A picturesque town nestled in California’s bucolic wine country in the Santa Ynez Valley is home to Santa Ynez General. This beautifully merchandized space in a charming white building reflective of the architecture of the area was established in 2019 by partners Pearson and Spencer Turnbull.

We wanted to open a shop so we could meet people in the community that we would never come across  otherwise – and we’ve met the most fascinating people because of it!

What makes Santa Ynez General so unique.   We comb the globe to find unique and exceptional items.  The objects in our store are all attached to people and we seek out pieces with a story behind them. 

Is there a story behind the shop name, Santa Ynez General? We wanted to invoke the old west, but offer a modern range of “general” products from toothpaste to fireplace sets.

What is Santa Ynez General known for?   Our house label t-shirts.  They’re made of the most beautiful cotton, and once a customer picks one up, she needs one in every color.  Another favorite is our alpaca blankets from Blacksaw.

Spencer & Pearson Turnbull, The Shopkeepers at Santa Ynez General

What inspired you to open Santa Ynez General?  I’ve always wanted to own my own business, but wasn’t sure what that was.  We opened the shop when we moved to Santa Ynez.  We didn’t have jobs here, so we decided to create our own.  We wanted to open a shop so we could meet people in the community that we would never come across  otherwise – and we’ve met the most fascinating people because of it!

Before I was a shopkeeper, I.. lived many lives.  I worked in the music industry for a while before becoming an attorney. Then pursued a career in fashion. Most recently I worked as a landscape designer.

Your favorite thing about owning an independent shop?  The flexibility of being able to pivot my business quickly to suit my customers. Seeing the immediate impact of making a change (whether merchandising in the store or through social media), and seeing the results of that action.

Favorite local businesses

• I’m obsessed with a florist down the street forageflorals

• breakfast from thebakers_table

• any meal we can get at bellslosalamos

• a horseback ride with vinovaqueroshorsebackriding

• wine at demetriaestate

Favorite Shops

• Bergdorf Goodman & RW Guild, New York

• Fuegia , Buenos Aires

• Arcana , Los Angeles

• APPARATUS showrooms in NY & LA

For the last several years, retail – especially in America – has been defined by consolidation and standardization.  This is not resonating with customers, and we’re seeing stores close because of it.  The only way to survive in retail in the 21st century is by eliciting an emotional response from your store’s guests.  We treat our store as a gallery: we let our visitors discover on their own.  We are simply docents in this experience, providing information when needed.