My family still talks about what a wonderful, unique house this is! We rented it for the week around our daughter's graduation from UCSB in June, wanting a place that would allow us to all stay together, have a graduation party and be in a great location. Seven Oaks exceeded our expectations. The beautiful setting feels serene and secluded, yet it's just minutes away from downtown Santa Barbara and only about 20 minutes to the campus. The numbers in our group ranged from just my husband and I, to 13 on the night of the graduation barbecue. The house easily accommodated that number and parking was not a problem, fitting eight vehicles that evening. The house itself is absolutely gorgeous, the attention to detail amazing, yet I never worried about the children in out group breaking things as it is a very kid friendly home. The "great room" upstairs and the kitchen/dining/fireplace room downstairs were perfect gather spots for everyone. The kitchen is large and stocked with everything needed for large gathering with a great BarBQ outside, off the laundry room. My two favorite areas were what I called the daybed deck and "fishbowl/fern room". The daybed deck was where I found myself the most often; enjoying a book, napping and recharging. (Gotta admit, we jokingly tried to figure out a way to get that beautifully unique daybed home with us!). The cozy "fishbowl" room (so-called, because of the two glass walls, that at night allow everyone to see in and in the daytime makes one feel like you're in the middle of a fern grotto), is such a beautiful, comfortable area that I frequently found everyone perched on every available surface. I just realized I hadn't mentioned the outdoors! What a magical setting! From the small, intimate seating areas that were just like little vignettes, the larger seating areas, the trampoline, tire swing, garden, lush landscaping...wow, what a paradise!
This was a special time for us and I'm so glad we got to experience it while staying at Seven Oaks Retreat. Our memories of that time will always be colored by what a truly welcoming, beautiful home we were lucky to have found. I would definitely recommend this wonderful oasis to anyone! Thank you Isa!