California summer means surfing, sunsets, margaritas, tacos, skateboarding, rollerskating, hot sand, and the cold Pacific.

At least to me. Many think lobster rolls, sea glass, ferries, and clam bakes. It would be much easier to drive up the East coast for summer vacation. While that must be wonderful to many, summer will never be Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Maine to me. The West Coast always beckons. Summer just doesn’t feel complete unless it is a California summer. The Mexican influence and Spanish architecture set the perfect backdrop for our beloved activities.

The images below depict the perfect California summer as they appear in my mind.

A surfer in Montecito. (Photo: C Magazine)

Serape bathrobes.

The first thing to love about a California summer is the Spanish architecture.

Richard Hallberg’s Montecito home. (Photo: Max Kim-Bee)

My dream house could be found in just about any California town. It would have old tile floors, wooden beamed ceilings, and white plaster walls. Charming windows and french doors allow cool winds to blow through the house.

House designed by Lutah Maria Riggs. Now owned by Richard Hallberg. (Photo: Art Design and Architecture Museum)

Richard Hallberg’s Montecito home. (Photo: Max Kim-Bee)

Hardware detail from Richard Hallberg’s house. (Photo: Max Kim-Bee)

Side entrance to Casa del Herrero by George Washington Smith, Montecito. (Photo: C magazine)

The second is that everything grows in California.

Pelargoniums hate the Florida humidity. Everything grows beautifully in California.

The home of a fabulously creative man, Encinitas.

Admiring the view from La Valencia, La Jolla.

Natural materials always seem right in California. (Photo: Pinterest)

Mary Queen of the Sea, Catholic Church, La Jolla.

White walls, saltillo floors, and a dutch door make a perfect kitchen. (Photo: Pinterest)

Most significant, however, is the natural beauty that recharges the soul.

The morning’s bounty from a few years ago. I love the brown and white striped ones the most.

(Photo: Slabs of the Sunburnt West)

Mornings are overcast until eleven or so when the sun burns off the clouds.

The perfect end to another amazing California beach day.

Casa V Interiors can bring California beauty to your home.