Topanga Canyon
Artemis Studio LA
An unexpected weekend relocation became a perfect respite.
The Well Lived Woman
When our place recently needed some construction work, we found ourselves temporarily ousted from our house and looking for somewhere to stay. Making lemonade out of lemons, we found a space to rent in Topanga Canyon. To be honest, the construction was just the push we needed to get away — we were sour on the city, and craved (as we often do) being among green, in dirt, in a bit of wildness. This little stay, even though it was just over the mountain from our home, was the grounding we needed.
The space was surrounded by trees, with a full outdoor kitchen on the patio, chickens my daughter and I would visit each morning (plus a rooster that taught her its signature call), a pack of border collies to patrol the property, kittens we’d spy tumbling through the bushes, and a view of the sun setting over the valley each evening. It was overall an idyllic stay, and here are a few of the highlights and favorite things about the Topanga area:
Topanga is filled with hiking trails, and at the base of the mountain’s western side is Topanga Beach. I love both activities, though for this trip rather than proper hikes we opted for easy strolls on unmarked local trails.
One of my favorite stops in the town center was Artemis Studio LA. It’s an art gallery, an interior design studio, and a shop — and everything in there is curated perfectly. I picked up some of the best-smelling hand soap I’ve ever used, but there’s so many more home objects they carry that are now on my wish list, including some handmade ceramics and gorgeous sculptural lamps. They also have a very sweet children’s section with wooden teethers, knit stuffies, Dumyé dolls, and an Ecobirdy table and chairs set for littles to sit at.
Just next to Artemis is the new shop and gathering space The Well Lived Woman. This space is so well done, and I’d love to attend an event here. There’s a back room with a little carpeted round alcove that’s especially charming and transportive. Even the water cooler was beautiful here — hammered copper, standing next to a Smeg electric kettle. They carry Bembien bags, and lots of other little gift-things, like natural skincare, art supplies and journals, and a little wave sculpture that I might need to go back and get for myself.
The Well Refill is a refill station and reusable goods shop. In addition to bulk soaps etc., they had a nice selection of vintage clothing (including children’s) and books. I got a few wavy glass straws in pink and green.
Kinship Station is relatively new, and was largest outpost we visited, in what I heard was previously a feed store. I got some bath salts there, and some Loco Love chocolates, which I’ve heard great things about and the saleswoman said they can be hard to find. There was a ceramic boob mug that I added to my wish list, plus lots of other beautiful things for the home as well as vintage and new clothing. I have my eye on the tie dye shirts I saw, by Layli Dyes Hard.
We mostly cooked and ate at our rental’s outdoor kitchen, but we one night we grabbed dinner at Endless Color, natural wine and pizza. I have no idea what wine we chose but it was really delicious, as was the pizza. I loved the funky Flinstone vibe of the interior (and the Madonna Inn-esque glassware). We took some of the very good GF chocolate chip cookies home for dessert. There’s also a record store inside!
There’s still plenty of spots I’d like to explore in Topanga that were closed or that we just didn’t make it to. The menu at Cafe on 27 looked delicious and I’m bookmarking it for brunch after our next hike. I’d love to try on the dreamy handmade dresses at Moona Star and browse the colorful kids clothes at Pebbles Clothing. This wasn’t feasible with a toddler, but I’d love to take my time perusing the layers and layers of vintage and antique curiosities at Hidden Treasures. Topanga deepened my yearning to live in a smaller town again, and my desire to settle down deeper in nature. I’m already wistful for our little country stay with its chickens (I miss my old chickens!) and its fresh air, the crunch of gravel underfoot and the sound of crickets at night. I know it won’t be long before my next day trip over the mountain, but I’d love another long stay, too.
The Well Lived Woman