Sunset Magazine

Our latest issue is here and we”re featuring the winners from the 2026 Sunset Home & Design Awards! From airy coastal retreats to desert-modern masterpieces and mountain hideaways, the West continues to inspire bold, thoughtful design. For generations, Sunset has celebrated the architects, designers, and makers shaping homes and landscapes that reflect the openness, creativity, and deep connection to this region. This year’s awards honor the full spectrum of talent—from interiors and kitchens to landscapes, craftsmanship, and the enduring architectural firms whose vision has defined Western living for decades. Latest issue available now on newsstands, Apple+, and Sunset.com. __________ On The Cover: This Marmol Radziner coastline retreat, located in Santa Barbara County, is delightfully understated. Carved into the slope, with green roofs dotted with cacti and grasses, it disappears into the landscape while framing sweeping vistas of oak groves, citrus orchards, and the Channel Islands. Modernist, thoughtful, and deeply connected to place. Photo: Thomas J. Story @sunsetphoto

Rental car prices are all over the map this summer—but a few smart booking moves can save you serious money. From choosing the right pickup day to avoiding peak airport rushes, travel experts say timing matters a lot more than most people realize. Flexible dates, early reservations, and a few under-the-radar tricks can mean the difference between an affordable road trip and a budget blowout. Because nothing kills the vibe faster than paying luxury prices for a midsize SUV and a mystery line at the rental counter. We tapped travel pros for the best ways to save money, skip stress, and make your next road trip feel a little smoother this season. Head to Sunset.com for all the travel-saving tips. Photos: Thomas J. Story @sunestphoto

Santa Fe runs on its own logic. The best chocolate in the city comes from a 1,000-year-old recipe. The best bookstore is in a mall. The best boutique has been on the same quiet street since 1983. The spa looks like it was airlifted from rural Japan. The best cocktail bar is 18 miles outside of town at the end of a rail line almost nobody uses. And the place to sleep borders 1.7 million acres of national forest. Here’s how to do your visit right. Morning — @kakawa_chocolatehouse Skip the coffee. Order a flight of drinking chocolate elixirs — pre-Columbian Mesoamerican recipes, an 18th-century French court formula. Ask for the Marie Antoinette. Afternoon — @sitesantafe A converted warehouse in the Railyard District that consistently shows some of the most ambitious contemporary art in the Southwest. High ceilings, serious work, never crowded. Plan ninety minutes. The building is easy to walk past; don’t. Afternoon — @sote_1982 Fine jewelry handmade in Santa Fe, clothing from independent designers, objects with actual provenance. The founders traveled through twenty countries collecting this. Give yourself an hour. Afternoon — @tenthousandwavesjapaneseresort Private hot tub suites in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Izanami restaurant on site — one of the largest sake collections in the country. Book ahead. Night — @legaltenderlamy Drive south. Follow the tracks. An 1881 rail saloon serving craft cocktails under a pressed tin ceiling, Friday through Sunday. Book on Tock. Where to Stay — @bishopslodgeauberge 317 acres bordering national forest. The chapel on the grounds dates to 1864. Ten minutes from the Plaza. Save this for your next adventure and grab even more Santa Fe stops at Sunset.com. ______________ Photos: (1, 7) Courtesy of Bishop’s Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection. (2) Kakawa Chocolatehouse (3) Courtesy of SITE Santa Fe (4) Courtesy of Spirit of the Earth (5) Ten Thousand Waves / Peter Barreras (6) Legal Tender Cocktails / Amber Quintana

What if the best interiors weren’t the main character, but the backdrop? Inside this lovingly restored 1912 Palo Alto home, artist @sandyostrau and her husband filled every corner with personality, layering an eclectic art collection against warm, quietly thoughtful interiors by Chantal Lamberto. The home’s original quirks—sloped ceilings, rustic rafters, uneven floor heights—weren’t designed away. Instead, they became part of the charm, grounding the space in history while allowing the art, vintage finds, and collected details to shine. The result feels deeply personal: a home that doesn’t just display creativity, but fully lives in it. Head to sunset.com for the full tour. Design: Chantal Lamberto @chantallamberto Photos: R. Brad Knipstein @rbradleyphoto

Luxury travel is shifting and it’s looking a lot more private lately. A new wave of members-only clubs and residences is redefining what a high-end getaway can feel like. Less traditional hotel, more deeply personal retreat: think beautifully designed spaces, long-stay comforts, wellness-driven amenities, and the kind of service that remembers exactly how you take your coffee. It’s part social club, part luxury hideaway, with a growing appeal for travelers craving ease, privacy, and a stronger sense of belonging while away from home. And while the price tags can be eye-watering, the appeal is clear: a travel experience that feels less transactional—and a little more like having your own beautifully appointed place in the world. Learn more at Sunset.com. ________________ Featured: (1, 3) The Elwood Club at Pendry Newport Beach @pendrynewportbeach (2) Hoback Club @hobackclub.jacksonhole / photo: Tuck Fauntleroy

