Spaces We Love: The Canary

We hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. I (Kari) love Labor Day because it symbolizes the end of summer. I know this will cause many of you to be aghast, but I am going to admit something here: I am not a summer person. Not even a little bit. I like autumn a lot (great clothes, pumpkin spice lattes, rich color), I enjoy winter (scarves, Christmas, excuses to build a fire in the fireplace), and I love spring (my yard looks amazing, pedicures are essential again, and everything feels so fresh and alive). But summer? Not so much.

So, for this Labor Day weekend, my husband (who happens to be the most fantastic man on the planet) planned a surprise weekend away for me. He knows me well, so he took me to Santa Barbara for the weekend so I could bundle up in cute jackets at night---the weather in Santa Barbara is much cooler than in Visalia, California. (He also bought tickets for us to see Tift Merritt, Ray LaMontagne, and David Gray at the Santa Barbara Bowl this weekend---great show!)

Santa Barbara is a city we love. And, when we are in Santa Barbara, we stay at the beautiful Canary Hotel---a space we love. This gem was given a makeover a few years back by the talented Michael Smith, and now it is beautiful. If you are planning a stay in Santa Barbara at any point, you must consider the Canary as it is gorgeous and for some of us, it might be the closest we ever come to living in a Michael Smith room (even if we are only living there for the weekend!)

Here are a few photos of the place:

Can you just die over that room? Michael Smith nails it, of course. Perfection, and nothing about it says "cookie cutter hotel room." Rather, you feel as though you are staying in a friend's beautifully-appointed guest room instead of a commercial hospitality interior. Someday, I will own a bed like the one in the rooms at the Canary.

The hallways (of which I don't have a photo) are covered in a delightful sea blue-green grasscloth with framed suzani remnants on the walls. The lobby (middle photo) could be picked up and put into my house and I promise I wouldn't complain one bit. It truly is a beautiful place. (sigh) I'm already thinking of our next visit!