The Home Page | A Little More Light (and a Lot to Love)

Credit: Balsam Hill

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on May 24, 2026. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletter

We get to spring forward next week — and while someone will inevitably grumble about that lost hour of sleep, I’m all in for lighter evenings and the first hints of spring.

Naturally, the internet is bursting with “refresh your home for spring” ideas. The photo above is from Balsam Hill, who shares six chic ideas for outdoor entertaining. Better Homes & Gardens suggests string lights, outdoor rugs, throw pillows and weather-resistant rockers. Of course, Pinterest is a treasure trove of picture-perfect ideas, Instagram is full of inspo, and The Coolist offers 28 spring décor ideas to make your porch unforgettable.

Feeling a little décor overload? Same. That’s why I love this simple advice from our Design Doctor, Laura Gransberry: just add flowers and greenery. It’s the quickest way to freshen, brighten, and soften a space. And if bold changes make you nervous — no judgment! — a splashy bouquet is a low-commitment way to play with color and scale. Easy, breezy, spring.

THIS WEEK’S COVER HOME:

This week’s cover home is your golden ticket into coveted More Mesa Shores — a neighborhood where houses for sale are few and far between. With private, gated beach access just for residents, it already had my attention. But then there’s the home itself: 1239 Orchid Drive sits on a sun-soaked half-acre flat lot with sweeping mountain views, lush gardens, fruit trees, and — yes — a pool.

Inside, three bedrooms and two full baths unfold across a flexible floorplan designed for easy living, with multiple gathering spaces and seamless flow. Still, it’s the lifestyle that steals the show: two blocks to the sand, miles of trails at your doorstep, and that rare, rural feel so close to everything. Offered at $2,850,000 and presented by Marie Sue Parsons and Stephanie Young — this is More Mesa magic.

THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

Love is in the air — and in this week’s issue. Our annual Wedding Guide has arrived, brimming with every vendor you could possibly need to plan the big day. But the real heart of it? The couples. We asked newlyweds to share the stories behind their “I dos,” and what came back is a kaleidoscope of moments from sweet to striking to wonderfully sentimental. Shout out to my newly wed friends Geordie and Mike Scully-Taylor, posing here on their wedding day with their pup Missy.

THIS WEEK’S OPEN HOUSES:

We’ve gathered open homes from the Santa Ynez Valley all the way south to Ventura with plenty in between. Check them all out right here. Haven’t grabbed your print copy yet? You can flip through the full issue — front and back — right here. As always, thank you for reading and for making The Home Page part of your Sunday ritual.