel box that catches your eye when you walk by, and the couple’s story of how they got started is even more charming than all the pretty prints inside.” S.B. MUST DOS • Sunset at Hendry’s Beach. • Handlebar Coffee. • Summer movies in the Courthouse Sunken Garden.

WE LIVE IN PARADISE

Pillow Talk

Global goods at a textile candy store

Jean-Philippe Cajuste of Indian Pink dons an Indian velvet textile robe in the comfort of his Montecito home.

WE LIVE IN PARADISE

Live - Pillow Man

Jean-Philippe Cajuste, aka “The Pillow Man,” earned his nickname selling pillows made from vintage textiles his wife, Tamara, would collect from all over the world while working as a flight attendant. “I’d meet her at the airport on a layover with a black duffle bag—it looked like a full-on drug deal,” he says. Whenever they’d travel together, he’d pack hundreds of pillow covers—from Jaipur prints to Chinese batiks—in hues that were fitting for the destination, such as coastal blues for Nantucket or the Hamptons. Inevitably all the pillows would sell out, which essentially funded the couple’s trips.

Those same seaside hues caught the eye of their first client, a buyer from local design store Rooms & Gardens, resulting in frequent trips and an eventual move to Santa Barbara. The Cajustes settled their family into Montecito, where home is a “laboratory,” and their first retail outpost, INDIAN PINK , puts a face to the brand so many designers, decorators, and celebrities have come to love. The bohemian State Street boutique feels like a textile candy store, full of pastel blockprinted pajamas, vintage upholstered furniture, and countless pillows. But rather than adding to the cliché of couples constantly fighting over too many throw pillows on the bed, JeanPhilippe often talks people into just one. “I hear it daily—if I buy another pillow my husband’s going to kill me,” he laughs, admitting it’s easy to overdo it. “Sometimes it’s like, where’s there to sit?” 1307 State St., Santa Barbara, 310-908-5011, INDIANPINKSHOP.COM.

JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Cajuste wears a vintage Sulka men’s robe and circus lion tamer top hat, both from his vibrant collection; the master bedroom; a vintage painting and plates hang above the kitchen table.

Live - Pillow Man

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Vintage furntiure outfits the dining room, including a table from Thailand and French dining chairs; antique Suzani pillows, a vintage linen sofa, hanging Turkish yogurt bowls, and a large-scale mirror (also sourced from Thailand) make up the living room; the guest bed is topped with an Indian hand-loomed wool throw and Les Indiennes euro shams; a vision board created by his wife and the cofounder of Indian Pink, Tamara.

Live - Blanche Sylvia

Culinary Goods

Much like the town of Ojai, Jennie Prebor takes a slow-growth approach to her business. After operating blanchesylvia women′s clothing and accessories shop in the historic downtown arcade since 2016, she′s recently opened culinary store BLANCHESYLVIA

KITCHEN in nearby Meiners Oaks. “It emerged in the same way,” she says. “It′s about just finding stuff that I love.” And just as she vouches for merchandise in the dress shop, “there′s nothing in here that I wouldn′t use in my kitchen,” Prebor adds. Named for one of her grandmothers, Blanche, and her mother, Sylvia, the new outpost is a longtime fulfillment of certain obsessions and touchstones, starting with Prebor′s family kitchen in Pennsylvania. In contrast, interior details like polished concrete floors and unvarnished wood shelving stem from a visit to minimalist movement pioneer Donald Judd′s famed pantry in Marfa, Texas, two decades ago. As for the eclectic collected wares in her shop, she hopes

“people will want to buy these things as much as I love them,” whether it′s a vintage Greek olive oil jug, Oaxacan pottery, or even a jar of Grey Poupon mustard. Blanchesylvia Kitchen also stocks “local friends,” such as Bonito Coffee Roaster, Beato Chocolates, and Caroline′s Marmalades and Jams. Here, the boundaries between home, life, and community overlap, as evidenced by the olive oil bottled from fruit in the grove owned by Prebor and her husband, architect Fred Fisher. “It′s very personal,” she says of the project. 443 W. El Roblar, Meiners Oaks, @BLANCHESYLVIAOJAI.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Owner Jennie Prebor; a chef’s journal and butter dish; local olive oils, jams, and more pantry must haves; find everything from cheese knives to ornate bowls; tableware and kitchen necessities.

JESSICA RITZ

Jodi G Designs

Watch This Space

Live - Slo Curio

SLO CURIO is an intimate, continually evolving working artists’ studio and gallery motivated by a wider mission: “How do we build an inclusive atmosphere in what is seemingly an exclusive community?” asks co-owner G Roslie. An artist with a background in fashion who specializes in hand-dyed textiles, she opened the by-appointment-only space in December with her husband, Ry, an assemblage artist known for his unique light fixtures made primarily

MUST HAVE

from recycled or repurposed materials. “Our focus is the ecofriendly nature of art and craft,” she notes. After spending a few years in Denver, where they first opened Slo Curio (which closed during the pandemic), the couple returned to Santa Barbara. “We’re really lucky we ended up here,” G says of the space where they showcase their own works and plan to host artist pop-ups. “We would like it to be a very art-focused community and makers’ space where we’re constantly creating things.” 818 Jennings Ave., Santa Barbara, 808-2124636, SLOCURIO.COM. J.R.

Cactus Makes Perfect

Cementing her reign as the textile queen, California-based interior and furniture designer Natasha Baradaran recently debuted her latest innovation: Livwell cactus leather. An industry first, the sustainable vegan fabric is crafted from the sun-dried mature leaves of cactus, which she sources from an environmentally conscious organic ranch in central Mexico. The collection launched with a campaign aptly photographed at Ganna Walska Lotusland, where over 300 species of the perennial plant bask under the Montecito sun. NATASHABARADARAN.COM. ANUSH J. BENLIYAN

Video Views

The newly reopened MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SANTA

BARBARA (MCASB) has a series of dynamic video installations on view beginning March 12, and don’t miss the chance to own a gorgeous limited-edition neon artwork by Los Angeles–based artist David Horvitz (pictured), which is being sold to benefit MCASB. For more information, contact fjanka@mcasantabarbara .org. MCASANTABARBARA.ORG. LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER

FROM LEFT: Inside Slo Curio studio in Santa Barbara; natural-dyed textile art, Emergence , by G Roslie; a biomorphic art and light fixture by Ry Roslie.

