A Saturday jaunt in Santa Barbara
Looking for home décor inspo in the Funk Zone
Have you seen Paloma Elsesser’s Arch Digest home tour yet? A supermodel and undeniable fashion icon, her Italian-inspired home radiates elegance and personality. A combination of travel finds, considered art pieces, and intentional design choices to exemplify who she is and the lifestyle she leads. (And that bathroom? Sexy chic!)
After watching Paloma’s home tour last Saturday, my partner and I were moved to go out into the world and find inspiration for our own place. After nearly 4 years in our downtown apartment, we’ve been itching to switch up the energy in there. We hopped on the e-bike and cruised down State Street to the Funk Zone. We wanted to go where the people are and see what we could find.
Saturdays in Santa Barbara are so encouraging. The people are out in full force! State Street provides its own kind of spectacle — street musicians strumming a tune outside La Arcada, punk kids on e-bikes whizzing past, the last handmade flower garlands hanging amid the farmer’s market tear down. I look around and remember we live in a city of artists and families and athletes and dreamers, surrounded by unrivaled natural beauty.
Our first stop was The Blue Door — a vintage-lover’s delight. It was alive with people and beautiful things to fall in love with.
I’m always impressed by the selection there, beautifully made and preserved pieces of furniture, art, and clothing. It seems every collection is full of color and precious details. I was immediately drawn to the Danish furniture, bold artwork, and funky, mid-century modern lighting in every room.
My partner and I are always drawn to tchotchkes, unique ornamental pieces that Blue Door is full of. I’ve collected them for years, in hopes of creating a home that feels like me. That’s what I find special about curated vintage collections — each one is an expression of the collectors’ interests and styles, their worldview and dreams. I’ve found decorating with trinkets that resonate with you is a great way to add personality to a space, no matter how small the item.
We imagined the 1960s Japanese pedestal lamps (below) on our bookshelf, and the little cowboy and calf in our build-in kitchen display cabinet. Maybe we could frame those art prints and hang them in our bathroom?
We quickly browsed the vintage clothing selection upstairs before bopping over to SBmidmod to continue on our quest. The store feels like your sophisticated great aunt’s den or your vibey friend’s spot, filled with warm light and exquisite décor. Here, the lamps stole the show — from the two orbs atop the glass shelving unit (below, center) to the gorgeous glass swirl piece on the credenza (below, bottom right). The orbs in particular would look so damn elegant placed intentionally on the floor or on the corner shelf in our bedroom, adding warmth and a little bit of play. I could see the UFO-shaped touch lamp (below, bottom left) going well in our kitchen, contrasting the original 1920s-era tiles beautifully. Hmm…
We left empty handed, but the ideas were percolating even as we popped into Tendrel next door to say hi to storeowners and new friends Molly and Parker. Parker was out of town, but Molly (and their baby son Levon) were there to greet us. We caught up as I browsed their collection, ranging from Japanese denim and hats to coffee table books and Battenwear windbreakers. Their décor and overall vibe in the shop provided more design inspo, too. The visit concluded with plans to meet for a sushi date at Silvers Omakase, a new spot just a block over, after meeting the restaurant owner. Yum!
By now, food was on our minds. Pizza, specifically. On our way to Lucky Penny, we stopped into Shopkeepers to see what was up. We ran into our friend Kodi, the shop’s buyer, who was wearing the most special silver heart earrings she got on eBay. They felt like they could be home décor, too — kind of like the sagrado corazón in Mexican culture. I had to snap a photo.
After, sitting with our pizza, I admired the natural beauty around us. The Funk Zone was buzzing with families and groups of friends gobbling down bites, sipping wine, and laughing as they crossed Anacapa and Yanonali streets.
But even amid all the activity, the natural landscapes stood tall and strong — their own kind of design inspo indeed.
Picnic picks
A few of our favorite homewares at the moment.
Mid-Century touch-control chrome lamp by Laurel Lamp at The Blue Door
Vintage indigo upholstery — We’re considering reupholstering our Cesca kitchen chairs in indigo, with the homie Joanna at Bea Furnishings.
Vintage tiger footstool at The Blue Door — A whimsical and warm conversation-starter
Glass pitcher by Verve Culture — made in Mexico, sold at the shop next to Perlina Designs in the Funk Zone
Vintage magazine racks at The Blue Door
e e ceramics Coil Vase — one-of-a-kind (and preferably handmade) decorative pieces are spot on for zhuzhing up a space with a more personal touch