About Us

Pearson McGee and his husband Spencer Turnbull founded Santa Ynez General in 2019 with the vision of creating a luxury design destination in the Santa Ynez Valley. Pearson, who built his career working at luxury fashion brands, including executive positions with Neiman Marcus and Giorgio Armani, and Spencer, an accomplished attorney who practiced in Washington DC and Los Angeles, each pivoted away from their corporate career paths to seize their dream of building their own brand grounded in the bucolic Santa Ynez Valley. Having recently lost a number of loved ones, Pearson and Spencer were emboldened to make haste. "There's only now" became their refrain.  After years in an industry of transitory styles and ever faster fashion, Pearson was drawn to the permanence of quality homewares and found fulfillment in creating beautiful spaces to bring people together. Spencer, a native of Santa Ynez and scion of a local ranching family, introduced Pearson to the area and they quickly realized that the close-knit valley where Spencer grew up not only radiated natural beauty, but also buzzed with the style, creative energy, and strong sense of community that they sought.

As Pearson and Spencer envisioned the business they wished to create, they made frequent trips to the valley from their home in Los Angeles, house hunting and anticipating how Santa Ynez General would stich into the fabric of the community. The couple decided that a destination home store would perfectly complement the region's renowned wine and food scene, and set about designing a beautiful, peaceful retail space that also could host in-store events to gather clients, makers, and friends.

In October 2019 Pearson and Spencer moved permanently to the valley and opened the door to Santa Ynez General just two weeks later. Making the leap from their predictable city lives to the adventure of starting their own business in a small town was daunting, but they have been buoyed by a successful opening season and the enthusiastic reception of locals and visitors alike. Pearson and Spencer would love to welcome you to Santa Ynez General and invite you to come visit. There’s only now.