Livwell cactus leather stool.

Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style (Abrams, $125) toasts the magazine’s centennial by looking at the artful homes of A-list celebrities and honoring the work of designers and architects.

Mid-Century Modern: High-End Furniture in Collectors' Interiors (Beta-Plus, $110) is a source of inspiration for modernist 1950s design lovers, featuring 20 reports from designers and collectors.

Just 4 Fun / Live - Book Roundup

De Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors (Rizzoli New York, $75) is rich with chinoiserie wallpaper, seen in homes from San Francisco to Paris, detailing inspiration and craft.

Milan Chic (Assouline, $105) takes readers on an intimate guided tour of the historic city, featuring artists’ studios, the homes of lauded designers, and much more.

Stephen Sills: A Vision for Design (Rizzoli New York, $65) showcases works from the celebrated interior designer, along with a garden talk with friend and neighbor Martha Stewart.

The Finer Things: Timeless Furniture, Textiles, and Details (Clarkson Potter, $60) is the ultimate luxury decorating resource for quality design and expert insights. DANIELLE TORRES

ONE TO WATCH

Design Duo

The power couple behind Cove House share their 2023 must haves

ABOVE

Live - Cove House

1.

2.

DESIGNER BLACK BOOK COVE HOUSE

3.

4.

5.

SANTA BARBARA LIGHTS is our go-to for exterior lights. Karen and her husband have sourced the most incredible collection of antique lights.

6.

Kate and Mimi at THE WELL SUMMERLAND are so lovely, and they have the most insane selection of pots, furniture, art, and more. We just bought two leather-slipcovered armchairs for Casa Plunkett.

Ceramics, baskets, and antique bells from India are perfect for decorating a shelf from DOMECIL, a little gem that has a gorgeous selection of home wares.

JENNI KAYNE in Montecito has the best pillows, and her upholstered Pacific bed is classic.

We recently scored the most beautiful antique dresser from SUMMERLAND ANTIQUE COLLECTIVE. We love melding old and new.

Follow @cove.house for more on #casavista and #casaplunkett projects

LEFT: Isabella and Chase Duddy, husband-andwife creators of Cove House, covehouse.co.

Acacia salt and pepper shakers, $75.

Simple Shaker cabinets tie together the Casa Vista kitchen.

Aurora vase in Small-Pill Smoke, $85.

The Parker vanity ($5,450) was designed specifically for the powder room of Casa Vista.

Large marble bowl, $125.

London vanity, $8,750.

1.

3.

Viva Magenta

Top picks in the season’s hottest shade

Live - Pantone

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Giopato & Coombes Flauti 01 amethyst pendant, price upon request, Garde; Baccarat flutes, $800, Bryant & Sons; Untitled 2950, print on paper, Pedro Alonso Miranda, $895, Cabana Home; Bold stool in pink, from Moustache, $750, Clic; preserved bougainvillea stem, $38, Terrain; Gelato Stripe mohair throw, $450, Eider Studio; Josef Albers in Mexico, $49.95, Chaucer’s.

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Comfort Sleepers are available in a wide range of styles and modular configurations including sectionals. They sit and look just like a traditional sofa, so nobody would ever know there was a comfortable night’s sleep hiding inside!

“Ganna’s Garden”, 42”h x 24”w, oil on copper

WE GARDEN IN PARADISE

Replanting

A master gardener seeks a new landscape

WE GARDEN IN PARADISE

Garden - Nagelmann

Ayear ago, noted landscape designer ERIC NAGELMANN decided he needed a change. “I didn’t want to become complacent,” says the Santa Barbara native. “It was time to focus on what else was out there.” He packed up his house in Carpinteria, sold the place within two weeks, and relocated permanently to Taos, New Mexico. The move meant leaving behind his incredibly extensive—and eclectic—garden.

But Nagelmann hasn’t disappeared from Santa Barbara completely. He is still very involved with Lotusland, for which he designed the cactus garden that was added in 2003. This year is the 30th anniversary of the Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation, and he’s working with them to raise $30 million for upkeep and some additions. He plans to remove some eucalyptus “and create a raised boardwalk with seating and incorporate a lot of tropical flowering plants”—heliconia, vireya, and hibiscus, among others.

He’s also working with Lotusland on a sustainability symposium series to be held in a renovated lemon packing warehouse in Santa Paula, on April 15 and September 9 this year, and two more dates in 2024. “I’d been in Mexico looking at a lab that was doing research in organics, and I was exhilarated and inspired,” says Nagelmann, who especially hopes

to reach high school and college students.

Given all his work in the area, Nagelmann’s legacy will be visible in the Santa Barbara landscape for years. One recently completed project was the newly constructed, futuristic home of Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin. On the horizon are plans for a documentary about Nagelmann, his work, and his philosophy. For now, though, he’s concentrating on enjoying his new home. “In Taos I have an incredible property, 8 acres right on the gorge. I love the summer hiking. And there’s a different palette—different and wonderful.”

JOAN TAPPER

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The last of three greenhouses, which housed as many as 300 species of begonias; Nagelmann poses amid architectural elements, which eventually became part of the entry gate; a mix of columbine, lychnis, and wild cineraria; drought-friendly protea flowers.

plantgallerysb.com

formerly gazebo gardens

her crops. Peed, who’s from Orange County, had been producing mead and cider for another Santa Barbara company. He joined Gonzalez in 2019, bringing new products into the business, and now distills their plants for hydrosols and essential oils. The couple sell their wares at farmers’ markets and have a robust online presence. “I like that we have multiple uses for the flowers,” says Gonzalez, who hosts workshops throughout the year next to their flower field. Spring planting begins soon, and their one-year-old son helps keep things lively. “We live where we work. That’s a blessing and a curse,” says Gonzalez, laughing. SWEETMOUNTAINTOP.COM. J.T.

