A Contemplation of Good Style

Dear all,

I love thinking about good style, what people like visually.  How the physical spaces we occupy make people feel and why that is.  What good style means to me, what it means to others, how people become representatives of good, or bad style.  What is "Santa Barbara Style" and is that really truly Santa Barbara Style?  And is anything even original at all?  Or are we all watching each other, interconnected and copying back and forth forever?  Probably that last one I think. 

About five or six years ago I was introduced by my friend Caroline, to the philosopher Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007).  To quote my source:"He was a French philosopher and sociologist who is best known for his work on postmodernism, consumer culture, and the media. He was born in the small town of Reims in northeastern France and studied German at the University of Paris.

Baudrillard's work is characterized by his critique of contemporary society and his exploration of the role of the media in shaping our perceptions of reality. He argued that we have become so saturated with images and signs that it is difficult to distinguish reality from simulation.

Baudrillard's most famous work is "Simulacra and Simulation," in which he argues that the simulation of reality has replaced the real, and that we live in a world of hyperreality where everything is a copy or simulation of something else. He also wrote extensively on the topics of consumer culture, globalization, and the Gulf War."

While this may seem heavy for styling a remodeled space, it actually seems super relevant to me.

Sometimes I get tired of all the white, all the neutral all the minimalism, all the farm houses.  And then I realize, I am just like everyone else, and everyone else is over that look now too.  Now it's all about "Dark and Moody" looks.  Which Dark and Moody is myyy thinggg so I am excited for this phase of style to rock for the next 5-10 years or however long a good style trend lasts.  But good style is a moving target, and is a painting in a painting.  A replication of itself upon itself.  It's wild.

And what is timeless style?  Good style should be timeless right?  The timelessness of a style is what makes it so captivating.  For me timeless style might be different than what it is to you.  Older pre Santa Barbara 1925 Earthquake homes are timeless.  Dark wood, extremely ornate moldings, beautiful entry ways, sweeping stair cases, tall ceilings, massive wrap around porches, big inefficient windows.  Also hand hung shingles, fairy tale homes, details that no longer meet building code are beautiful to me.  

Good style,(just like good people) proves itself to me over time.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday of your choosing.  I hope you are enjoying life, and feel inspired to be more yourself, more sharing of your gifts, more joyful, more relaxed, and more kind in this year to come, if that's even possible.

Sincerely
Emily Kellow
Office Manager at Kellow Construction