Shannon and her husband provide a truly serene sanctuary nestled high in Carbon Canyon, When I arrived, I was greeted by the landscape's fresh scents of lavender and sumac and by the chirping of songbirds. The pool house is tucked away in a completely private location on the property, and the wrap-around deck provides panoramic views of the shrub-covered hillsides and the ocean. This was the perfect spot for some morning meditation and gentle yoga with a soundtrack of buzzing bees, working hard to collect the pollen from the property's avocado and lemon trees.
As soon as I walked in to the pool house I thought, "I want to live here." The space is stylishly and thoughtfully decorated. I made regular use of the Harman Kardon speaker, which connected easily by Bluetooth to my iPhone. On that technology note, it was easy to work remotely from the pool house: the workspace overlooks the ocean, the Wifi was strong and reliable, and the desk and its leather chair were comfortable. My only trouble was navigating the lack of cell service (AT&T) in the hills in general, so I recommend you look into Wifi calling and let people know you might not be receiving text messages. Also, make sure to look up driving directions BEFORE leaving the house, as I found I couldn't reconnect to cell data until I reached PCH, where the service was spotty at best. Totally great for unplugging from technology, just a bit to keep in mind if you are taking a working vacation like I was.
Check-in and check out were both super easy, and Shannon was easily reachable and quickly responded to messages. Shannon checked in regularly to make sure that I was comfortable, which was much appreciated. When I arrived, there was a small welcome gift on the counter with a handwritten note. There was also a copy of the March issue of Vogue, which featured photographs taken on the property and at the pool house. It was a very cute "Welcome to LA!" touch and gave me an even deeper appreciation of the property.
My week in Shannon's home was truly a transformative experience. I am grateful for my time in this Shangri-La, and I cannot speak highly enough of Shannon and this gem of a space.