Garden - Sweet Mountaintop

Sweetly Blooming

Go grow it on the mountain

The top of Rincon Mountain between Carpinteria and Ojai has its own microclimate, explains Mary Gonzalez, who runs SWEET MOUNTAINTOP FARM with her partner, Rob Peed. Their roughly two-acre plot has ocean breezes, hot summer sun, chilly winters, and rocky clay soil, and it’s perfect for growing flowers and herbs, from which they create teas and tinctures, an herbal skincare line, decorative garlic braids, mixed bouquets, and colorful wreaths.

Gonzalez, a Carpinteria native, started farming vegetables and melons in 2017 on her father’s avocado ranch, but after the Thomas Fire she became interested in herbal medicine and shifted

LEFT: Strawflowers blooming. BELOW: Mary Gonzalez of Sweet Mountaintop Farm sources flowers from her approximately two-acre plot atop Rincon Mountain.

Garden - Sweet Mountaintop

percent

FROM LEFT: Plants are grown using 100

organic practices; the harvested flowers are used to produce garlands and wreaths, as well as herbal skin-care products and dried tea blends.

FROM LEFT: Gonzalez strings together strawflower garlands, which are hung up to dry for a week and can hold their shape and color for years to come; when flowers are cut, the plant is triggered to generate more blooms.

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Meadowscaping

Rustic and rattan tones for indoor/outdoor living

Garden - Trend

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1. Interiorscape by Plant Gallery.

2. White Pina Pro Rechargeable lamp, $149, Hudson Grace.

3. 1960s Willy Guhl Diablo Planters (set of 4), $2,100, The Blue Door.

4. Santa Fe outdoor bench, $1,725, Teak Warehouse.

5. Walter Lamb Bronze Rocking Chaise, $7,900, William Laman.

6. Anduze Coupe Vert Vieilli, from $1,070, Eye of the Day.

7. Portia dining chair, price upon request, Pacific Patio.

Chic & Proper

WE GETAWAY IN PARADISE

Impeccable details and eclectic inspiration for your travels

WE GETAWAY IN PARADISE

Getaway - Proper Hotels

Kelly Wearstler’s turn as the design partner for PROPER HOTELS has been one of the most fascinating hostelry stories of the past decade. Beginning with a landmark San Francisco property in 2017, the brand grew to include outposts in Santa Monica and Austin in 2019, before rounding out its portfolio with a downtown Los Angeles location in 2021. The disparate venues showcase the range of Wearstler’s work, from the restoration of a historic 1920s building in L.A. to a sculptural new build from Handel Architects in Texas.

For Curlett & Beelman’s California Renaissance Revival landmark, Wearstler has drawn on Spanish, French, and Moroccan influences, along with Mexican modernism, deploying more than 100 types of tile throughout the building, along with vintage rugs and furniture and handmade ceramics and murals. The result is an eclectic gem of a hotel

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Potted cactus and palms flank the historic Renaissance Revival building in Los Angeles; the ground floor’s Caldo Verde restaurant from chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne; the art-filled lobby; seating at the restaurant bar.

AUSTIN TO-DOS

Besides Austin Proper’s stellar Mediterranean restaurant THE PEACOCK and the alfresco LA PISCINA, the cofounder and president of Proper Hotels gives us his best bets for lunch and dinner in this Texas town.

SAMMIE’S (SAMMIESITALIAN .COM ) New old-school Italian spot. Chicken parm!

SUERTE (SUERTEATX.COM ) Handmade tortillas, suadero tacos, and amazing aguachiles.

LAUNDERETTE (LAUNDERETTEAUSTIN.COM ) East Side American fusion. Great place for dinner.

JUSTINE’S (JUSTINES1937.COM ) East Side French. Make sure to sit outside in the garden for dinner.

Getaway - Proper Hotels

with a residential feel and an outsize spirit. Where else would you find a suite with its own private swimming pool?

In Austin, the contrast between the concrete, glass, and metal exterior of the property and the vivid, textured interior points up the paradoxes that best represent this great state. Travertine tile mined directly from local quarries and a patchwork of vintage rugs and the work of Texan craftspeople mark this hotel as a love letter to the landscape and artistic heart of the surrounding city. PROPERHOTELS.COM. CAITLIN WHITE

CLARK’S (CLARKSAUSTIN.COM ) Perfect neighborhood spot that I could eat at three times a week.

JEFFREY’S (JEFFREYSOFAUSTIN.COM ) Fine dining. Great vibe, especially in the bar. Try the burger.

LORO (LOROEATS.COM ) Asian-BBQ fusion (a concept from Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ and Tyson Cole of Uchi).

POOL BURGER (POOLBURGER.COM ) Super-casual tiki vibe.

HOWARD’S (HOWARDSAUSTIN.COM ) + ROSIE’S ( ROSIESAUSTIN.COM ) Newly opened. Fun dance party at Howard’s and wine bar at Rosie’s. C.W.

Brian De Lowe’s Austin Food Scene

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Brian De Lowe in his Montecito home; a guest room at Austin Proper Hotel; dual stair runners warm white oak stairs; earthenware pots and succulents add visual interest to the design.

Ready for a Close-Up

Hollywood might be dotted with shiny, towering contemporary hotels and sprawling bungalow hideaways, but few properties shimmer with the kind of effortless old Hollywood glamor that the 24-room PROSPECT HOLLYWOOD possesses. Restored by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, in collaboration with the Hollywood Heritage Historic Society and the PRG Hospitality Group, the 1939 property reopened its doors in early 2020 as an ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Located in Whitley Heights, the building was nestled in the neighborhood where silver-screen stars like Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich, and James Dean once lived. Custom black-and-white marble floors, golden palm-tree wallpaper, velvet banquettes, vintage Hollywood artwork, and a claw-foot tub or two round out this boutique property’s lavish style, while Bullard’s bold, brilliant design brings all the disparate elements together in a charming medley of old and new. A lobby lounge and central courtyard with a garden featuring a lion’s-head fountain provide warm, bright spaces for guests to mix and mingle in the Hollywood glow, while the ghosts of film stars past look on approvingly. Rooms from $299. 1850 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood, 310-299-5222, THEPROSPECTHOLLYWOOD.COM . C.W.

Getaway - Prospect Hollywood

The exterior of the historic 1939 building.

RIGHT: Golden palm trees and jewel-toned décor add Hollywood glam and whimsy.

The Grand Premier suite.

Emerald walls and velvet cushions in the lounge.

