Tabla de contenidos para Wellness 2022 en Sunset

The butterflies were everywhere. Thousands fluttered through the canyon and the flowers like a Disney movie. Dragonflies darted through, hovering, alighting on a rock, a cactus, or a shoulder, and then careened off. It was like the first time you saw fireflies as a kid and the world for once lived up to what you want it to be and all was well and good. The world is that way if you know where to look. We did our best to find it and bring it back to you with this year’s wellness issue. The butterfly fantasia was down a two-mile, teeth-chattering, unpaved, saguaro-lined road in Arizona at Castle Hot Springs, a century-old spa and resort with natural mineral hot springs, where JFK rehabbed, the Roosevelts retreated, and we shot…

Ask a person to define what wellness is, and they may fire off critical components such as a varied, wholesome diet, regular exercise, great medical care, or work/life balance. But what about innovative lighting that takes our sleep rhythms into account? Or ventilation that ensures clean air in the kitchen? Or smart, predictive appliances that keep a home safe? As our understanding of “healthy living” expands, our home design strategies are adapting to create an environment that supports this knowledge. The experts at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, our Sunset Idea House partner, are tuned in to the latest research and ready to help homeowners make critical decisions for their kitchen, lighting, and bathroom design needs. “New discoveries about the interconnectedness of home and holistic health become an inspiration…

1. The plant must be able to tolerate growing in a relatively small pot. 2. The plant can’t get too big for the pot you keep it in, or it could bust right through it. 3. The plant must be able to withstand the lower light conditions we have in our homes. That said, make no mistake, there is some mystery involved. “We don’t know why some plants won’t grow inside,” Grubb says. “But kind of like how we don’t have relationships with squirrels, but we do with dogs and cats, it’s special that some plants will live with us in our homes.”…

Felt Bush A suggestive-looking succulent, Kalanchoe beharensis adds bright green color to outdoor landscaping. When grown indoors, it makes for an excitingly unusual houseplant. Blue Mediterranean Fan Palm With its gorgeous light-verdigris hue, Chamaerops humilis cerifera is originally from Morocco and known for its hardiness. It can be grown from Southern California all the way up to southern Washington. Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’ A tropical-looking stunner with palm-like leaves that are splashed in white. Even though it’s evergreen, Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’ grows high-contrast new foliage every year. Succulent Bush Senecio Landscape designers love Senecio barbertonicus because it’s a green and grassy-looking succulent. “It does for landscapes what a leafy plant usually does, without using a lot of water,” Grubb says.…

Here’s a story that will sound familiar to anyone feeling the crunch of the West Coast housing market while staring their child-free future in the eye. After 15 years in their 1910 Edwardian Craftsman house, and having raised two now-grown daughters, a Berkeley couple arrived at a crossroads. Should they sell their beloved but somewhat tired 1,100-square-foot house, just a handful of blocks from Chez Panisse and the East Bay’s renowned culinary district? Should they cash in to the highest bidder and simplify their lives? Or could they dig in, take everything they’ve learned to love (and hate) about their house, and use that wisdom to make it the best version of itself? “It’s like seeing an old flame in a new light,” says Brett Foken, founder of Decorotation, the…

Peat moss is often found in potting mixes, but peat bogs store at least a third of the world’s soil carbon. Meanwhile, it can take up to 1,000 years to grow little more than a yard deep, says Murphy. To make your own planet-friendly potting soil, mix together two parts coconut coir, one part organic compost, and one part rice hulls, which are a carbon-rich and sustainable substitute for perlite. (You can find them at landscape supply stores or, as Murphy recommends, ask your garden center to order them for you.) Use your mix for all your potted plants. ADAPTED FROM EMILY MURPHY’S GROW NOW ($27.95) FROM TIMBER PRESS. LEARN MORE AT PASSTHEPISTIL.COM. PREP Before planting, soak peas in damp paper towels until they start to sprout; then plant. Use…

