Jeff Shelton Architect

03/18/2026

Benches are an important part of any project. They provide a place for pedestrians to slow down, take a seat, and be refreshed.

Nut thief and limestone horse heads sculpted by Andy Johnson at El Andaluz.
Animal tiles by Elizabeth Olsen.
Rose tiles for bench and dog water fountain at Cota St. by Linda Hail Godless.
Circle bench tiles by Alvaro Suman.

First two photos are by from our book The Fig District: Some Buildings in Downtown Santa Barbara. Available at the link in our bio.

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03/09/2026

The curving tiled blankets seen from the back of the Pistachio House that have become most photographed (swipe to see), but the exterior contains plenty of small details.

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03/05/2026

The home that inspired the Vera Cruz building, Sanford Darling's House of 1000 Paintings, hasn't stood in its painted glory in downtown Santa Barbara for 50 years, but the house and it's paintings are not lost to time. It was well-photographed in its day, and there are online archives detailing the original paintings. We've even heard a few made it into the Smithsonian's collection. Vera Cruz is a loving homage to Darling’s vision to completely enrobe his home in artwork. It didn’t quite make it to 1000 paintings, but at more than 400 (with some artists contributing more than 50 each), it keeps the spirit alive.

Photos by from Jeff's book, The Fig District: Some Buildings in Downtown Santa Barbara.

03/03/2026

A variety of doors from different domiciles.

Stair risers and curving blue and white arch tiles on the Ablitt Tower made by by
Metal doors at Cota Street Studios and the Oak Tree House fabricated by David Shelton.
Embedded ceramic plates at Cota Street Studios by Linda Hail Godlis.
Mazzy Flower tile at La Roca available from
Striped Door at the Oak Tree House painted by Jeff and family on a hot summer afternoon at Fig Avenue.

01/12/2026

This week we're talking tessellations on our tile account . Here is the Wood Duck tile, a tessellation of a wood duck surrounded by two colorful fish. Swipe to see the original sketches done "on a plane somewhere" in 2013.

12/04/2025

11/10/2025

Have you seen our new tile account? We carved out a special place on instagram just for tile – from initial sketches, to stories about each tile design's conception, to how the tile is made and of course all the beautiful photos of where it's been installed. is your new spot to enjoy all things tile.

10/21/2025

Thank you Santa Barbara!! And ! Grateful to live and work in this beautiful community.

10/07/2025

The new issue of is an opportunity to delve deeper into Jeff’s creative family and the circle of friends and collaborators that continue to be part of the process. A band of artisans to celebrate!

🔗Link to the article in bio

09/26/2025

We’re happy to share that the latest issue of is out now! Featuring a beautifully crafted article that dives deep into all things Shelton, from family roots to the incredible teams who shape the buildings.

Thanks to Les Firestein & Jeff Wing for the words, and to Kim Reierson () & Jason Rick () for the photos.

Hit the bio for the full article!

08/18/2025

The layout of Cota Street Studios is designed to make the best of its setting, angled away from the grid of the street to give each unit the best exposure to the sun. If you find yourself standing at the front gate, the angles might have the effect of hiding some of the details to be found within, so here is some of what hides inside the four interconnected courtyards: carved stone animal faces, tiled fountains, custom light fixtures, iron work balconies, round blue doors, and an entire unit covered in hand-painted ceramic plates by Santa Barbara ceramicist Linda Hail Godlis. The stone sculptures are by Anders Johnson, the ironwork crafted by David Shelton Studios, and the project was built by Dan Upton and Upton Construction, in partnership with Leon Olson and Dick Richard’s.
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Photos by , from The Fig District: Some Buildings in Downtown Santa Barbara.