Like most people in Southern California, and across the country, I was deeply affected when the Palisades Fire broke out in January of this year. I was born in the greater Los Angeles area, and lived there until I was 13 before moving to beautiful Santa Barbara County. Having grown up in the area, I was devastated to see the beautiful seaside town in flames. The fire burned more than 23,000 acres in 24 days, and the images of the destruction are still with me months later.
I watched as the Santa Barbara community rallied together to aid and support. Our firefighters responded, our schools opened their doors, we organized, and we gave. It was impressive to watch and even more rewarding to be a part of. However, monetary and physical donations still seemed to fall short for me. As a designer, I am deeply connected to how families live and thrive in their homes. Seeing the loss of all these sacred spaces, homes where people had built their foundations, left me with a desire to give back and do more. I wanted to replace the serenity that was lost, this sense of home and safety that had been taken from so many.
As this unsettled feeling continued to stir within me, an email dropped into our inbox from a local Santa Barbara resident: Her mother’s house was devastated by smoke and fire damage, rendering it uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. On the heels of an already tumultuous year, she was now faced with having to navigate insurance, finding a new place to live, and piecing her life back together. Her daughter emailed with one request: wanting to turn their guest bedroom into a serene retreat where her mother could regroup and get her bearings. We could not say yes fast enough. With a clean slate, and a tight budget, we got to work.