SHELTER: Owl boxes, trees, and even fallen trees work. “Just like us, animals need a home,” Brickhouse says. WATER: Bird baths and fountains “are used constantly,” she says. NATURAL RESOURCES: “If you plant native plants, they provide food for pollinators and for seed eaters,” says Brickhouse. A TRAIL CAMERA: Get one with night vision, like the Bricknell Trophy House, which Brickhouse uses for surveilling a shy coyote that stops by to get a drink of water. A GOOD CAMERA: Brickhouse uses a Nikon COOLPIX P1000. “I started taking pictures to show that this was really happening,” she says with a laugh. “Otherwise, nobody was going to believe me.”…

IN OJAI, BRIDGE SEASONS are delightful and disorienting. Early in autumn, the heat of summer recedes but refuses to yield, the temperature toggles between balmy and chilly depending on cloud cover and time of day, and the aroma of woodburning ovens stoked with fallen local oak perfumes the air. Meave McAuliffe pushes a cast-iron pan loaded with heirloom pumpkins into the back of the wood oven, flames licking the domed ceiling. She peers in to make sure they’re in the blast zone that will convert them from starchy and pale orange to sweet and jeweled. “Whew,” she says, grimacing from the fire. “It’s going to be a hot one tonight.” Tonight is the calm before the storm, if you will: a celebratory dinner with friends before Meave and her sister, Rory,…

DENVER BEER SPA, COLORADO Jessica French and Damien Zouaoui want to bring contrast bathing to the masses. The catch? They want to do it with beer. Well, hops and malted barley to be exact. The couple offers steeped herbal baths at The Beer Spa in Denver, part of a self-guided hydrotherapy circuit in private rooms that also include a sauna and cold shower. What the bath lacks in fermented beverage, you can pour for yourself in the communal taproom just outside your room, where guests are welcome to lounge for as long as they want. $175 FOR UP TO TWO PEOPLE; THEBEERSPA.COM CASTLE HOT SPRINGS, ARIZONA After a 20-minute plunge in the warm waters of the mineral hot springs, step under a cool rain shower right next to the pools.…

Baja California flavors meet Pacific Northwest bounty in Maylin Chavez’s seafood-centric cuisine. The Portland chef, who was born and raised in Tijuana, turned her oyster and wine bar into a roving pop-up amid the pandemic, but her next brick-and-mortar is in the works. “Nothing is cookie-cutter here,” Chavez says. “That’s what makes Portland a really diverse and entertaining city.” This month: Portland The insider: Maylin Chavez, chef and founder of Olympia Oyster Bar EAT: You’ll find a “symphony” of seafood flavors at Jacqueline restaurant and oyster bar, plus a natural wine list. The Dungeness crab toast with hollandaise is “delectable.” Chavez also loves Luce, a “quaint” Italian restaurant inside a small corner store, where you can have a “long, lingering lunch” over homemade pastas and Sicilian wine. Outside the city,…

You may know actor Seth Rogen from his roles in such blockbuster hits as Superbad, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express, but he’s sharing a new side of himself with the public: his love of pottery. After hours designing at his own wheel, and poring over different glazes and shapes for “products that I could not find anywhere, but genuinely wanted to have in my own home,” Rogen launched his Houseplant collection of smoker-friendly accessories that go beyond your typical match strikes and table lighters thanks to modern design. The collections also include artist collaborations, such as with Montana-based potter Adam Field. And Rogen has more up his sleeve. Is there a gap in the market you’re trying to fill with Houseplant? I’ve been smoking weed for a long…

Flora Grubb, the face of iconic San Francisco plant store Flora Grubb Gardens, which she co-owns with her partner, Saul Nadler, has a secret. Yes, it says right on their website that they own a nursery, about 50 miles outside San Diego. But this is the first time that Grubb & Nadler Nurseries has ever been shot by a magazine, newspaper, or website. We intend to roll out the green carpet, too, because Grubb deserves the accolades. An accomplished landscape designer, she’s spent the last 19 years finding the low-water, sculptural plants that make for head-turning gardens. (She started gardening as a child, then quit high school “to do a little landscaping” and pull weeds between babysitting gigs.) Today, her garden store is so well-loved that visitors are prone to…

