What could take 45 minutes to drive the roughly 35 miles from Santa Barbara northeast into the Santa Ynez Valley could also take several blissful days, affording the time to hit oceanside seafood spots, countless wine tasting rooms, and the multitude of striking Spanish Revival architectural monuments. And with the slew of recently-opened boutiques, there’s reason to tack on another day; the region has become one of the best in all of California for hand-picked, carefully curated home and design shops. Start in the south, in Summerland, before passing through Montecito, downtown Santa Barbara, and then up the 154 through Los Olivos and Santa Ynez. Empty the trunk, make room in the back seat—and leave time for perusing.
Garde
Since Garde first opened on Los Angeles’s Beverly Boulevard in 2012, it has been a jewel box of interior design gems—Mad et Len candles, Ben & Aja mirrors, Vincent Van Duysen ceramic bowls. When owners Scotti Sitz and John Davidson found a 1921 barn, on Summerland’s Lillie Avenue in 2018, they saw it as the ideal space to offer larger home items, expanding on their unparalleled eye for Scandinavian-meets-Japanese minimalism. Inside the 2,200-square-foot space, find sculptural lighting and contemporary rugs, California-casual linen sofas, leather baskets and Danish-modern ceramics. Outside, there’s the ultimate reminder you’re not in LA anymore: a patio with lively chickens enjoying their coop. And upstairs, there’s a one-bedroom apartment in the same style as the store, complete with chevron floors and a full kitchen, available for nightly stays.
Porch
Don’t let the name fool you. Outdoor items are only part of the inventory at this multi-story design space. Relaxed, cozy, and eclectic in its offerings, this Summerland shop offers hand-woven baskets, cotton throws, and small-batch liquid hand soaps, as well as large-scale paintings from emerging artists, including Pedro de la Cruz, Will Pierce, and Michael Haber. For outdoor spaces, there are made-to-order cast-concrete fire pits, planters, and teak furniture scattered inside and throughout the shop’s terraces and, indeed, on the front porch.
The Well
Wondering where Angelenos find that perfect antique birdbath? Water fountain? Pre-potted arrangement of succulents? This is the place. Founded by Shane Brown—whose Big Daddy’s Antiques in Los Angeles’s West Adams, has long been known for its pre-sorted flea market finds—The Well, in Summerland, similarly overflows with vintage and antique items large and small. Vintage paintings and prints from California, iron floor lamps, wood-beaded chandeliers, salvaged stone fireplaces, farmhouse ladders, reclaimed-wood casegoods, marble tables, urns; you might need a U-Haul.
William Laman
Bruce Gregga and William Laman founded their antiques store in a charming cottage, in the heart of Montecito in 1995 and have spent the decades since maintaining a reputation for pieces with provenance and flair. This is the rare place where you can find a 19th-century Tibetan painted weapons chest, a 17th-century Dutch oak commode, and Indian-inlay side tables commingling with newer everyday household items like woven rattan hampers and Moroccan straw market totes.
Private Stash
Lee Stanton’s Stash, an antiques showroom on Los Angeles’ La Cienega Boulevard, is a go-to for interior designers and homeowners looking for that crucial accent piece. Now, Stanton brings his expert eye to Montecito with the opening of the 1,500-square-foot Private Stash, which features an edited collection of 18th to 20th-century European antiques—including some from his own personal collection. Expect pottery from old haciendas and potters’ studios in Mexico; a suite of mid-century black leather upholstered sofa, chairs, and a coffee table from France; 19th-century bookcases from England; as well as lighting and architectural accessories.
Upstairs Pierre Lafond
Since the ’70s, Pierre Lafond has held court over a corner of Montecito’s Upper Village’s Montecito Market (imagine a pared-down, picnic-perfect version of Dean & Deluca) and a duo of boutiques from his wife, Wendy Foster make up the ground floor of this emporium, but out the and back and up the staircase near the patio is a haven for interior design enthusiasts, Upstairs. The selection is overseen by Lafond, who studied architecture before founding Santa Barbara County’s first winery since Prohibition. Expect a constant rotation of vintage-inspired ceramics from New York’s Terra Firma and Spain’s Pomelo; portrait and landscape paintings from local artists like Karen Bezuidenhout, Liz Brady, and Tilly Treuren; bedding from Belgium-based Libeco and Australia-based Walter G.; and loungewear from Skin and Hartford.
The Blue Door
Making it all the way to the third floor of the Blue Door’s jam-packed antiques shop in Santa Barbara, can be a little overwhelming; the shop is full of everything from vintage ’50s coffee presses to melamine serveware. But for those who love the hunt, there can be serious pay off in vintage toys, mixing bowls your grandmother probably had, mid-century desks and striking chandeliers.
