Following a devastating earthquake in 1925 that destroyed most of Santa Barbara's significant buildings, the city became the first in the country to have a controlled building plan that encouraged a unified style using elements of Spanish colonial architecture. With airy broad patios, thick adobe walls, and warm-colored tile roofs, Californian architecture is beautifully distinctive. The product of many architects, it combines the harmony and color...

"Possessing the most summery, mild, seductive climate in the country, Santa Barbara has been an elegant and chic style destination since the turn of the last century, when wealthy East Coast families wintered there. Soon after, villas and estates were being built, designed by the finest architects and landscape designers. In recent years the Santa Barbara region continues to be an outpost of style and culture?now with many leading Hollywood producers,...