IN THE STICKS When using the cane method, producers in climate-appropriate places like Central America take a cutting from the mother plant, which then arrives in the United States looking, as Grubb puts it, “like a dead stick.” Opgenorth puts the cuttings in the greenhouse and gives them exactly the right care until they are large enough to be sold. “I have half a million little children,” he says with a laugh. Cool Factor: The result looks like a little tree. A CUT ABOVE For the cutting method, 2-to-8-inch cuttings are taken from the mother plant and arrive looking like a plant stub (as in, no roots). Opgenorth pots these in the correct growing medium and, once again, cares for the plants until they’re ready to sell. Cool Factor: You…

IF ANNA ROTH MILNER’S PHONE comes to life with a buzz or a ding, the interruption is likely coming straight from an online real estate marketplace. When an unusual house on the West Coast pops up on Redfin or Zillow, a property that has serious potential but could use some attention, trust that she will be clicking through. It’s a kind of game that Anna, a wardrobe stylist, and her husband, Gavin, a creative executive in advertising, have been playing for years. They send each other listings—like an architectural modern in an unexpected spot in the hills near Fresno, or a wind-swept cottage in Sea Ranch that needs a refresh—via text. For a few minutes, they consider the “what if?” of moving away from the urban grind in Los Angeles.…

When you walk into Musang, in Seattle’s Beacon Hill, the first thing you smell is the sweet and nutty aroma of gently fried garlic. It shows up in any number of the dishes chef Melissa Miranda serves at this spot that’s among the best Filipino restaurants in the country. It’s in the adobo sauce that often accompanies whatever protein’s on special, the fried eggplant with fermented black beans, and the glossy pancit, and it is the critical ingredient in the garlic fried rice. To Miranda, and many of the diners who come to Musang, this is the aroma of home. “To me and so many Filipinos, it’s the first thing you’d smell on a Saturday morning as a kid,” she says. “You’d be sleeping and wake up to that smell…

Where to Shop ◼ In the Field If the Ojai boho chic look had a starter kit, this is where you’d find it: Perfectly picked, locally made surf wear, jewelry, caftans, hats, and home goods make this the top lifestyle shop Ojai. INTHEFIELDOJAI.COM ◼ Bart’s Books No pilgrimage to Ojai is complete without an hour or so browsing the stacks and flipping through art books, novels, and poetry at the preposterously charming open-air used bookstore that’s been a longstanding national treasure to in-the-know bibliophiles. BARTSBOOKSOJAI.COM Where to Eat ◼ Izakaya Full Moon Possibly the best izakaya in Ventura County, this charming family-run spot serves exquisitely prepared Japanese dishes like rice pot with uni and A5 wagyu beef, bincho grilled meats, seasonal sashimi, and artisanal sake. FULLMOONOJAI.COM ◼ Pinyon Ojai Serious…

Cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize with Nopalera’s palmoil-free products. This Noche Clara Cactus Soap delivers soft aromas of eucalyptus and sage, plus activated charcoal. $14; NOPALERA.CO For an at-home spa night, all you have to do is add some water to Bell Mountain Naturals’ Pink Theory Clay Face Mask to leave your skin feeling super soft and hydrated. $24; BELLMOUNTAINNATURALS.COM Rose-quartz powder and cedarwood oil meet malachite and hops extracts in this Restorative Floral Bath from Nature of Things. The scents of jasmine and plumeria elevate any soak. $85; NATUREOFTHINGS.COM Seattle researcher Nadine Joseph creates adaptogenic powders with high-quality mushrooms and herbs, like this Nurture My Skin blend that can be added to your milk, tea, or coffee. $38; PEAKANDVALLEY.CO…