The full-service cocktail bar.

Getaway - Lainsborough

Regency Style, Contemporary Comfort

The Lanesborough occupies a sought-after corner of London, but it’s the interiors that are notable, transforming this opulent Regencystyle property into a modern palace. The firm of celebrated Parisian photographer and interior designer Alberto Pinto is responsible for the hotel’s two-year renovation, which painstakingly restored the original 1820s architecture with extravagant details like 23¼-carat gold-leaf gilding on the ceilings, custom embroidery, and other artistry, thanks to specialists who matched their crafts to the Regency period

Throughout its 93 rooms— including several multiroom suites—The Lanesborough is a

testament to London’s past brought into the 21st century with a joie de vivre that embraces the future. And let’s not forget the lavish amenities, such as 24-hour personal butler service, a fleet of chauffeured cars, and complementary clothes pressing. The 18,000-squarefoot spa and club, installed in 2017, has become a destination unto itself, although a table at the newly launched Lanesborough Grill or afternoon tea in the dining room are equally alluring. Rooms from $1,006. Hyde Park Corner, London, OETKERCOLLECTION.COM/HOTELS /THE-LANESBOROUGH C.W.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: White-gloved doormen await guests at The Lanesborough hotel in London; the gilded Royal Suite living room; a vignette from the Buckingham Suite; the hydro-therapy pool at the spa; dining at The Lanesborough Grill.

A 19th-century tavern is reborn as a luxurious eatery

IN PARADISE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

The Tavern’s elevated interior takes cues from the California ranch–inspired menu; pork belly with steamed clams, fennel, and sea grass; executive chef Rhoda Magbitang; dishes include a whole fish served with roasted kuri squash, caramelized zucchini yogurt, and red-currant-and-pine-nut relish.

Taste - Mattei’s

The INN AT MATTEI’S TAVERN, AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION, is now open for dining and resort stays. The “new” Los Olivos hospitality mecca—reborn from the original Mattei’s Tavern, circa 1886— was reimagined by renowned design firm AvroKO. Original buildings now coexist with newly built structures that align with the landmark property’s heritage.

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern includes 67 luxury guest rooms and cottages, a signature spa, and five dining venues. Named for original owner Felix Mattei, Felix Feed & Coffee kickstarts days, while evenings may be spent at The Bar, sipping history-inspired craft cocktails. Poolside, The Shed serves Mediterranean cuisine, and Gin’s Tap Bar pays tribute to a chef at the original Mattei’s with Asian-inspired smokehouse fare. The Tavern is the resort’s main culinary attraction, featuring refined California ranch cuisine.

Two tiers of limited private memberships are also available. The Trailblazers Membership grants access to the fitness and spa facilities, weekday use of the outdoor pool, restaurant perks, private-event discounts, and member events and programming, while The Founders Membership adds a complimentary resort stay, additional pool availability, wellness offerings, and other rewards. 2350 Railway Ave., Los Olivos, 844-837-2999, AUBERGERESORTS.COM/MATTEISTAVERN ANNA FERGUSON-SPARKS

The Tavern is the main culinary attraction, featuring refined California ranch cuisine .

Ramsey Asphalt - Cole Sternberg

the free republic of california

Taste - The Victor

A Winning Approach

An edgy-yet-sophisticated rebrand of the Victorian-style Santa Ynez Inn has yielded a new name, The Genevieve, and with it, the opening of THE VICTOR RESTAURANT AND BAR. Located just across the garden and led by executive chef Beto Huizar (formerly of The Landsby hotel’s Mad & Vin), The Victor greets guests with expansive outdoor dining and lounging areas, including cozy seating by a grand fireplace. The Victor’s indoor spaces are a mix of décors: The dining room evokes a modern farmhouse, while the glam bar gleams with marble countertops and jewel-toned velvets. Dark woods and leather furnishings throughout are accented by well-appointed lighting and art handpicked by the property’s owner. The restaurant’s elevated cocktail, bar, and dinner menus feature the best of local and global ingredients, many of which are grilled in The Victor’s fiery heart—a Josper charcoal oven imported from Barcelona. 3631 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 805-695-2999, THEVICTOR.US A.F.S.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Victor Restaurant and Bar features expansive outdoor seating; cedar plank salmon with sautéed spinach and toasted quinoa; the marble-topped bar; pasilla pepper stuffed with smoked wild mushrooms, fresh black truffles, and smashed potatoes; executive chef Beto Huizar puts the final touches on an oyster platter.

Embracing the Other

Last fall, Companion Hospitality added to its growing roster of food and drink establishments when it opened THE OTHER ROOM, a beer-and-wine bar just down the road from the group’s Europeaninspired seafood restaurant, Bar Le Côte. Co-owned and co-curated by the team behind Solvang’s The BackRoom at Valley Brewers, The Other Room attracts fans in the wine industry for after-work brews, social gatherings, and meetups. The bar’s interior boasts a minimalist design that backdrops convivial conversation over tinned-fish snacks, wines, and hard-to-find craft beers—some sourced directly from breweries, bypassing distribution.

Taste - Bell’s

For Emily Blackman, beverage director of Companion Hospitality, Humble Sea Brewing Co.’s Italian-style pilsner, Paisley Pils, and anything from Alvarado Street Brewery (like their Mai Tai P.A.) are among her favorite brews. As to wines, her top picks include Paolo Bea’s Santa Chiara Umbria Bianco, Clos Cibone Côtes de Provence Château Cibon Cuvée Marius Rosé, and a prized bottle of 2010 Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône. 2446 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos, THEOTHERROOMLOSOLIVOS.COM A.F.S.

MUST HAVE

Mangia Mangia!

When you’re not exploring the local dining scene, the Forno Classico Square 65 oven ($10,995) tempts with alfresco meals at home. Made in Santa Barbara, the hybrid wood-fireand-gas pizza oven combines traditional Italian craftsmanship with advanced engineering. FORNOCLASSICO.COM

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Inside The Other Room, a beer-and-wine bar in Los Olivos; a laid-back, intimate space for gathering over drinks and small bites; choose from a curated selection of craft beers.

