About Chez Serendip
A place to gather, create, and belong beneath the redwoods.
Chez Serendip is a regenerative cultural sanctuary in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Once a family farmstead, this six-acre historic estate is being reimagined as a multi-use creative destination—a space for events, intentional gatherings, content creation, residencies, and retreats where nature and imagination meet.
Our Story & Vision
Founders Alisa Sieber and Shawn Johnson, both raised in the Bay Area, left home at 18 to serve in the military. After decades away, they felt the call to return to their roots.
In 2024, they purchased a 1921 farmhouse in Scotts Valley, dreaming of intimate concerts and family-style gatherings. When they discovered the home was once part of a larger estate—alongside a neighboring 1928 Craftsman—they seized the rare chance to reunite the original property.
Officially opened in July 2025, Chez Serendip is more than a venue—it is a living ecosystem where artistry, wellness, and stewardship thrive in reciprocity with the land. By 2030, our vision is to be a West Coast hub for cultural production, regenerative land use, and socially conscious collaboration—a place where stories are shared, futures imagined, and beauty becomes a force for change.
Property Overview
Chez Serendip spans six acres of historic redwoods, meadows, and gardens just minutes from Santa Cruz and within easy reach of San Francisco and San Jose.
Key spaces include:
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The 1928 Craftsman Home – 2BR/1BA historic residence, perfect for small gatherings, receptions, and overnight stays.
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The Carriage Room – once home to horse-drawn carriages, now being restored into a state-of-the-art recording studio and creative hub, featuring a 1920 Steinway upright piano.
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The Barn & Arena – equestrian facilities with three horses available for photoshoots, riding sessions, and equine therapy; goats and chickens roam freely.
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The Movement Dome – a 36’ circular dome designed for dance, meditation, and somatic practices.
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Gardens & Grounds – expansive outdoor entertaining areas, regenerative gardens, farm-to-table harvests, and redwood forest trails.
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Creative Studios – future spaces for painting, ceramics, fashion, and tactile arts—designed as drop-in environments for creation.
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Pool & Sauna (planned) – a restorative wellness oasis to complement retreats.
Every corner of the land tells a story—of heritage, imagination, and possibility. Chez Serendip is a place to create, to gather, to heal, and to belong.
Our Founders
Values & Ethos
Chez Serendip is guided by principles that shape every experience, partnership, and event:
Regeneration Over Extraction
Healing land and people through practices that restore balance.
Place-Based Intentionality
Listening to the land, preserving heritage, and designing with reverence.
Art as Alchemy
Honoring creativity not as commodity, but as sacred offering.
Serendipity as Strategy
Making space for surprise, magic, and chance encounters.
Community Is the Medium
Building through collaboration, reciprocity, and shared ownership.
Access Through Reciprocity
Offering inclusive pathways through sliding-scale and hybrid models.
Sacred Hospitality
Welcoming each guest with care, presence, and respect.
Future-Building Through Beauty
Elevating imagination through curated spaces and experiences.