Paso Robles does a lot in a single day—and somehow, it all works. Forty thousand acres of vineyards, mornings that start above the fog line, and yes… a cocktail bar where the only way in is ringing a doorbell and knowing you’re in the right place. This is wine country with a little edge. Think sunrise floating over the vines, a midday tasting-hopping circuit where winemakers, brewers, and chefs share the same stretch of road, and dinners that feel equal parts polished and personal. By sunset, the hills start to glow—literally—and the night winds down somewhere dimly lit, a little hidden, and very worth finding. Swipe for the full guide, and find more at Sunset.com. 📍Featured: @riverlodgepaso @daouvineyards @tincitycider @lespetitescanailles_ @sensoriopaso @1122.cocktail.lounge ————— Photos: River Lodge / Karyn Millet (2) Daou Vineyards (3) Tin City Cider (4) Les Petites Canailles / Jesse Cudworth (5) Sensorio Paso Dimensions / Claire Ehartnell (6) Eleven Twenty Two Cocktail Lounge/ Lisa Pretty

Your bedroom paint color sets the mood long before your head hits the pillow. But according to designers, the most soothing shades aren’t always the obvious ones. Sometimes it’s a moody earth tone, a sun-faded neutral, or a color that simply makes you look and feel your best in the light. From soft coastal neutrals to cocooning hues with a little drama, these are the shades designers swear by for creating a bedroom that feels equal parts restful and personal. Get all the color inspiration and expert tips at Sunset.com. _____________ Photos: (1) Design by Peter Dunham; Photo by Victoria Pearson (2) Design by Thecla Glueck; Photo by Vivian Johnson (3) Design by Élan Design House; Photo by Charlotte Lea Photography

Some kitchens just need a refresh, others need a full rethink. In this 1970s A-frame, @andrealackiedesign started from the ground up, reworking a cramped, awkward layout into a space that finally flows. The once-disjointed kitchen (think floating fridge and a stove pushed to the margins) now feels intentional, open, and easy to live in. The magic is in the balance: improved function, smarter storage, and a layout that makes sense, all layered with warm woods and timeless finishes that echo the home’s original character. Step inside and see the before at Sunset.com. Design: Andrea Lackie @andrealackiedesign Photos: Brad Scott Visuals @bradscottvisuals

Ever wonder what the right plant palette is for your outdoor materials? Turns out, it’s less about matching—and more about balance. The team at @fridaygardens has it down to an art, pairing bold hardscape moments with planting that softens, highlights, and brings everything into rhythm. Think structured wood fencing layered with airy, textural greenery that moves with the breeze. Or colorful tile patios grounded with low, trailing plants that blur the edges and let the pattern shine. Even sculptural materials—like fluted or slatted wood—come to life when paired with foliage that contrasts in scale but echoes in movement. Grab their full list of go-to pairings in our latest issue, on newsstands, Apple+, and Sunset.com. Design: Friday Gardens Photos: (1) @caitlinatkinson_photography (2) @christineciszczon

The gift of summer? It fits in your pocket. Meet your everywhere, do-anything tools from @leathermantools . A Mother’s Day pick for the host who makes it all look effortless. The Father’s Day go-to for the fix-it dad who’s always mid-project. And for the grad already halfway out the door, chasing something new. These are the tools that keep up. Thoughtful, hardworking, and just the right amount of rugged, each one is designed to go wherever summer leads—backyard dinners, weekend builds, last-minute road trips included. Built in the USA with global materials and backed by a 25-year warranty, they’re made to be used, carried, and counted on for seasons to come. With a range of colors, customization options, and accessories, it’s easy to make one your own—or craft a gift that feels personal from the start. Featured tools: Skeletool CX ARC Signal

A tricky hillside might feel like a limitation, but it can be your backyard’s best asset. For Aimee Kirby of @ferox_studio , the key is to stop fighting the slope and start designing with it. Think less one flat yard, more a series of intentional “outdoor rooms” that unfold as you move through the space. Terracing, material shifts, and thoughtful pathways can turn a steep, hard-to-use lot into something layered, functional, and deeply livable—spaces to gather, pause, and reset, all shaped by the land itself. It’s not about fixing the terrain—it’s about letting it lead. Find all 10 tips at Sunset.com. Landscape Design: Ferox Studio @ferox_studio Build: Hi Canyon @hi.canyon Photos: Madeline Tolle @madelinetolle

What does 498 square feet look like when it’s working this hard? In this thoughtfully designed ADU, architect Nicholas Fiore of Flower Architecture proves that small-space living isn’t about sacrificing—it’s about refining. Every inch is considered, from built-in storage to flexible layouts that shift with daily life. The design stays simple, but intentional: carefully placed windows for privacy, a wraparound deck that extends living space outdoors, and just enough room for everything a family of four actually needs (and nothing they don’t). It’s less about going small and more about living smart. Take a full tour at Sunset.com. Design: Flower Architecture @flowerarchitecture Photos: Daniel Jenkins