THE OAK COTTAGE OF SANTA BARBARA

A unique approach to memory care …

The Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara is home to the signature Vibrant Life® program, specializing in unique activities such as gardening, walking clubs, scenic drives and more. Designed to connect residents with family, friends and the local community, our Vibrant Life® program truly inspires. Oak Cottage is specifically designed for residents with cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease and age-related dementia.

A Taste of the World W

hen Santa Barbara–based Nati Smith sat down to write MISH AND THE RECIPE FOR ADVENTURE

(Wise Ink Creative Publishing, $23), a heart-warming children’s book with illustrations by Guillermo Alonso, she had several goals in mind. As a Jerusalem native, Smith aimed to introduce children to international culture through fun recipes from around the world, while also bringing mindfulness to the kitchen. Her story focuses on a young rabbit, Mish, who enters a cooking competition against other talented chefs. As Mish advances to the finals, in part thanks to spiritual practices that help her keep calm, she wows the judges with a comforting childhood favorite made with a secret ingredient—love.

Taste - Nati

Smith says, “Mish is a journey of friendship, food, culture, believing in yourself, and overcoming obstacles with affirmation and love.” That message has resonated with children and adults alike. “Many parents have shared pictures of their kids reading the book along with loving comments about their experience with Mish,” she adds. “All of these incredible reactions have filled my heart with love and smiles and given me much inspiration and encouragement for the upcoming chapters in the Mish series.” J.T.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Author Nati Smith sets the table in her Santa Barbara abode; a Moroccan tagine from a family trip to Morocco; Mish and the Recipe for Adventure

Nati Smith’s Shakshuka

• About 6 medium tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped roughly

• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped roughly

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (green parts only)

• 3 to 4 artichoke hearts, thickly sliced

• 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ to 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ to 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves

• 5 to 6 eggs

• Za’atar

• Tahini

• Maldon smoked sea salt (optional)

• Sumac

• Olive oil

Taste - Nati

• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

• A tablespoon of love

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to score each medium tomato on the bottom (opposite the stem end), making an X. Keep any juice that is released. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. With a knife or a spoon, peel off the skin and cut the tomatoes into rough cubes or slices.

2. Place the avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes, until soft. Add the green onions and artichoke hearts and continue to cook. Add the cherry tomatoes and boiled tomatoes (with the juices they released while cutting). Stir and add the oregano, basil, paprika, Himalayan salt, and black pepper. Stir well.

3. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you need more liquid, add hot water, but just

a little at a time—you want the consistency to be thick, not watery.

4. Add the spinach and stir. Taste and add more seasoning as needed.

5. Crack the eggs and add them to the shakshuka stew. Sprinkle each egg with salt, black pepper, and za’atar.

6. Cover with a lid and cook just until the egg yolks are a bit runny and soft. Alternatively, you can put the pan, uncovered, in an oven that was preheated to 350°F. Bake until the eggs are a bit runny and soft.

7. When the eggs are done, drizzle them with tahini and sprinkle with Maldon salt (if using) and sumac. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Shakshuka and charcoal sesame bread from local Oat Bakery.

Double Vision

A couple puts down roots with a modern residence

overlooking a classic western-style winery

WRITTEN BY KELSEY MCKINNON

STYLED BY PEARSON MCGEE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEWEY NICKS

Creeping rosemary and pepper trees surround the hilltop infinity pool and spa that overlooks neighboring wineries

and pastures. OPPOSITE: Costume designer, stylist, and now vintner Paula Tabalipa takes in the sunrise over the Santa Ynez Mountains wearing a Rosie Assoulin top from Santa Ynez General.

The sleek, modern architecture of the house is an anomaly for the area. Tabalipa descends the floating walnut staircase in the entryway in a R ó he jacket from Santa Ynez General.

A contemporary mélange in the living room curated by Tabalipa includes a Paul Matter Tryst Three chandelier, Pierre Augustin Rose Duo Multilaque coffee tables, and Hvidt & M ø lgaard for &Tradition Boomerang lounge chairs, all from Garde in Summerland, along with a midcentury Guillerme & Chambron Grand Repos armchair.

The dining room features a custom-made table, Stahl+Band Loc chairs, a chandelier by Paul Matter from Garde, and a painting by Markus Palu.

Paula Tabalipa hops into her vintage Ford F-150 and revs the engine a few times before putting it in gear and bounding down the mountainside to visit her winery. Whizzing past fruit stands and vineyards, she explains how, when she was growing up on a cattle ranch in Brazil, she always dreamed of living in California. She moved to San Diego and studied fashion merchandising before landing a position with Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles doing visual displays. She spent time in Germany, Italy (she also speaks Italian), and New York, where she studied at the International Culinary Center. At one point she even became a sous-chef at her friend’s pop-up restaurant in downtown L.A. and sold a TV pilot about farming to Amazon, all while building a successful career as a wardrobe stylist and costume designer. “Curiosity is the spice of life,” she says, pulling into the driveway. “You have to be curious about things.”

she would pull over in Summerland, where she selected a number of sculptural pieces for the living room from Garde, including a Paul Matter brass chandelier and Pierre Augustin Rose coffee tables, which complement nearby table lamps from her design crush Athena Calderone.

Three months after the pair closed on the house, serendipitously one of the valley’s most iconic vineyards, just down the hill, came on the market. The original owner was viticulture pioneer Dale Hampton, who was one of the first people to plant grapes in the region and helped others establish their vineyards. “I really want to carry on the legacy,” says Tabalipa.

While she set about learning the ins and outs of making wine, Tabalipa asked Pearson McGee, the proprietor of local home shop Santa Ynez General, to spearhead the design of the winery’s

Feature - Tabalipa

The way Tabalipa and her husband, Michael Greenberg, president and cofounder of Skechers, ended up in Santa Ynez seems like a natural progression in their story. After the couple started dating in 2019, they took their first trip together to the valley. While spending the pandemic at their primary residence in Manhattan Beach, they began to crave more space and decided to return to Santa Ynez. “The day I saw this house, I made an offer,” says Greenberg. “We do a lot of things like that.”

