A Design-Lover's Guide to Ojai
The eye has to travel—true—but the eye also has to rest. For Angelenos in the know, that means retreating up the 101 to Ojai, a quiet nexus of natural beauty bordered by the Topatopa Mountains. Here, quintessentially Californian charms abound, from orange groves and lavender fields to apiaries and apothecaries. Local ordinances prevent the arrival of chain stores and restaurants, preserving a small-town feel. And, as believers will tell you, calming currents course through the valley thanks to its perfect east-west alignment. Visitors from near and far will certainly relax at the Ojai Valley Inn, a 220-acre pleasure playground dotted by Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, among them Wallace Neff originals (ojaivalleyinn.com). And what better time to go than now, with the recent arrival of the Farmhouse, a new culinary venue designed by architect Howard Backen. The barn-style complex, complete with a state-of-the-art Viking kitchen and organic garden, plays host to special dinners, wine tastings, and classes courtesy of stars like chef Nancy Silverton, author Ruth Reichl, and butcher Dario Cecchini. Tempting though it may be to never leave the grounds, more inspiration awaits throughout town. AD gathered all the ingredients for a perfect weekend.
Ojai
Where to Eat
Ojai offers a tasting menu of contemporary Californian cuisine, from the green juices and grain bowls at Hip Vegan (hipvegancafe.com) to the homemade pastas at Nocciola (nocciolaojai.com). For a jolt of caffeine, head to Beacon Coffee, an inland offshoot of the Ventura roasting company (beaconcoffee.com). And on Sundays, hit up the farmers’ market (ojaicertifiedfarmersmarket.com) before grabbing a coveted loaf of bread at Kate Pepper’s bake shop, operated out of a converted woodshop (katesbread.com).
See More of Haute Hippie Ojai, California
What to Do
Nature is each day’s main event in this tranquil valley. Take in the pink moment—when peach evening light washes the mountains—from Shelf Road Trail. Bathe in healing hot springs. Or delight in reptilian company at the Turtle Conservancy, a stylish sanctuary founded by New York nightlife impresario Eric Goode (turtleconservancy.org). Shoppers, meanwhile, will find ample treasures, from the orange-blossom candles at deKor & Co (dekorandco.com) to the desert fashions at In the Field (inthefieldojai.com) and the vintage design tomes at Bart’s Books (bartsbooksojai.com).
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