After she stumbled upon a historic miners’ housing community in rural Colorado, Natalie Binder transformed it into an art-filled glamping site with restored cabins and Airstreams. It’s about an hour away from Telluride, where she’s lived for more than two decades. “Telluride is a fun town,” Binder says, “so don’t be afraid to get funky!” This month: Telluride, Colorado The insider: Natalie Binder, founder of Camp V EAT: Top Chef contestant Eliza Gavin is behind the finedining concept 221 South Oak inside a historic home. “Be sure to ask for the vegetarian menu,” Binder says. “You will not be disappointed!” DO: The historic Telluride Transfer Warehouse has “an old-school feel and you never know what upand-coming artist or performance you will catch.” STAY: At the recently renovated Madeline Hotel &…

On any given evening, you’ll find a group of people—young and old—deep in conversation inside Dead or Alive. Christine Soto opened the Palm Springs bar and bottle shop to create a space for connection, and for folks to learn about wine. To offer even more opportunities, she founded Palm Springs Wine Fest to celebrate California winemakers. Here are her tips for exploring her hometown. This month: Palm Springs The insider: Christine Soto, owner of Dead or Alive Bar + Shop EAT: Soto is a fan of Bar Cecil, which is currently the hottest ticket in town. The intimate restaurant is led by chef Gabriel Woo, who was born and raised in Palm Springs. Try the deviled eggs and onion tart; or just order The Fifty Dollar Martini: The Beluga vodka…

Walking into the lavender-colored Los Angeles building that’s home to Soft Spirits, a shop flanked by row upon row of gleaming glass bottles with a fridge in the back that beckons with canned cocktails and beer, it’s difficult to imagine there’s not a drop of alcohol here. Not in the Wilderton botanical spirit made with cardamom and pine-smoked tea. Not in the Optimist blend of lavender, jasmine, and cinnamon leaf. Not in the Sovi sparkling rosé. The non-alcoholic outpost is the latest in a growing number of sober bars and shops that are gaining a foothold amid rising interest in zero-proof beverages—and brickand-mortar spaces to consume them. A constellation of factors led to the proliferation, owners say, from the pandemic’s acceleration of Americans’ reckoning with alcohol—drinking alone at home was…

Ficus umbellata “There’s so much fiddle-leaf fig overload that people are searching for the next thing. This plant has nominated itself as a contender,” Grubb says. That said, Ficus umbellata is so new to the trade, she says, few know what a 15-year-old one will look like in your house. CARE: Don’t let it go completely dry before watering. Bright, indirect light. Philodendron ‘Birkin’: “Such a super-trendy plant,” Grubb says, pointing out that until they became more available, a Philodendron ‘Birkin’ could cost $1,000 online. CARE: Keep soil moist. Bright, indirect light. Gasteraloe ‘Green Ice’ “These rare little succulent houseplants look like they’ve been hand painted by an artist,” Grubb says. CARE: Water when completely dry. Very bright, indirect light. Alocasia ‘Regal Shields’: With leaves that resemble shields, this Alocasia…

Step 1: Look for the node, a little brown protrusion from which new roots will grow. Step 2: Snip the stem below the node with sharp shears or a razor. You want at least one leaf, but preferably you’ll have two or three, so your plant will look great when it’s time to pot it. Step 3: Place your cutting in a heavy jar or vase filled with filtered water. Be sure your container isn’t gooseneck-shaped, or you could break roots off when you try to remove the plant. Step 4: It’s not necessary to change the water, but add more water as needed. Step 5: When a new cluster of roots have grown, pot your new Monstera deliciosa in soil and welcome your new plant baby to the world.…

You can alter the color of your light bulbs from your phone, chat with the mailman at your front door through a pocket-sized security camera while you’re on vacation, program your stove to cook an entire meal at varying temperatures, and even ask an AI speaker to read you a bedtime story. But all that exciting, wired, “smart home” technology magic ends when you open the metal box that contains your electrical panel—a rudimentary system of circuit connectors that has employed the same basic design for decades. There’s nothing “smart” about that. Schneider Electric, maker of the Square D Energy Center smart panel, is looking to change that. Its state-of-the-art panels allow homeowners to install a “wiser” energy center that allows them to monitor and control power use from their…