The home is perched at the end of a ridgeline in one of the most coveted corridors in the valley. (Coincidentally, the plot next door belongs to their neighbors in Manhattan Beach; the one beyond that is the Jenni Kayne Ranch, which was listed last fall for $6 million.) Tabalipa undertook the interior design of the home herself. “I wanted it to be elegant, modern, yet down to earth,” she says. On the drives up from Manhattan Beach,

interior. “I gave him a mood board—a mix of Amber Interiors and Ralph Lauren—and said we needed it done in six weeks,” she says. McGee headed straight for Round Top, Texas, an antique furniture mecca, and returned with a 28-foot trailer loaded with farm tables, hair-on-hide ottomans, and cozy bouclé armchairs.

This spring Tabalipa bottles her first vintage harvested from the 18 acres of prime Syrah vines—a light Provençal-style rosé that will be ready to drink by summer. The couple decided to call the property Living Life Vineyards. Greenberg, who has been a boater for 25 years, always names his boats Living Life, a reminder to enjoy it while you can.

“We kept thinking about names, and I just thought it was perfect,” says Tabalipa. “Coming here is about being in touch with nature and just living life. That’s the goal.” ●

The home is perched at the end of a ridgeline in one of the most coveted corridors in the valley.

Tabalipa, in her Forte Forte coat and an Esse Studio dress from Santa Ynez General, takes

stroll on her property with

her side.

In contrast to the modern residence, the winery is a classical ranchstyle property. In the great room, Texas red cedar post-and-beam ceilings and a pair of original antler chandeliers mix with more modern furnishings selected by Pearson McGee of Santa Ynez General. OPPOSITE: The dining room features furnishings that McGee sourced from Round Top, Texas.

“Coming here is about being in touch with nature and just living life. That ’s the goal.”

Feature - Tabalipa

Greenberg heads back to the house in his winecountry whip, a classic Jeep “ Woody ” Wagoneer.

Palma’s first retreat, held at Ganna Walska Lotusland, where guests moved throughout the various gardens for yoga, ceremonies, and a chefdriven lunch. OPPOSITE: Fashion designer Abigail Lorick with Kundalini yoga teacher Siddhi Ma.

PALMA

COLECTIVA brings a new pathway of healing

Soul

WRITTEN BY JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIE POINTER ADAMS

Garden greens star in a long lunch prepared by L.A.-based chef Natacha Stojanovic. OPPOSITE: Pathways led participants through various retreat activities.

N“ever say never.” That’s something Meredith Markworth-Pollack has gotten used to repeating when asked if she’ll ever return to Hollywood. The former costume designer spent her career working tirelessly for shows such as The Afterparty, Impeachment, and Dynasty, often relocating her family for months on end with no time for herself. When the pandemic offered a moment to stay in one place and reevaluate things, she felt a pull away from the industry and toward something she never could’ve imagined—leaving Los Angeles and her warp-speed job to launch a center for healing arts. And so, out of burnout, Palma Colectiva (PALMACOLECTIVA.COM ) was born.

“It took lockdown for me, and so many others, to pause,” she says. “It was the first time I’d had

more than two weeks off in my entire career.”

Craving a slower pace and sense of community, she began hosting mindfulness gatherings, sound baths, and breathing circles. At the time, her husband, Daniel Pozas, an intuitive healer from Mexico, was deepening his own practice, and they decided to collaborate. The couple also felt a pull to Santa Barbara, where they met and to which they felt a deep connection—and where they envisioned raising their family and debuting Palma (named after their daughters, Paz and Alma).

“I saw a void here in the wellness community,” Markworth-Pollack says. “Although we have yoga, beautiful spas, and sound baths, there was still space for community events and retail with ethically sourced brands. I felt that this was my path, so we made the leap.”

Palma’s Victoria Court studio offers daily mindfulness practices, including Kundalini yoga,

A tea ceremony held in the Japanese Pavilion at Lotusland.

The first retreat was held at Lotusland, where guests experienced Kundalini yoga in the theater garden and a tea ceremony in the Japanese garden.

Sunlit pools and shells beckon Palma’s retreat guests to connect with nature. In the spirit of inclusivity, the “Palma Promise offers one scholarship spot at every event.

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Kat Mills prepares a sacred tea ceremony; Lotusland’s main house and cactus garden. OPPOSITE: A footbridge and pond offer a cool spot for reflection.

breath work, tea and cacao ceremonies, group Reiki, women’s and men’s circles, a clean beauty apothecary, and sustainable clothing. Walk-ins are welcome, and memberships allow for first access to specialty workshops, energy treatments (think chi machines, biomat, and infrared light), and retreats, where Palma’s presence may expand infinitely.

The first retreat was held at Lotusland, where guests experienced Kundalini yoga in the theater garden and a tea ceremony in the Japanese garden, along with inspirational speakers and a chef-driven organic lunch in a safe, intimate setting for women as well as men, who “need healing just as much as women do to talk about feelings and emotions and maybe even shed a tear,” Markworth-Pollack says.

Feature - Palma

Feature - Palma

More specialized retreats include a “female founders” getaway in Mexico for established entrepreneurs to meld their work and soul purposes, as well as wellness weekends for women in film and TV—a full-circle moment where Markworth-Pollack encourages her former community to be vulnerable and open up on everything from mental health to pay disparity.

“There’s a lot of trauma in film and TV with high stress, high stakes, and long hours—it’s a demanding industry,” she says. “Although I’ve loved being a costume designer, and it’s brought me and my family all over the world, it took its toll on my mental and physical self.”

So will she ever return to Hollywood? “For now, this is my purpose. For so many years I was gone 14 hours a day on set. But now my husband and I are putting down roots. And we want to help people find their path.” ●

“Men need healing just as much as women do to talk about feelings and emotions.”

FROM LEFT: A table for two offers a quiet conversation spot; bright colors are part of the invigorating and restorative breathwork ceremony altar. OPPOSITE: Siddhi Ma prepares to lead Kundalini yoga in the theater garden at Lotusland.

Something to C row About

The owners of villA Corbeau get their hands dirty while creating a breathtaking, regenerative garden

Ashley and Scott Adelson with springer spaniel Lily on the doorstep of their Riven Rock home.

