It took 12 years of living in Santa Barbara for me to find my kind of barber shop. I’d gone to a classic joint with a spinning pole outside, but I grew to find the scissors and the “jokes” too blunt. I’d even tried a salon but quickly realized I didn’t want the complimentary chardonnay or large bill that came with a basic cut. Then I met Alex and Erin Guerena.
At the time, the married pair were renting their chairs at the The Palms Barber Shop on Calle Laureles. I immediately liked their vibe, and then suddenly, during a conversation with Alex about Werner Herzog films that somehow transitioned into our favorite cuts of steak, I got the best haircut of my adult life. I’ve been going back ever since.
Starting this winter, however, I’ll be heading down to 1924 De La Vina Street. After seven years of putting in their dues, the Guerenas have struck out on their own and opened Haven Barber & Shop. They’ve transformed the dusty Midway appliance store next to Cajun Kitchen into a sunny space painted a very light pink, with help from their sledgehammer-wielding dads and a team of customers that included a contractor and electrician.
