Judy Foreman: Home Crush Brings Fresh Perspective to Summerland’s Lifestyle Lineup

Summerland’s Lillie Avenue has become a mecca for shoppers from near and far so it was a natural and timely fit for Aimee Miller’s new lifestyle and outdoor store, Home Crush.

Miller, a six-year Montecito resident but a 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles home design world, wanted to present all of Home Crush’s outdoor furnishings, heating elements and fire pits, fountains, pots and planters, and textiles and pillows both in and around the store and its multilevel garden grounds.

The day I visited the shop at 2500 Lillie Ave., the setting was gorgeous and quite inviting. With the Pacific Ocean providing a majestic backdrop, Home Crush’s serenity gave clients an excuse to take their time browsing amid trees, gardens and water features. I didn’t want to leave myself, and I live just up the street!

“We specialize in many furnishings and home items not offered in Santa Barbara, and have exclusive lines that are not offered elsewhere in California,” Miller told Noozhawk.

“We’ve selected handmade goods from Europe, such as a generational linen from a vendor from a Rome family who makes special luxury beach towels, padded picnic and beach blankets from Germany, and handmade Turkish towels.”

She pointed to an overhead heating dome floor lamp from Belgium that she called “a real showstopper,” and noted that Home Crush’s fire pits and bowls, made of lightweight concrete, are unavailable elsewhere in the West.

Miller partnered with Californian Smart Homes to create an ambience of a luxury home, complete with a garden sound system, an all-weather outdoor TV, and custom electronic integration.

Inside the cottage on the upper terrace is a beautiful, curated showroom with shelves filled with specialty sunblock and after-sun care items, and baby alpaca blankets that are ultra soft and double as art.

Also on display are light fixtures, artisan baskets and outdoor herbal candles that don’t have the strong smell of citronella. Accessories include recycled rubber garden boots crafted by a fourth-generation Korean family business.

Miller said plans for specialty trunk shows and limited private events are also on the menu.

The store joins a loaded lineup of Summerland shopping options, including Field+Fort, Garde, Porch, Botanik, The Well, Sacred Space, Summerland Antique Collective and Summerland Oriental Rugs.

Miller is hosting an open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday with special offers for all purchases as well as refreshments. A grand opening gala is set for 4-7 p.m. May 12.

Regular hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

An additional, appointment-only Home Crush showroom opened a year ago in a converted 1930s bungalow at 10 E. Islay St. in Santa Barbara.

— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.