WRITTEN BY LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL HABER

dirt!’” says Ashley Adelson, “but I tell him that our dirt is the best dirt.” That is no exaggeration. Ashley is the proud owner of six compost bins, in addition to a commercial-size worm bin. “We take the green waste and the chicken guano, and we do runs to the polo field and get horse manure, and we get kelp from the ocean to make this concoction—it usually takes four weeks— and then we feed it into the soil.” She smiles contentedly and adds, “Composting is my favorite thing ever.”

With her Grace Kelly features and fluency in French, one might not expect Ashley Adelson to enjoy getting her hands dirty, but she’s become a passionate gardener since relocating to Montecito from Los Angeles with her husband, Scott Adelson, in 2020. The pair fell in love with a property designed and formerly owned by renowned architect Marc Appleton. “We drove up here and walked into this house, and both of us started crying,” Ashley recalls. “We realized it was the dream home we always wanted.”

It’s easy to understand why. As Appleton described in View magazine in 2019, “The architecture is quietly classical with stone and

Feature - Villa Corbeau

“We drove up here and walked into this house, and both of us started crying. ”

“

My husband keeps telling me, ‘You spend so much time with

The dining room is filled with art from the couple’s collection. OPPOSITE: The serene entryway is punctuated by a grand staircase topped by a dramatic black-and-white photograph by Spanish photographer Isabel Muñoz.

A view of the garden and the pool casita, which Ashley converted into a 12-person dining room.

The couple’s vintage 1959 Willys Jeep truck is packed with plants destined for the garden. OPPOSITE: A large outdoor sink is a convenient spot for repotting plants and harvesting fruit.

The chickens are free to roam the property and gather at the outdoor dining room, with its antique stone tabletop.

“We recycle everything back into the soil.”

The garden includes four beehives, two of which are custom-designed traditional Langstroth hives, inspired by those at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.

plaster walls, salvaged European clay-tile roofs, stained wood doors and windows manufactured in Italy, and distressed French oak and limestone floors.” His creation bears the name Villa Corbeau (“crow” in French) “in jest, after the resident crows that are prevalent in the neighborhood,” he said.

The Adelsons acquired and moved into Villa Corbeau just as the pandemic took hold. With lockdown in effect, Ashley began decorating the interiors herself, sourcing European furniture online. She converted the pool casita into a 12-person dining room, expanded the wine cellar (the couple owns two wineries in Oregon), and managed to get the overhead electrical power lines buried underground (no small feat). And then the gardening bug hit.

“I’m a lifelong learner, and I really get into things,” Ashley says modestly, before divulging that she took no fewer than 30 online classes from the New York Botanical Garden, as well as landscape and horticultural classes at UCLA. She then began consulting local experts, like the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Guild (Villa Corbeau has four beehives) and permaculture guru David White of Ojai’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture. There was more. “We brought in 35 new roses and planted 108 dahlias. I developed a fern gully—that’s where the bees live. We expanded the chicken coop and put in a chicken run, so the chickens can leave the coop and run in a circle. And we recycle everything back into the soil.” And while it’s hard to imagine she has any free time, Ashley is also on the Board of Trustees at Ganna Walska Lotusland.

Feature - Villa Corbeau

Originally from Huntington Beach, Ashley graduated from Chapman University and moved to Europe for nine years, attending graduate school at the Sorbonne University in Paris. She worked for an active travel company and did stints in England, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, and Vietnam. She and Scott met on one of her work trips in 2012 and remained in touch. Over time, their friendship turned to romance and the couple married seven years later. Scott grew up in Los Angeles and, after graduating from USC, attended the University of Chicago for his MBA. He is co-president of Houlihan Lokey, an international investment bank. A dedicated philanthropist, Scott established the Adelson Foundation to help preserve art and culture throughout the world.

The couple travels extensively—23 countries in 2022 alone—and entertains frequently. As Ashley says, “I feel that Montecito is a magical little place, where you meet the most interesting, fascinating, lovely, genuine, real people.” ●

Ashley with two of her chickens. She expanded the chicken coop so they have room to run in a circle when not running free in the garden.

Ranch

Ojai jeweler jes maharry finds inspiration for her ethically made baubles in the flora and fauna of her valley compound

Hands

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH VARNELL

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAM FROST

Jes MaHarry walks her rescue dog Honeybee out to the lawn to play.

OPPOSITE: Beyond the fire pit at MaHarry’s eclectic Ojai residence, her son, Koda, works on his balance beside a barn for surfboards, the property’s latest addition.

MaHarry sketches ideas for jewelry inside her on-site design studio as Rose rests on an ottoman from Sundance Catalog.

OPPOSITE: MaHarry shapes reclaimed metals, diamonds, and gemstones into jewelry with hand-inscribed messages.

Feature - Maharry J

ewelry designer Jes MaHarry sculpts her handcrafted collections on Sun Horse Ranch, a sprawling Ojai Valley property she initially sought out to house horses and foster dogs. The New York native, whose eponymous line has been worn by the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Lena Dunham, and Hillary Clinton, has lived with her husband, Patrick Henderson, at the foot of the Los Padres mountains for the past two decades. Now donkeys, goats, sheep, rabbits, tortoises, cats, dogs, and the occasional cow—almost all rescues—also make their homes here and have the run of the place. “Our house has been a work in progress,” says MaHarry, whose fine jewelry designs have topped the Sundance Catalog’s jewelry offerings for nearly as long as she’s been at work on the property.

Sun Horse Ranch includes a barn, the family house, and MaHarry’s design studio, where she and her team solder and shape recycled gold and silver and ethically sourced gems and diamonds into meaningful baubles, which are showcased in her downtown Ojai boutique. Doors and windows are almost always open, allowing the animals to roam free throughout.

“We’ve had diamond setters stop working to help with the sheep,” says MaHarry, adding that everyone on the ranch has to be versatile enough to accommodate the four-legged creatures. “I’ve

always rescued animals,” she says. “They always seem to find me; I don’t search them out.” Indeed, a pair of rescued feral dogs named Bodhi and Chitta (after the Sanskrit word for awakened minds) led to MaHarry’s and her husband’s acquisition of the Ojai property. After completing her degree at Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio (where she met Henderson) and working a series of odd jobs as she honed her artistic practice, her sister got her a ticket to California and encouraged her to Continued on page 128

“It’s not a conventional home. We have baby goats that will go into my studio.”

