Blessed with a location on the doorstep of prime wine country, the Danish town of Solvang, just north of Santa Barbara, is a quaint place to buy pastries and holiday nick-knacks while strolling through local boutiques, art galleries and casual cafés. Taking up residence in the former Petersen Village Inn, new hotel The Landsby (Danish for ‘the village’) is a contemporary renovation from Santa Monica designers, Studio Collective, who did not stray from the 41-room property’s original Scandinavian aesthetic. A mixture of warming blonde woods, white oak flooring and handcrafted furnishings are accented with brushed satin brass finishes, while select pieces painted in matt periwinkle blues or mustard yellows add a pop of colour. There are intricate handmade wall-hung tapestries dotted throughout the property, along with LA-based artist Rachel Brown’s colourful animal portraits of ostriches, lamas and goats, which nod to the local wildlife. The refit has added a bar and lounge space to the new lobby, which has become a central gathering place for a craft ‘shrub’ cocktail (a sweet tangy drinking vinegar made from macerated fruit and sugar), but we suggest heading to the restaurant, for the griddled yellowtail and scallop potato cakes with a deep smoky aioli.