Pass the Pistil blogger Emily Murphy’s new book, Grow Now, is a fresh and in-depth look at how to rewild your garden in ways that will benefit not only you but the planet as well. And we’re not talking about mere organic composting, either. Grow Now is chock-a-block with tips on how to wild-ify land in the suburbs and the city, sequester carbon with no-dig gardening, and provide critical support to biodiversity. “We can address the climate crisis and species extinction through the simple act of growing,” Murphy says. “These are really big topics, and for some people they can be scary,” she adds. “But this is a place to find hope and action.” We couldn’t agree more.…

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Sunset Wine Club, a selection of story-worthy wines produced by the top growers and vintners in California, Oregon, Washington, and beyond—delivered straight to your door. We’ve partnered with the country’s premier online wine retailer, Wine Access, to curate a standout mix of reds and whites to drink this season. Even better, they’ve been selected to go with the recipes and menus in the issue you’re holding in your hands. Just look for the Sunset Wine Club “Perfect Pairing” sidebar in the food stories in this and future issues. As a member of the Sunset Wine Club, you will receive the following exclusive benefits: Six Story-Worthy Wines, Shipped Every Three Months Bottles are thoughtfully crafted by a group of diverse, environmentally responsible winemakers…

IT’S A WARM EVENING IN ARIZONA when I mosey up a dirt trail flanked by towering saguaros, finding myself lured by the smells of minerals emanating from a hot spring up ahead. The sun has just dropped behind the Bradshaw Mountains as I arrive at the edge of the pool, sling my towel over a boulder, and carefully dip one foot into the water, which clocks in at about 106 degrees. This serene, turquoise oasis is one of three at Castle Hot Springs, a historic resort about an hour north of Phoenix where you’re more likely to see a kaleidoscope of butterflies speed by than a car. A recent multi-year renovation transformed the remote 1896 property—seriously, it’s a dusty, winding drive off the highway—into the contemporary wellness destination it is…

Ready to cook more dishes? See all of the recipes on sunset.com Compressed Melon MAKES 12 BITES 1 super ripe cantaloupe, about2.5-3 lbs., peeled, quartered, and seeded1 cup white verjus1 Tbsp. agave syrup1 loaf whole-grain bread1 cup mascarpone1 Tbsp. honey12 pieces prosciutto, thinly sliced 1. Place sliced melon in a resealable plastic bag. Add verjus and agave syrup. Seal bag and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. 2. Carefully slice whole-grain bread into ½-inch thick crostinis; think two bites as a reference. Toast and set aside to cool. 3. In a mixing bowl, fold mascarpone and honey together, then generously spread onto crostini. 4. Gently place a folded slice of prosciutto on top of mascarpone. 5. Remove melon from bag and cut into ½-inch cubes. Plate melon next to…

George W. C. Walker III was just looking for an internship when he emailed Wade Cellars, the Napa wine label by former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade. He didn’t expect to receive an offer to become the brand’s first full-time employee, but that’s exactly what happened. So, shortly after Walker launched a series of Graped Out wine tastings in the Midwest to make vino more accessible to people in all walks of life, he moved to Napa. He’s since helped Wade expand into more than 40 states with a goal of “inclusivity and accessibility, first and foremost,” Walker says, “and creating dope juice.” Here are some local favorites around the brand’s home base. This month: Napa The insider: George W. C. Walker III, national brand ambassador for Wade Cellars STAY:…

FEW NAMES ELICIT THOUGHTS of superhuman feats in the world of rock climbing more than that of Colorado native Tommy Caldwell. And yet, despite a resume brimming with death-defying accomplishments—notably, the first free climb of Yosemite National Park’s Dawn Wall route, chronicled in a 2017 film by the same name—it is Caldwell’s present endeavor that could be his most meaningful. With the wisdom and perspective that accompanies leaving youthful recklessness in the past, the 43-year-old father of two has lately found himself as a key figure in a coalition of athletes and scientists comprising Protect Our Winters, an advocacy group founded in 2007 by big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones to bring the sort of education and innovation to the outdoor community necessary to stifle the detriments of climate change. Caldwell…