A large-scale owl print by MaHarry’s sister, Jennifer, anchors vintage leather chairs by DeKor in Ojai; a steel table handmade by MaHarry and her husband, Patrick Henderson; a stone fireplace, topped with a sculpture crafted by MaHarry’s father. OPPOSITE: MaHarry, bedecked in her own designs, holds Sally May, one of the family’s rescue rabbits.

The kitchen features an artisan steel wall hanging above the door, a wooden dining table, and steel stools, all crafted by MaHarry and Henderson. The crow print above the shelf is composed by Jennifer. Steel candlesticks and ceramics are made by MaHarry, while the tile backsplash is a family effort. The textile bench is from Sundance Catalog.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A songbird necklace commissioned by Fleetwood Mac was worn by Sheryl Crow and Mick Fleetwood during the 2023 Grammy tribute to Christie McVie; the design and painting studio; fruit trees and potted plants bloom; ceramics by MaHarry; a mountain lion print on handmade paper by Jennifer hangs above a stand-alone tub with reclaimed wood stumps by Henderson. OPPOSITE: A horse named Neko is ushered into the barn, which features a hand-painted mural by MaHarry.

Feature - Maharry

MaHarry gathers with her husband and three children (Koda, Liv, and Zel) for an alfresco meal around handcrafted furniture, made by Henderson and collected from fallen trees at the ranch.

RANCH HANDS

Continued from page 119

visit Ojai. As the youngest in a family of artists, MaHarry fell in love with the scenic town and ultimately found a rental that would accept her rescue dogs, which sealed the deal. The dogs quickly outgrew the house’s small backyard, however, and she needed more space for the animals to roam.

MaHarry’s friend Jean Marie-Webster of Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC), who also cofounded Wild Horses in Need (WIN), discovered the almost 6-acre plot in town; it had been vacant for years and was littered with potholes, weeds, trash, and a shanty with its windows blown out. With a serendipitous bequest from a great-uncle and a loan from a friend who also supported rescues, the couple secured a down payment and set to work “like crazy fanatics,” filling jewelry orders so they could revitalize the grounds and begin building an artist’s compound. “My vision was to have a house to fix up and off to the right a design studio, while to the left there would be a barn,” recalls MaHarry.

In addition to expanding the house to hold their three children, the couple added large decks leading to fire pits to enlarge its footprint. “We live mostly outside,” says MaHarry, noting that the house and studio have deep green exteriors designed to blend with the vegetation around the property, which includes oak, eucalyptus, and pepper trees, and a little orchard of apples for the horses. Purple trim adds a playful bohemian touch to the structures and blends with the brightly colored wildflowers dotting the property each spring. MaHarry credits landscaper Emigdio Villanueva with helping design and cultivate the lush greenery and flora around the house.

necklaces, carves waxes, and hammers metals daily, remembering the moment that sparked her interest in a jewelry line. “My mom gave me a soldering class to learn how to solder silver. It was as if fireworks went off in my mind. I thought, ‘I can draw into silver, into metal, and make jewelry as a talisman.’ That was very profound,” says MaHarry. Her grandmother’s rose gold jewelry inspired the first ring she sent to Sundance (in a FedEx box hand painted with galloping wild horses), launching her multidecade relationship with the catalog, which focuses on items created by American craftspeople.

MaHarry’s pieces continue to reflect the natural world around her, as well as her life on the ranch. Inspiration comes from travels and “my children and rescue animals that have brought big energy with healing, training, and helping,” she says, adding, “I thrive off of empathy.” Her ranch is filled with family art, handmade furniture, tiles, and ceramics. And the animals are always everywhere. “We’re incredibly selective of what we bring in here; we have to resonate with everything,” says MaHarry. “It’s such a healing property. It’s very free.” ●

Runover

“I have to have things that are built really well,” says MaHarry, noting the intense wear and tear caused by the animals. Henderson, who built much of the home’s furniture by hand, planed down reclaimed wood from fencing broken by Jane, the couple’s cow, to make cupboards. “We do everything ourselves, whether it’s plaster or whatever,” she says. A barn for surfboards is the property’s newest addition.

Learning the techniques required to create everything she dreams up also fuels MaHarry’s jewelry practice. Everything is made by hand, just as it was from the beginning, when she bought files at garage sales and found metal scraps on roadsides. She still works antique beads and ethically sourced gems into

MaHarry and her daughter Zel with their gypsy horse, Zephyr.

Stage Presence

For a century and a half, a wealth of talent has graced the stage of the Lobero Theatre, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month. Founded as an opera house in 1873 by Jose Lobero, the venue is the oldest continually operating theater in California and the fourth oldest in the country. The earliest years included appearances by the Tennessee Jubilee Singers; boxer John L. Sullivan, who tried a new career as an actor; and Susan B. Anthony.

In 1924 architect Lutah Maria Riggs, in partnership with George Washington Smith, redesigned the theater in the Spanish Colonial style that would come to epitomize Santa Barbara’s look after an earthquake the following year flattened much of downtown. The theater was undamaged, however, and in the following decades has welcomed classical musicians like Sergei Rachmaninoff and Yehudi Menuhin, actors like Humphrey Bogart and Lucille Ball, jazz greats like Charles Lloyd and Dizzy Gillespie, and folk/rock performers like Tom Waits, Neil Young, and the late David Crosby.

The Lobero interior has retained its graceful elegance with fluted columns that ring the auditorium, a circular chandelier, and an elaborate painted ceiling. And, of course, its support of the arts, which has only gotten stronger over 150 years. J.T.

Architect Lutah Maria Riggs put her stamp on the redesign of the Lobero Theatre in 1924, with a Spanish Colonial exterior and graceful interior details. This archival photo shows a couple of the surrounding columns, the painted ceiling modules, and the chandelier, along with stage decor.

Early Women Illustrators

Victorian attitudes about roles in society prevented women in nineteenth-century England from pursuing a formal education, however, an interest in plants was considered a socially acceptable pastime.

This exhibit sheds light on those who used their skills in writing and drawing to make meaningful contributions to the emerging science of botany.

Open March 10 through July 2, 2023

John and Peggy Maximus Gallery

2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara 805-682-4711 • sbnature.org

Open Wednesday–Monday 10:00 AM–5:00 PM