Our Story.

17th + Sunny Studios was born from the place where our story began — a sun-drenched afternoon at Sunny Cove Beach, just off 17th Avenue in Santa Cruz. What started as a teenage spark grew into a lifelong partnership built on love, resilience, and reinvention.

Together, we’ve weathered life’s hardest storms and created something beautiful in their wake. As a firefighter and a lawyer, we both know what it means to carry weight, to fight for what matters, and to rebuild with strength and purpose. That resilience, paired with a shared eye for design and detail, is what fuels 17th + Sunny.

Our studio is more than staging — it’s transformation. We believe that homes tell stories, and when they are designed with intention, they don’t just sell, they inspire. With an aesthetic rooted in light, clean lines, natural textures, and elevated details, we bring warmth and sophistication into every space we touch.

17th + Sunny is where passion meets precision, where every project is personal, and where the spaces we create reflect not only beauty but possibility.

Because for us, design isn’t just about how a home looks. It’s about how it makes you feel — grounded, inspired, and ready for your next chapter.

About the Founders.

Robert and Samantha Farren built 17th + Sunny Studios from both a love story and a shared vision. High school sweethearts turned husband-and-wife team, they’ve grown together through life’s challenges, raising their two children, Jacob and Lyla, along the way.

With Samantha’s eye for design and Robert’s steady hand for operations, they balance creativity and precision, heart and structure. Their children are at the center of their world and a constant reminder of why creating spaces that feel like “home” matters.

For the Farrens, 17th + Sunny isn’t just a business — it’s a reflection of their journey, their resilience, and their belief that beauty can rise out of every chapter. They design with family in mind, ensuring every project they touch carries warmth, sophistication, and possibility.